The Obelisk Questionnaire is a series of open questions intended to give the answerer an opportunity to explore these ideas and stories from their life as deeply as they choose. Answers can be short or long, and that reveals something in itself, but the most important factor is honesty.

Based on the Proust Questionnaire, the goal over time is to show a diverse range of perspectives as those who take part bring their own points of view to answering the same questions. To see all The Obelisk Questionnaire posts, click here.

Thank you for reading and thanks to all who participate.

The Obelisk Questionnaire: Jordan Forster of Vessel

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How do you define what you do and how did you come to do it?

High school teacher by day, musician by spare moment! Which honestly, has been hard to come by in the last few years since becoming a father. Nevertheless, a musician that still has something to say is still a musician, even if it takes longer to find the opportunity to say it. As the driving force (guitarist and songwriter) behind the Vessel project, I define it as exactly that, more of a project than a band. I have been lucky to hook up with vocalist, multi-instrumentalist and long-time acquaintance Mason [Matheson] who has become the main voice of the music, but I really define Vessel as a solo-project and a vehicle for my own self-expression. That came about from being dissatisfied and disgruntled from the dynamics that come with being in a band, and just wanting something that I can be solely responsible for. That still comes with its challenges and mismanaged relationships, but at least I don’t lose my art to the distortion of compromise and the abyss of time, which has happened in the past with previous bands.

Describe your first musical memory.

I am the youngest in a group of siblings, so I remember music and pop culture always being around growing up. My sister had an obsessive phase with Michael Jackson in the late ’80s and early ’90s which rubbed off on me as a young child. The guitar collaborations with Eddie Van Halen, Steve Lukather, Slash and Steve Stevens are probably what turned me on to rock music. No specific memories, just an aura of big riffs in pop music. Something that pop music today is lacking.

Describe your best musical memory to date.

When doing a collaboration with another musician that you admire, and you get their recorded takes back and listen to them for the first time. Hearing amazingly talented singers put themselves into your art and interpreting your words is mesmerizing. Definitely a different feeling to anything else. That one actually came to me after I had finished the questionnaire, but here is my initial response, which I’ll keep in as well. Last year I happened across some positive comments about one of my songs in a Facebook group, and when I replied with a thank you, the fan just gave some of the most beautiful compliments. It was so unexpected, and during the pandemic it felt fantastic to be able to reach people around the world with my music. So different from some of my other favorite memories which are based around playing live. Another similar one was a fellow musician sharing one of my songs on socials with a comment along the lines of “when you hear a song that you wish you had written.” I can’t think of a bigger compliment than that really. Anyone reading this, please continue to let bands know what their music means to you, because those comments mean the world to them/us!

Oh, and the time I saw Iron Maiden’s ‘Somewhere Back In Time’ Tour, I may have cried during “Revelations” haha.

When was a time when a firmly held belief was tested?

I mentioned earlier that trying to progress a band can cost you relationships and friendships. That. My music, my art, is an important part of my life. An integral part of my life. I understand that it might not be as important to those around me as it is to me (I’d be shocked if it was, really. It’s my art after all), and they may not prioritize it in their life like I do in mine, and that is ok with me. Unfortunately, when decisions need to be made to ensure that studio time is booked, deadlines are met, and opportunities aren’t missed, people don’t like decisions being made around them. I guess the firmly held belief is that you should back yourself and your art at (almost) all costs, as it means more to you than it does to anyone else. Others aren’t going to champion you if you don’t champion yourself. This belief was tested, as I don’t want to lose friends over it, but if people take offence to that notion, that is on them. I just want to be me, without limits.

Where do you feel artistic progression leads?

Exploration of self. I can’t tell you what the next song I write is going to sound like, what themes it will explore or what message it might want to share with both the listener and myself as the writer. And I’ll never know either if I don’t pick up the guitar again and see what happens. I’m always discovering a variety of new music (nowhere NEAR as much as yourself JJ and many of your readers, [where do you find the time!?], but still..), which means I’m always going to be influenced by new things when it comes to playing my instrument. Being a bit obsessed with stomp boxes will always help progress your sound too! Back to the question though; I think you can surprise yourself with what is important to you and what affects you as a person. It can become much more obvious what makes you tick, when you find yourself waking up in the night to continue writing a song about it. I sometimes wonder about how people who aren’t creating in some capacity know who they really are.

How do you define success?

Realization of ideas and completion of projects. I see our last album as a huge success as it was released, and nothing was compromised in the creation of it. I’ve been in bands in the past that I would not refer to as a success, as we never recorded some great songs or played certain shows, and people involved were left dissatisfied. Perhaps another reason why I structured Vessel as a solo project, as I don’t need to align other people’s ideas of what success is to get things done. Setting goals and meeting them is success to me. I look forward to meeting some new ones in the future!

What is something you have seen that you wish you hadn’t?

At first I thought “the dark side of some people”, but then thinking on it a little more, I am glad I have seen that, as now I know where to place them. The more you know. Knowledge is power. Oh, maybe that time I caught Mötley Crüe live in 2009, what a shit-show. That is something I never needed to see.

Describe something you haven’t created yet that you’d like to create.

I would love to write a book. I have a couple of ideas, both fiction and non-fiction, but time is scarce as it is. Spare moments are put into music where possible. Maybe I need a collaborator!

What do you believe is the most essential function of art?

I am not sure that there is one ‘most’ essential function. If I had to choose, perhaps the ability to connect individuals with the emotion of others from another time and place. Or for the artist, to be heard, even if only by others in another time and space. To communicate what words cannot? To capture a moment in time to be looked upon forevermore? To leave a stain of yourself on the fabric of history? Haha ok I’ll stop.

Something non-musical that you’re looking forward to?

Taking my children to the beach when summer rolls around. That seems like the furthest thing from a winter lockdown; being on the coast far from home, in the sun, watching my children play in the ocean (and probably hate it like I seem to remember from my childhood haha!). Time to get back to life again.

www.instagram.com/the.vessel.project
www.facebook.com/thevesselproject
http://thevesselproject.bandcamp.com
https://majesticmountainrecords.bigcartel.com/

Vessel, Vagabond Blues (2020)