In late 2017, drummer Jason Willer (Jello Biafra’s Guantanamo School of Medicine, UK Subs) and bassist Matt Freeman (Operation Ivy, Rancid) started laying the foundation for what would become an East Bay rock powerhouse: Charger.
“Matt had the idea for the band as well as the name pretty much from the start,” Willer said. “I teach Matt’s son the drums. One day I asked Matt if he’d like to play some music. We got together and went from there.”
At that point songs were put together, and the addition of guitarist Andrew McGee (SpiritWorld) in early 2018 finalized Charger. Several months of practice went into sound structure and songwriting before any live shows or recording took place. Charger’s careful calculation before the band’s rollout came with a big payoff.
There’s often an unfair expectation when members of established bands work on other projects—in this case, one might suspect a punk or ska-punk sound to come from the players involved. But while Charger may have that in spirit, the final product is quite different from that.
“We really like Motorhead and Black Sabbath and that shines through, along with our roots and influence of growing up in the East Bay,” Willer said. “Matt and I both grew up here so no matter what we do, we’re going to have an East Bay sound. It runs deep.”
While bands of Charger’s breed typically have two or even three guitarists, McGee is the only guitarist, resulting in a sound that not only stands out for its solidarity but also widens its reach, sonically.
“The key to being the only guitar player in a metal or hard-rock band is being able to expand the sound, play a solo or make a bunch of noise, and then zip it the fuck down on time before the vocals come in,” McGee said. “It’s a mix of rhythm, lead and background atmosphere.”
Trying something new this time around, Willer is playing on a custom kit from manufacturer Brooks Drum Company out of Brentwood.
“I’d never played double bass in a band before,” Willer said. “Charger definitely has more of a heavy rock/metal edge to it. It’s caused me to challenge and push my playing in a different direction, which is always a good thing.”
Freeman’s renowned bass-playing abilities are put front and center as a lead instrument, in concert with his very potent singing style. For Rancid, Freeman’s vocals are more typically single verses or backup, with a few tracks featuring his voice for entire songs. In the case of Charger, his vocals are definitely a more prominent lead feature. What stands out most is Charger’s use of rhythm as its focal point—in most cases metal bands lean on guitar leading their way sonically.
“Matt and I went into it building our sound from the ground up rhythmically. We wanted to prioritize rhythm as a strong foundation,” Willer said.
“Charger is more like a living, breathing, locomotive train of rhythm with Matt and Jason barreling down the tracks,” McGee said. “I can lock in and out with them to increase the intensity or expand the sound wherever it feels right, and that can change depending on the day.”
Because of other band obligations and Covid, Charger has only produced a handful of shows, tours and releases since the time of its formation.
“Trust we have fun wherever we play,” Willer said. “Of course Eli’s always goes off, and it’s really fun to play there.”
Charger will play with Owl and Ancient Rage on Saturday, April 5, 8pm at Eli’s Mile High Club, 3629 Martin Luther King Jr. Way, Oakland. For info: elismilehighclub.com.
