Unveiling the Musical Journey: An Inside Look at Guitarist and Founder of Angels on the Battlefield, JD McGibney

Recently, I had the opportunity to engage in a conversation with JD McGibney, the remarkable guitarist behind Angels on the Battlefield. Our discussion delved into his musical endeavors, the origins of his journey, and the passions that fuel his creative output.

AA: Hello JD, where are you from? Please tell us your origin story.

JD: I'm originally from Long Island, New York. I moved to Los Angeles about ten years ago to pursue a career in the music industry, and over that time I've done a bunch of session work, tour all over the United States, Canada, and Europe, and have even been able to start an original band myself.

AA: How did your musical journey begin and evolve?

JD: My love for music is a slow burning love story. When I was a kid, I didn't really have a string opinion towards music, for the most part. I do remember, however, always being captivated whenever the song “Locomotive Breath” by Jethro Tull would come on the radio. When I was in High School, I was inspired to pick up the guitar when I heard the song “N.I.B.” by Black Sabbath on the radio for the first time. I remember turning to my dad the second the song ended and saying “Dad, I want to learn how to play guitar. "Then, later in High School, I heard the song “The Element of One” by Killswitch Engage and knew in that moment that I wanted to write music for the rest of my life. Ever since then, I've been playing guitar and writing music. It's lead to so many wonderful adventures, and it's helped me connect with so many people around the world. I can't imagine doing anything else!

AA: Can you pinpoint a specific moment when you realized you wanted to pursue music as a career?

JD: My senior year of high school, I performed at the school's annual talent show with my band at the time. The moment the lights went down, and the band started playing, I felt a switch flick inside of me, something I'd never felt before that moment, and I knew I wanted to do this with my life.

AA: Can you explain how your love for metal music and playing guitar developed?

JD: The funny thing is that I absolutely HATED heavy metal when I first started getting into music; I was strictly a classic rock guy (though, Black Sabbath crosses both genres). As I searched for more challenging music to learn, I found myself gravitating towards more and more metal.

I ended up going to Ozzfest in 2004 with some friends to see Black Sabbath headline, and within 30 minutes of seeing heavy metal bands performing live, something clicked in me, and I understood the context of all the energy being expressed. I've been in love ever since!

AA: Tell us about all the musical endeavors you have undertaken during your musical journey.

JD: That is a long list! I'll sum it up by saying I've done a BUNCH of session work, which includes recording and touring. And I've formed a band called Angels on the Battlefield which has been my latest career focus the past few years.

AA: Were you from a musical or artistic family?

JD: Out of my immediate family, I'm the only musician. One of my brothers played cello and drums for a short while when he was younger, but I'm the only one that's kept with an instrument. I have a cousin that is a professional singer/actress, and also plays a few instruments.

AA: Describe your experience with Voodoo KungFu.

JD: Playing with Voodoo Kungfu was suer fun, even though it was a short gig. I met one of my good friends as a result of doing so; Mr. Chen Balbus of Orphaned Land.

AA: How did the idea of forming your own band come about?

JD: As every artist knows (whether you're a musician, painter, sculptor, etc.), you sometimes just have a desire to create through your artistic skill. I felt that for YEARS, and over time slowly kept writing, until during the pandemic, my friend (and bass player in Angels on the Battlefield) Jason Klein encouraged me to start treating the project seriously.

AA: What’s the meaning behind this band's name and story?

JD: I absolutely love the dichotomy between the words Angels and Battlefield. Angels are what we think of as the closest to divine perfection as possible without being a deity, and we think of battlefields as being literal Hell on Earth.

Often times in life we deal with with a mixture of things that we consider both divinely good, and hellishly bad. The idea behind the name was to inspire people that no matter what happens in their lives, they always have the strength to conquer whatever metaphorical battlefields they might be facing.

AA: What did you learn from that band that helped you grow as an artist, businessperson, and individual?

JD: I think my biggest takeaway from that tour was seeing a healthy example of the separation of music as a business and music as an art. There is a time and a place for both, and you should never let those two mindsets cross. Business is for business, and the art is for the art.

AA: How did the recent concert you participated in go, and what was the experience like for you?

