Feature

Birmingham has been abuzz with the music of its hometown boys Lock 13. Pretty soon, the entire nation will be privy to these up-and-coming rockers.

The Port City will also get a taste of Lock 13 with a two-night engagement at Grand Central on March 24 and 25 as well as a show April 8 at Mary G. Montgomery High School. With a hard-edge, mainstream sound, tons of dedication and a record deal with Tim King’s (SOiL) Mortal Music Label on Universal, Lock 13 is gearing up for a music takeover. I had the chance to speak with their newest addition to the line-up, bassist Jake Fountain.

SC: Where did the name Lock 13 come from?

JF: Lock comes from a lock and dam where everybody used to hang out. It was Lock 13, and the name seemed to stick. Everybody wondered what kind of big meaning was behind, but that was pretty much it.

SC: How did Lock 13 come together as a band?

JF: The band has been together for about five years. Lock 13 was basically made up of Jon (Childers), the lead singer, and Drew Hall. They had another bass player and another drummer. They went like that for two years, and then Brad (Aaron) joined the band. He’s been in the band going on three years, and I’m the newest member of the band. I’ve been in the band almost a year.

SC: With you being the new addition to the band, what’s it been like becoming a member of Lock 13? Has it been hard work?

JF: Actually, I was in a band, and Lock 13 was opening up for us. I was the lead singer of that band, so every time they would open up for us, I would be like “We need to be opening up for these guys!” I knew they had talent from the start. I told them that if they ever needed anything, then I would play. Till recently, I was a guitar player and a singer. They came to me and asked me to play bass. It’s been really crazy going from playing in a bar band to trying out for a band with a record deal and an album about to come out. I joined the band right before we went to Miami, so I had to learn a lot of the songs.

SC: How does it feel to be signed to Universal’s Mortal Music label?

JF: I know this is going to sound cliché, but it’s not all glamorous like people think it is, at least not yet. We’re just starting, and we have a long way to go. It does feel good to say “Hey, we got a record label” and to know that someone like Tim King believes in us.

SC: You guys have worked in the past with a pretty famous producer who goes by the name of “Tadpole” at Rax Trax in Chicago. He’s worked with people like 3 Doors Down and Drowning Pool. What was it like working with him?

JF: Actually, when I joined the band, they had just gotten back from Chicago, and they said that it was the best learning experience they had ever had. I hate to sit here and speak for the guys; maybe you can catch up with them later. They said that they learned more than they did enjoy themselves. I mean, they enjoyed the trip, and it was a pleasure to work with Tadpole. They learned so much from that guy; they realized how far they have to go. That came from all of their mouths.

SC: Your boss man at Mortal Music is Tim King from the band SOiL. It seems as if since Lock 13 has joined up with him that your motivation has increased. What was it about King that put the fire under your feet?

JF: Tim King has been working with Lock 13 for three or four years now. J.C. (Smith), our manager, was actually the one who discovered Lock 13. So, he gave Tim King the CD, and the first song that Tim King heard from Lock 13 was “Inner Enemy.” Ever since then, he’s been coming up with new ideas and always trying to get our foot in the door. Even when we weren’t signed, he was always trying to do something to improve the band. That’s in addition to him being on tour and working with his own band. So, he’s a busy guy, but he always takes care of us and makes time for us. He’s a real inspiration, and we’re lucky to have him on our side.

SC: Tell me about the new album that you guys have coming out.

JF: It’s going to be something new; it’s going to be on the edge. It’s edgier music, but it’s mainstream. We’ve had a lot of people guiding us as far as keeping our music Lock 13, and keeping it real and kind of heavy but keeping it mainstream where everyone can enjoy it. We have one acoustic track called “I’ll Try,” but the rest of the album is pretty heavy. I think it’s really going to be one of those albums that you can put in and listen to it without skipping through.

SC: After you play Grand Central, you guys have a show at Mary G. Montgomery with The Ugli Stick. Can you tell me a little bit more about that?

JF: You know, I don’t know every detail about it, but I know The Ugli Stick will be playing. It’ll be an all-ages show. It’s going to be fun. We plan on giving away some Specter basses. My Specter rep is going to hook it up where we can give away a bass to the person with the best grades or whatever the contest is. We’ll be giving away a lot of other cool stuff as well.

SC: Where would you like to see Lock 13 a year from now?

JF: It’s easy to say “I want to make it big and travel.” Personally, I just want to see the world and travel to get paid for us to play music. I see us together and making albums. I just want to play music and be happy. That right there is enough!

Stephen Centanni is Lagniappe music editor. Contact him at scentanni@lagniappemobile.com.

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