Breaking

Bridging the World of Horror & Music: An Exclusive Interview with Jonathan Tiersten

Colorado Horror Con & Halloween Film Festival / Interviews / Music News / Revolting Horror / November 2, 2015

Hello, and thanks for sitting down with us. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?

I was born in Queens, NYC. I went to public school. I got in trouble a lot.

How did you come to be cast in the 1983 cult classic Sleepaway Camp? Were you interested in getting involved in horror at the time?

I had a manager (whom I share with Elisabeth Shue, who went to my high school). I went to Manhattan with two of my best friends Diane and Simone. When I got there Robert Hiltzik (director) asked me to tell him off. It was one of my fantasies. I had so much rage. I remember his eyes bugging out. When I walked out I looked at my girlfriends and said, “I think I got that.”

You broke away from the New York acting world to open a respected music venue in Fort Collins, what led to that transition?

That is a pretty complicated tale. I left New York when I was on the cusp of becoming famous. I didn’t like the idea of that being my end game. I fell in love with Colorado. I got a job at The Mountain Tap because I was already playing music there. Jim Parker (the original owner) wanted to sell so I partnered with my best friend and bought it. Jim stayed on as an employee.

The Mountain Tap Tavern attracted some pretty significant names, what was your favorite show from that time? Any full-on rockstar stories you can share?

This one is easy. We hosted David Gray’s first American performance. The door charge was $2. David and I stayed up (with a bottle of scotch) until 4AM. He told me that if I was a serious musician than I should get the hell out of the bar business (his language was decidedly more colorful). That led me to sell the bar and get back into music.

You took a long break from acting to get into music, and have fronted and been involved with a lot of projects, what would you say was your favorite, and why?

I honestly feel better about my music now than I ever have. I don’t have a band. I have some very close friends who are brilliant musicians who I am lucky to play with from time to time. I love to play guitar and sing. It is my everything.

Check out Jonathan Tiersten and Ten Tiers Red Couch on Reverbnation

How did Return To Sleepaway camp come together? Did you expect there to be a sequel? How did the experience compare to the original, especially after spending so much time out of the acting scene to focus on your music?

I hated it and I have never seen the movie.

You played a serial killer in the 2010 The Perfect House, how did you prepare for a role where you were the primary antagonist?

I actually did some Uta Hagen exercises, which was funny because I had done an ABC Afterschool Special (that won a daytime Emmy) with her in the late eighties. I had to find that part of me that is primal. It really wasn’t that hard. I have always had a problem with convention. I just needed to own it.

We’ve seen some rumors of you reprising the role of John Doesy in a prequel to The Perfect House, what can you tell us about this?

I would love for that to happen, but whether or not it does is above my pay grade.

Besides acting and releasing original music, you’ve also been involved in music scoring, can you tell us about how that process works vs. composing your own for commercial release?

Music scoring is the hardest thing I have ever done. I learned so much by doing it. It was the catalyst for me to get started in music mixing and producing. Since I did my first project I have only done soundtrack work. It is a tremendous amount of work. I grew up playing classical French Horn and I think that helped me a lot. I still write in a more ‘classical’ way than most modern musicians (I think).

How did you get involved with the Colorado Horror Con?

I got involved because Scott Bullock and I have been working on getting his film ‘The House That Wept Blood’ together. Also, this is my home state.

Finally, what is coming up to share with RockRevolt readers?

Well, I just found out that I am going to be a doing a TV movie next year that will be directed by my dear friend Ron Oliver (Writer/director of Prom Night 2 and 3). I am still writing music and have been performing (mostly in LA) after a brief hiatus. I have two songs in the upcoming Plan 9 remake. I was recently cast in William Froste which has a who’s who of horror icons. I am also working to do something with my dear friend Daniel Henning who owns Noah Wylies Blank Theatre. Getting back to acting on stage is something I truly look forward to. I think the last scratch I have to itch is probably musical theatre and maybe a musical film.