JD: Angels on the Battlefield had it's full debut live show a few weeks ago, and it felt absolutely AMAZING! As a band, we'd been working on this project since October of 2021, so finally having the chance to step onto a stage and share this music with a live audience was something we felt was long overdue.

AA: Give us a behind-the-scenes look at your band's creative process.

JD: Most of the music we have currently was written by me (with the exception of two songs I wrote with a friend of mine), with the current line up of the band fine-tuning and arranging their individual parts.

AA: As a guitar player, how do you decide on the type of instrumental guitar riff to include in a song?

JD: That's always a difficult question to answer because, for me, I find that songs tend to be inspired by a variety of different things. The best way I can answer this is that the songs tend to just write themselves, and I am merely the vessel in which they choose to do so.

AA: How long did it take to complete The sleeper has awakened song?

JD: That song took a few days, maybe a week in total. That was an early project in which I was teaching myself how to write, record, mix, and master.

Fun fact: That song was completely recorded using GarageBand through my iPhone 8.

AA: What makes a great song? What draws you in?

JD: In my opinion, a great song is one that was written with genuine intention. A great song allows listeners to full feel the emotional context of the writer.

AA: How do you balance maintaining artistic integrity while handling the business aspect of music?

JD: I have a clear and distinct separation between my “Business Mindset” and my Artistic Mindset,” and I never, ever let the two meet. When it is time to write and create, I let myself write what feels right for the song. When I'm done, then I figure out how to make it all work in a business context.

AA: Can you tell us more about the inspiration behind your album artwork?

JD: The artwork for our recent single, “Modern Prometheus,” is actually a piece from an artist (Kiren In Digital) that I've been following through social media for a few years now. I first saw that piece around the same time that we as a band started recording “Modern Prometheus,” and it reminded me of the novel Frankenstein (which is what inspired our song). When it came time to release “Modern Prometheus,” I reached out to Kiren about using the piece, and he said it was still available, so we went with it!

AA: If you could open a show for any artist, who would it be? And why?

JD: I'd absolutely love to open up for Killswitch Engage because they are the band that inspired me in choosing my career.

AA: Did you ever consider pursuing a different career path if music did work out for you?

JD: I could see myself working in the mental health field if I wasn't a musician.

AA: What are some of your favorite bands to listen to?

JD: Killswitch Engage, Ice Nine Kills, and Periphery are some of my top choices.

AA: What was your favorite concert that you attended?

JD: I'd have to say Ozzfest 2004 because it had such a strong impact on me, and ultimately helped guide my path in life.

AA: Can you tell us a little bit about your personal experience with mental health and how it has impacted your life?

JD: I struggled with anxiety most of my life. As an adult I was diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder and have since gone to therapy to help me work through it (which I have found extremely helpful).

JD: I found that my anxieties got the better of me a lot of the time, and often lead me to self-sabotage things in my life. It took me a really long time to recognize, let alone admit, that something was wrong. Once I did, though, I sought professional help, and it literally changed my life.

AA: How do you think we can work towards reducing the stigma surrounding mental health and promoting open conversations about it?

JD: Simply talking about it. The more we share our experiences, the less taboo the subject matter becomes. Often times people are afraid of speaking up because they are fear being judged or rejected, when in reality, most people are willing to listen to those in need; especially if those people are their loved ones.

AA: Do you believe that you art you do is a form of managing your mental health?

JD: It 100% is. Music has helped me reign in the worst of my anxiety fueled difficulties. I honestly don't think I'd be here today if it wasn't for music.

AA: Are you working on new music or projects or planning tours for the rest of the year?

JD: Our main focus at the moment is finishing up the full record for Angels on the Battlefield. If a show/tour opportunity happens to come along we'll take it, but we aren't focusing on that until early next year.

AA: How has your perspective on the world changed over the years?”

JD: The biggest change has been that I used to believe in fate, chance, and destiny. Whereas now I believe things happen when we make them happen; I don't like leaving things to chance.

AA: What would you say if you had the world's attention for five minutes?"

JD: To quote Bill & Ted: “Be excellent to each other.”

AA: We appreciate your openness, JD McGibney and thank you for sharing insights into your personal and professional life.