We spoke with Jimmy Lozano of Jet Jaguar about Severance, the band’s raw and unflinching new record born from near-fatal accidents, lineup changes, and years of grind. From personal scars to political riffs, Lozano opens up about survival, creative evolution, and what it truly means to leave a mark on the underground.
Hi! “Severance” sounds like both a statement and a scar. What did you personally have to sever to make this record exist, and what still haunts you from that process?
Hi Stanley, first of all, I want to thank you for the time and space you give us and greet the readers of Antichrist Magazine. Jet Jaguar has really gone through ups and downs that have defined our career so far. Moments that put the band’s existence on thin ice, which maybe many people don’t know about. This album is a bit rawer and more real than the previous one, that’s why it’s titled “Severance.” It’s a reference to lineup changes, changes in sound, changes we’ve gone through. When the band started, we were kids and saw the world differently. Adulthood hit us, and many things changed.
You’ve been through lineup changes, lockdowns, and even a near-fatal accident. At what point did you honestly think Jet Jaguar might not survive – and what dragged you back into the fight?
The passion that drives us has been able to overcome all those challenges. The feeling we get from writing music and sharing it on stage with people who enjoy it is unbreakable. We have a commitment to everyone who has supported us since the band began, and for me, giving up would be a lack of respect toward them.
When you were in the wreck after the Anvil tour accident, did the thought cross your mind: “If this is the end, what will our band have meant?”
No, the only thing we could think about was making it to the next show no matter what. To give you some context, the accident was in Kufstein, Austria around midnight, and we had to play the next day in Belgium. The only thing on our minds was not canceling and pushing forward.
What scars from the accident, from the lineup shift, from the years of grind – what scars are you proud to show, and which ones will you never reveal?
I think war scars are something to be proud of. Depending on your perspective, many of the things we’ve gone through could be seen as negative or positive. For some, losing a guitarist might be a bad thing, but for me, it was the best thing that ever happened because that’s how Ariyuki joined. The point is to work with what you have, try to always do better, and learn from life’s hits. For example, I had a stroke when I was 17, just as the band started. I had to learn how to speak again, I lost a lot of mobility and strength, people had to bathe me. But with the support of my bandmates and my loved ones, I managed to move forward. I’ll always be deeply grateful to them and will never forget their support.
Mexico’s underground is full of stories never told outside its borders. What’s a story from your scene you wish the rest of the world knew?
I’d like people to know about the amount of corruption, nepotism, mistreatment, and disrespect local bands receive from certain festivals. If people knew the real shitshow it is here, they’d go crazy. Obviously, there are great festivals like Candelabrum, but it’s not like Europe, here we only have 2 or 3 big Metal festivals a year, and usually one of them ends up being a logistical nightmare.
You’ve said Raiden’s voice brought new dimensions to the music. But every “new blood” changes the chemistry of a band – what did he force the rest of you to unlearn?
Raiden is a machine in the best sense of the word. He’s an incredible human being, a brutal guitarist, and a singer with impressive versatility. The impact he’s had on the band has been very positive. He’s taught us to see many things from a different perspective, and that’s always good because it opens up more possibilities for improvement. We’re really happy he decided to join the band.
The song Fool’s Paradise digs into political rot. Metal has a long tradition of rebellion, but how do you keep anger in your lyrics from collapsing into slogans?
Metal is counterculture, it’s rebellion as you say, and I really think people who say music and politics don’t go hand in hand have no idea what they’re talking about. I believe that if the message is genuine and you manage to express what you really feel in your guts, people will grasp the real message.
“Mach 10” ties family history (pilots, battle, survival) to metal. How much of Jet Jaguar is bloodline – things inherited that you can’t escape – versus things you’ve deliberately created?
Jet Jaguar is already a part of us, and not just us. I’ve always believed Jet Jaguar is more than a member, it’s the sum of all of us, of our experiences, emotions, life contexts, and environment. Speaking for myself, I’ve been in this band for 11 years, I’m 28, so practically half of my conscious life has been in the group. How could I separate myself from it? What Jet Jaguar feels, I feel, and vice versa. Something important about this album is that we decided to stop letting the industry dictate and instead capture the reality of how we feel and what goes through our heads. This Jet Jaguar album is us. I hope that comes across, it’s like a copy of what it’s like inside our minds.
