MANILA, Philippines—Lifehouse vocalist and songwriter Jason Wade proudly declares that music changed his entire outlook.
“I didn’t get through high school and college, and somehow the lifestyle of a musician is therapeutic for me,” Wade told Inquirer in a recent phone interview. “Music allows me to go on with living.”
A California native and the son of missionaries, Wade was only 12 when his parents divorced. He remembers spending a lot of time alone in his room when he went to live with his mother in Seattle. He didn’t really plan to get into music, but says a guitar that was lying around the house slowly sparked his interest.
“My mom was the guitar player in the family and she taught me two chords,” Wade recalled. “Then I found myself writing lyrics and the melodies just poured out of my head. Putting them together with the guitar chords was something worthwhile to do because I felt really isolated as a child.”
First recording
Wade was 15 and living in Los Angeles when he started hanging out with a neighbor, Sergio Andrade, who played bass guitar. They jammed in the garage and formed Blyss, forerunner of Lifehouse. It recorded an independently produced, limited-edition debut album, “Diff’s Lucky Day,” which reportedly sold well on eBay.
In 2000, Wade turned 20 and Lifehouse recorded “No Name Face,” its major label debut album released by Dreamworks Records. It yielded the hit single “Hanging by a Moment,” which won as Hot 100 Single of the Year in the 2001 Billboard Music Award. Asked why he thought the song felt special to many people, Wade said: “I think there was a certain magic in the lyrics. I wrote it in 10 minutes. There was a powerful emotion, a positive energy. It’s a love song but it’s also a rock tune.”
Many of his other songs went on to be used in the soundtracks of such popular TV series as “Smallville,” “Boston Legal” and “Grey’s Anatomy.” Wade expressed gladness over these turn of events, saying, “They’ve done a pretty good job… powerful and emotional, when you watch certain scenes and the music…”
To date, Lifehouse has recorded four albums, the latest of which is “Who We Are” (MCA). Wade didn’t want to make comparisons, but was candid enough to comment: “All musicians say their latest album is their best work, but I think our first one really made the biggest impact… although this latest also represents some of our best work.”
Songwriting idols
Asked to name his songwriting idols, Wade replied: “Lennon and McCartney rank first. I also like Silverchair, Chris Martin, and The Killers.”
Lifehouse has been touring the United States for the past four years and is on a 10-day break before flying to Manila for its lone Asian date on Saturday at the Araneta Coliseum.
“We learned we had quite a following in Manila, so when the promoter (Concertus, affiliate of MTV Philippines) called, we accepted right away,” Wade said about his forthcoming encounter with his Filipino fans.
The 28-year-old rock star insisted he’s not the typical self-absorbed celebrity. “I didn’t get into music to get famous and make a lot of money,” he asserted. “What I like about playing and being on the road is how I’m able to feel comfortable with myself, enjoying that connection between me and the audience because of the music.”
