Jackson Free Press

Whether it's the inherent volume, distortion or darker tones, heavy-metal music isn't for everyone. The members of Jackson's Naught have seen those elements turn listeners away in their former projects and have learned from those moments. They also paid close attention to what fans liked about those now-defunct bands. That knowledge became the basis of Naught.

"I think it's a culmination of all the experiences we've had over the years," guitarist Way Barrier says. "We've grown, and it's not just the teenage mindset of 'Let's play fast. Let's play loud. Let's play something that's obscene.' We're more into the craftsmanship of songs and writing heavy music that's not just for people that like heavy music."

Each musician brings plenty of experience to the table, as well. Barrier played in Nashville-based metal band Destroy Destroy Destroy, lead vocalist Jeremy Luckett sang for the group Colossus, bassist Dan Joyner played with A Bullet Well Spent, and guitarist and vocalist J.D. Burns played with Delta Gun, The Greater States and Coffin Breath, and currently plays bass in Hvy Yeti. Drummer Murph Caicedo is a brand unto himself. He played with just about every Jackson band from Redneck Trucker to Spacewolf.

"We could just spend the whole interview talking about all the bands Murph has played with," Joyner says.

Prior to forming Naught, the members already knew each other, either from playing together or attending each other's shows, but it was Luckett that brought them all into the fold, hoping to create a sound akin to Norwegian black-metal group Satyricon.

"I'm good friends with all these guys," Luckett says. "I've known them for years, except for Way, who I met around (when the band formed), but it feels like I've known him forever. ... It was just a random shot to see if something would work. And it did."

Naught didn't quite turn out how they expected, though. As the musicians began acclimating to playing as a unit, their sound took shape, dipping into everything from classic metal to ambient noise rock, often in the same song.

"Most bands, you can start out and say you want to have a particular sound as much as anything else," Burns says. "... At the end of the day, once you're all in a room together, that's when you can actually start getting a real feel for the sound that's going to come out."

While Naught has played relatively few shows, Caicedo says the music has been well received in Jackson, thus far, despite a few confused spectators.

"We've had people that are always there. We have people that see us for the first time and are really into it, and then we also have people who think it's just really loud," he says. "... There's not a lot of heavier bands around, so because we're kind of in a little spot of our own, I think some people are really into it, and some people are still scratching their heads, wondering what the hell we're doing."

The band released its debut recording, "The Witch EP," on Bandcamp last August, and is hard at work on a second five-song EP. Naught recently recorded drum tracks at The Recording Studio (157 McKay Circle, Pearl, 769-234-2053), where Way's brother, Deen Barrier, is a engineer. Way also assists with engineering and production for Naught's music. The musicians' mindsets toward recording differ from some artists. They believe full-length albums are on the way out, and that the best way to bring in new fans and keep old ones happy is to always be recording.

"The whole reason that LPs really came to be in the first place was to have a product to move a single that somebody felt justified dropping money on. I think it's natural if you're a fan of music to have new product as soon as possible, as often as possible."

"That sounded like something right out of 'Intro to Music Industry,'" Barrier says with a grin.

Naught performs 8 p.m. Friday, May 15, at Big Sleepy's (208 W. Capitol St.). Admission is $5. Visit naughtms.bandcamp.com.