You’re stepping onto Steamhammer/SPV, a label with serious legacy. Do you see that as fuel for your ambition, or as a dangerous shadow to work under?
The level of gratitude we feel for this opportunity is hard to put into words, it’s pure nuclear fuel injected into our veins to push us to improve and grow every day. While it could be intimidating, we don’t feel that way.
You’ve lived through the DIY underground and now push through to a bigger platform. What’s the ugliest thing you’ve seen behind the curtain of the industry so far?
The hardest part is when reality hits you. When you realize that it’s very likely nobody cares about what you’re doing, that there are hundreds of thousands of other bands out there doing the same thing as you, probably much better. I’ve always thought there will always be someone bigger and better, but instead of letting that knock me down, I use it as motivation to keep working. And the ugliest thing we’ve seen is the inhumane treatment that tour managers, stagehands, and crew members sometimes get, even though they’re just doing their jobs. They can be treated horribly, and if you think about it, the show couldn’t happen without them.
Technicality runs deep in your songs – shred guitars, precision drumming. But when you’re staring at the blank page of a new track, what comes first: the urge to impress or the urge to bleed?
Neither of the two. Our working method is pretty simple if you think about it: working in service of the song. For example, if we want to add a really technical and impressive solo but it doesn’t actually fit the song, we discard it, period. What comes to mind when starting a song is that it has to be a killer track and it has to have coherence. By coherence, I mean the emotions we want to convey should make sense with the lyrics and the melody.
What’s one riff or lyric on Severance that nearly got thrown away but ended up becoming essential?
Honestly, none of the riffs that made it to the album. We had hundreds of riffs saved for this record and threw many away. We’re very honest and critical with ourselves, if a riff isn’t good enough, even if I wrote it, I have to have the maturity and humility to admit it’s not good, and that’s it.
Heavy metal is obsessed with triumph and survival, yet real life is full of doubt and collapse. How much doubt do you allow into Jet Jaguar’s universe?
I suppose the amount necessary to maintain a healthy balance. I don’t think there’s anyone without doubts, but it’s that same doubt that makes you work, think, and build toward the certainty of victory we’re all searching for.
Your sound has evolved from Endless Nights to Severance. If the first record was a teenager, what kind of human being is the second record?
He’s the same teenager but now a young adult nearing his 30s, with less hair and a bit heavier, just kidding. He’s someone who realized that many things weren’t the way he thought. The challenges life has thrown at him made him mature and learn things he maybe didn’t want to know but were necessary for his growth and development. He’s a strong person with solid convictions. Without a doubt, he’s had an incredible, wonderful life with a lot of gratitude, but still has much to learn and many paths to walk.
For you personally, what’s harder: playing flawlessly on stage, or living day-to-day with the discipline to keep the band alive?
I think living day by day is harder. Having to worry about the band’s social media, branding, new merch designs, song registrations, etc. These are things you don’t even know exist when you start playing. You just want to play, that’s it. But well, it’s part of the job. And on top of that, each of us has things to do outside the band, so it can be tiring and frustrating.
How do you personally measure growth – as a band, as musicians – without relying on numbers, streams, or ticket sales?
It’s very relative. In Mexico, unfortunately, most people struggle to afford shirts or merch from their favorite bands, but they’re always there supporting. Social media numbers can be deceiving and misleading. We measure our growth by how we feel compared to the previous record. We’re very satisfied with Severance because we can see the maturity the band has achieved in every sense when comparing the songs.
If Severance were destroyed tomorrow, no physical or digital trace left, what part of it would still live in you like a phantom limb?
Without a doubt, the memory of writing the album with my bandmates. I truly enjoy being with them and creating music. Even though it can be tough living with the same people for weeks locked in a house, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I really value it because we live in different cities, so I try to make the most of our time together.
When Jet Jaguar is gone – whether that’s in 5 years or 50 – what do you want carved into the underground’s memory about you that no label press sheet could ever capture? Thank you for your time!
If I managed to make someone feel something with my music the way my biggest idols made me feel, then I achieved everything I ever wanted in life, I fulfilled my goal.
Stanley, let me tell you, I’ve answered many interviews for many outlets, and honestly, this is the best one I’ve ever answered in my life. Thank you for this excellent work.
Jimmy Lozano
https://jetjaguar.lnk.to/Severance
https://www.facebook.com/jetjaguarmusic
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