Meet The Members Of BNI ~ Jacob Jaeger ~ The Cheddar Shredder

Every musician is an artist in their own right. Whether just starting out or a seasoned professional, musicians have a true passion for expressing themselves through the music that they play and write. For every musician, there is a deep connection to the instrument that they choose to play. Everyone’s reasons are different for playing the instrument that they do, but whatever the reason it is truly remarkable to watch a group of talented musicians get together and play with such passion.

As one of the band’s many supporters, I was able to sit down and discuss this topic with each of the members of Batteries Not Included, a local pop punk band based out of West Bend, WI.

Jacob - Lead Guitar

Let’s start off with the most obvious - why did you choose the guitar?

“I chose guitar because of Guitar Hero and Avenged Sevenfold and I figured if I had good experience on Guitar Hero, I would start off good on guitar.”

Okay, that’s fair. Guitar Hero was a pretty iconic game…it really made you feel like a rock star as you hit each note they threw at you. And you had to love the whammy bar! So, was the guitar your first choice instrument?

“Yes it was.”

Wow, so playing the guitar was pretty much the ONLY option in your mind…no wonder your nickname is ‘The Shred’! What are some of your favorite songs to play?

“My favorite songs to play are Master of Puppets by Metallica for my warmup as well as G.O.A.T. and Playing God by Polyphia - my current favorite band.”

Those are some pretty technical and complex songs. That’s really impressive for someone your age to be playing! You’re only 17, and in a band that plays paid gigs - that’s gotta feel pretty damn good. What is it like being the youngest of the band?

“It’s harder to get shows and whenever my age gets brought up for a bar show, it gets eye rolled. One time we were told ‘I don’t want to have a kid band play on my stage.’”

Ouch, that has to hurt. On the flip side of that, though, it must feel good to know that your band mates have so much respect for you and your talent, and that they have your back 100%. Speaking of the band, what is your favorite thing or part of playing with BNI?

“I like how when we write music, we bounce off of each other’s ideas to make it better.”

Spoken like a true artist/musician. It is so great that you all mesh so well as a group to create some great music - it is a bit nostalgic to be able to hear some of the music that was super popular in the early 2000s. Your band’s sound is very similar to that with the same type of vibe.

Kind of switching gears here - if you had unlimited funds and could pick custom anything, what would be your dream instrument?

“Either the PRS S2 Custom 24-08 Electric Guitar in Bonni Pink/Cherry Burst or the Ibanez Prestige AZ2402 Electric Guitar in Pearl White Flat.”

Even have the colors picked out, huh? You must think about that question pretty often. Hopefully you’ll be able to get those some time in the future! Final question: what is something you want everyone to know about the role of the lead guitarist?

“I have the coolest role in the band - they look to me for cues in songs.”

That is really awesome, Jacob. It truly sounds like you have a strong passion for what you do with Batteries Not Included. It also shows when you play on (or off) stage that you really get into the songs that you play and are a very technical guitarist. You’re an awesome part of BNI!