Recently, we caught up with Jeff Berman of Divided Heaven. Among other things, we touch on what he’s been up to during the lockdown, his origins in music, his newest music, working with Frank Turner, Jeff’s love for Hair Metal, and a whole lot more.
If you would like to learn more about Divided Heaven, the link to their webpage is here. Once you’ve checked those out, dig into this interview with Jeff. Cheers.
Andrew:
Jeff, I appreciate you taking the time today. How have you been holding up over the last year or so? What have you been up to?
Jeff:
Very good! This has been simultaneously the best and most challenging few years of my life. My wife and I had a baby boy six months ago; his name is Thaddeus and he has brightened our lives and opened my heart in a way I never thought possible. I know some people — including many friends — are not kid people, so it’s worth noting we also adopted a sweet nine-year-old chocolate lab named Maggie; she’s a good girl. We also moved from Los Angeles to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, we bought a house and I finished the new Divided Heaven record! All during a pandemic, no less.
Andrew;
Before we dive into your professional career, let’s go back a bit. What first got you hooked on music?
Jeff:
My sister, Sarah, introduced me to music at a very early age. My first memory of music is of ‘Material Girl’ by Madonna, thanks to Sarah, and I was only two years old. I remember enjoying the song along with her genuine reaction to the music. I’ve loved music ever since.
Andrew:
Who were some of your early influences?
Jeff:
My first musical discoveries were The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Monkees. From there, I followed my sister’s lead into the 80s Hair Metal Rock of Def Leppard, Mötley Crüe, Poison, and Skid Row. Funny enough, this new Divided Heaven record feels like the first record I’ve done where I can hear the composite of those early influences.
Andrew:
Let’s talk about recent events. Tell us about your new single, “Beginning Of The End.”
Jeff:
I wrote “Beginning Of The End” back in 2013 about leaving my partner at the time. The song went through many iterations, musically and lyrically, before ending up in the pile of, “Songs that I’ll never release.” It just never felt right, ya know? Flash forward to 2019, I was working through some personal issues, and coming to terms with the fallout of a friendship, and I heard Marc Maron mention something about the difficulty of separating your logic from what your heart wants, and I thought to myself, “That’s what I need to do, I need to sever the connection between my head and my heart.” That little sentiment inspired a plethora of lyrics, including a successful rework of “Beginning Of The End.“
The song is about watching someone you love change for the worse; the difficulty of seeing someone you really love struggle with their mental health, fall into the void of conspiracy theories or entrench themselves in pandemic-denial and/or religious zealotry. It can be hard to be supportive and maintain your personal boundaries. Sometimes, I’ve had to cut those people from my life. For being such a short song, it carries a lot of emotional weight, and personal anguish (not to mention the amount of work that went into completing the song itself).
Andrew:
What lyrical themes are you exploring with your new music?
Jeff:
This new record, Oblivion, is darker than my other records because I wrote about topics that made me uncomfortable. I also worked very hard to broach topics that very few (if any) of my songwriting colleagues were writing about, and if they did write about these topics I was determined to make my lyrics more poignant and dirtier than theirs.
“They Poisoned Our Fathers” is about political toxicity, and fathers voting against the safety, and best interest of their own daughters, to the point where I even encourage Trump supporters to cum on the flag they claim to love so much.
“Reckoning” is about Dr. Ford’s testimony in the Kavanagh SCOTUS hearings; how our body politic showed blatant disregard for victims of sexual assault.
“Creep” is about all the predatory men that we all have in our record collections. The title track dives deep into the dark side of social media; and so on.
Andrew:
Take me through working with Frank Turner for this new single. How did that go down?
Jeff:
I heard Frank mention in an interview that he took up home recording, and producing during quarantine. So, I just emailed him about working together. He liked the songs, the timing worked out, and we struck a nice flow of creativity. His work on “Beginning Of The End,” and “Creep” was excellent. His perspective was invaluable, and our collaboration was really, really fun.
Andrew:
Are you into vinyl? Cassettes? CDs? Or are you all digital now? What are a few of your favorite albums, and why?
Jeff:
I collect vinyl, not as much as I used to, but steadily, especially rare and obscure Bad Religion, Mötley Crüe, and Generation X records. I don’t do tapes any longer and only will purchase CDs if the music and the packaging are unique. I’m a Spotify subscriber as well. I enjoy it, yet also feel as if it’s a necessary evil.
My favorite albums are Green Day’s American Idiot, Mötley Crüe’s Shout At The Devil, Jack’s Mannequin, Tori Amos’ Everything In Transit, and Scarlet’s Walk. My current favorite is The Killers’ Pressure Machine.
Andrew:
What other passions do you have? How do those passions inform your music, if at all?
Jeff:
I enjoy producing and hosting podcasts. I love interviewing people. I love touring and traveling. Now, I love snuggling and reading with my new baby. I’ve been fortunate to earn a unique worldview through valuable experiences, and that is the basis for all my writing.
Andrew:
In your opinion, what is the state of the music business these days? Should artists be hopeful? Scared? Both?
Jeff:
Difficult. Lotta artists out there. Lotta competition. But also a lot of opportunities. Artists should strive to write genuine music; that will keep them perpetually hopeful and scared.
Andrew:
Last one. What’s next on your docket? What are you looking forward to most in the post-COVID world?
Jeff:
My family is my focus right now. And I’m writing and releasing the most compelling music of my career. My goal and hope are to find a workable balance between my family, and my creativity. That and touring in Europe again.
Interested in learning more about Divided Heaven? Check out the link below:
Dig this interview? Check out the full catalog of VWMusic Interviews, by Andrew Daly, here: www.vinylwritermusic.com/interviews
