Alternative rock act PHARMACOSE, led by front-man, multi-instrumentalist, and medical physician WESLEY JONES, is in the midst of releasing their second album, Ascension’s Constraint, with the first 9 tracks out now as Ascension’s Constraint Pt. 1. Unlike many front-men and women, Jones, however, is more integrally involved in every step of his music production, delving deeply into all aspects of creation and engineering as a process of discovery and mastery. RockRevolt recently chatted with Wesley to learn more about the changing landscape of the independent music scene, and what artists themselves can do in order to broaden their understanding and appreciation of the ongoing evolution and revolution in the modern rock and metal scene.
How did you first get started in music production, and what inspired you to combine your passion for music with technology?
I started about a decade ago, and I didn’t have a clue as to what I was doing. I feel like it’s a pretty typical story. I was in a band at the time, and we wanted to record an EP, but we were all pretty broke. We did have the bare minimum needed to record, however. I was the bassist, and it’s always the bassist that seems to get stuck with the production duties! I’m joking because honestly I really enjoy it, although it took a lot longer to get decent at it than I had hoped. Learning production from a DAW rather than a console means that embracing technology is inevitable. I think a lot of people like to keep things as analog as possible, and there is virtue in that, but technology just makes the job so much easier. Nine Inch Nails is what got me into synths, and in a DAW you essentially have access to every synthesizer ever made. Granted digital emulations may not be exact, but the average listener can’t tell and probably doesn’t care. They just want to listen to a cool song, and if it has a unique sound to it, even better. Embracing technology lets me get sounds that I’m looking for and that hopefully the listener will enjoy.
Your music seems to incorporate unique technology and sound design. Could you share some insights into your creative process and how technology plays a role in shaping your sound?
I can’t say that I start every song the same way, but for a lot of songs on the record, I just started messing around with synths until I got a bassline or some pads that I really liked, and then I just built around it. For instance, Could I Be Dreaming was at first just a bassline that came from me experimenting with a eurorack sequencer. It was like that for If I Were Better as well, but for that song I was trying out a chord sequencer. What might be a bit different than a lot of people is that I like to pick a key first. Different keys have different vibes, so D minor for instance is a very sad key, while G minor to me has a sense of struggle. It might sound strange, but I guess that’s just the way my brain works.
Many artists are concerned about technology potentially overshadowing the human element in music. How do you strike a balance between technology and human expression in your work?
It’s great when you can keep a band together long enough for everyone to really lock into one another. Great things happen and there is a lot of emotion that comes through, but it’s really hard to keep a band together. Trust me, I’ve been trying for nearly twenty years, so you have to make compromises. You can use technology to fill in the gaps, such as using electronic drums. A lot of that has been normalized by electronic music and pop, and honestly the lines between genres get blurred a lot these days. The key element though is conveying emotion. Playing actual instruments helps you do that, but there’s plenty of electronic music out there that was all done on a computer that conveys emotion. As long as you don’t lose sight of that, I think you’re okay. And yes, things like the ability to easily edit parts in the computer might seem like it takes away from the humanity of it, but I think a lot of that is just romanticizing production unnecessarily. Let’s not pretend that back in the day engineers used all sorts of tricks and hacks, and a lot of them would use the tools that we have now if they had had access to them back them. Not everyone, though
What are your current goals in music production? Are there any new and exciting methods or technologies out there that you’re incorporating into your own music creation?
I know there are a fair amount of people out there that do all their own production and mixing, but I don’t know of a lot of people that do that in rock. I might be wrong. I mention this only to say that one of my goals is to show that it can be done. You don’t need to sign a record contract to record music and put it up on Spotify. The tradeoff is that there’s a lot to learn, but with some dedication and persistence, you’ll get there. As far as new technologies, there’s a lot of AI driven plugins that are coming out that can do things like automatically EQ or compress a track that are pretty decent. I don’t think they are all the way there yet, but in a few years songs may basically mix themselves. Until then, I plan on utilizing Eurorack a lot more. You can really come out with some unique sounds that can really contribute to your overall sound. The possibilities really are endless. The problem with Eurorack is that it’s clunky and it can be hard to record. I’ve done it a lot, and it’s cool, it just takes me longer than I’d like. What I’m going to try next is just to make my own drum or synth samples and produce songs that way. There are new groove boxes coming out all the time that can do this. I just got an MPC Key, so I’m going to use that and see what I come up with.
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians and artists who are interested in incorporating technology into their creative process?
It’s difficult for me to go into specifics because every genre is so different, so I’ll just speak more generally. I can’t stress enough how important mindset is. Don’t be afraid to experiment, don’t be afraid to do something different, and don’t be afraid to fail. When you try something new, it might not always work out right away. There’s a good chance you put out some stuff that just sounds bad. Trust me, I have and I probably will again. But you can’t let that stop you. You’re never going to be able to grow unless you release songs, even if you’re not happy with them or they aren’t that great. If it’s not great, so what? Just do another one. The last part is that there are a lot of audio people on the internet forums that are just jerks. Don’t listen to them. A lot of them don’t know what they are talking about. Just do what you think sounds cool, don’t give up, and the rest will sort itself out eventually.
1. Cleanse You
2. If I Were Better
3. Beyond The Singularity
4. Could I Be Dreaming
5. Unworthy
6. Make ‘Em Pay
7. Do Something
8. Duress
9. Obey
See also
Purchase / Stream Ascension’s Constraint Online: https://bnd.lc/PharmacoseAC
Pharmacose is an alternative rock project hailing from Jacksonville, FL, that combines steadfast analog sounds with cutting edge flair. The project– a portmanteau of “pharmaceutical” and “comatose” –began as a collaborative effort between Jones and producer and bassist Lucio Rubino. They have previously released material under the name Digital Array.
Jones, a Memphis native, formed Pharmacose in 2017 with producer Lu Rubino shortly after moving to Jacksonville
to pursue new career opportunities. Rubino, a veteran producer and bassist, has worked with Paramore, Storyside B, and The Showdown, among many others. Their creative process was chiefly inspired by Jones, a medical doctor, and his past struggles with mental illness.
Pharmacose began as a coping mechanism for Jones in the wake of an acute mental health episode, culminating in the release of Prescription Fiction, Part 1, in 2020. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Jones and Rubino put together a live act by recruiting drummer Albert Cruz and lead guitarist Kevin Horne. The group was gearing up to play live shows in anticipation of the release of Part 2 of Prescription Fiction. With the subsequent lockdowns canceling those shows, and Cruz and Horne subsequently departing, Jones decided to begin working on new material and used the time to explore new sounds and assume a greater role in production. The result is several new songs, which ultimately completed Prescription Fiction as an entire album, rather than releasing Part 2 as a separate chapter.
In August 2023, Pharmacose released the first installment of their second album, Ascension’s Restraint.
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