Meet Kasey Jaeger | Lead Singer of Rogue!

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kasey Jaeger and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kasey, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
This is something I’ve wrestled with on and off throughout my twenties. When I was 8, I was fearless. I thought “well, there’s no way pursuing my dreams WONT work out”. But you graduate high school and see classmates and friends go off to college, finish their degrees, find careers, get married, have kids and you can begin to question whether you’re making the right choice. With social media, you’re bombarded with pictures and posts of people you haven’t seen in years accomplishing all of these milestones and it’s so easy to get caught up in this cycle of self-doubt. Obviously, trying to find success in an industry that is rampant with ageism, making you fear every coming birthday, doesn’t help either. I’ve thought “if I’m not signed by 25 then it’s just not gonna work out”, but here I am at 26 and in six months I’ll be 27. I just cannot seriously envision myself doing anything else. It feels cliché, but a lot of people reevaluated their priorities during the height of the pandemic and I just kept thinking of that 8-year-old that told anyone that would listen that they were gonna be a singer. I don’t want to let her down and truthfully, I am no good at anything else. So I am always going to keep going. My passion gives me purpose. My advice to anyone considering giving up their passion would be to only do it if they’re okay with living a life without it. If something else gives you purpose, then prioritize that. We only have one shot at this life and I’ve never met anyone that wished they could go back in time and not pursue their dreams.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I started a band called “Rogue!” in 2017 with fellow students from the music program of our local community college. I grew up idolizing Gwen Stephani from No Doubt and Hayley Williams of Paramore and dreamed of being able to command a crowd in the same way they do. A lot of the lyrical themes of Rogue! center around falling out and rebuilding with very little subtlety or room for the imagination. Just like Gwen and Hayley, most of the stories come from inside the band as I was in a relationship with a member for quite some time.

The road to growth has not been super easy. In music, you not only have to be a talent, but your own booking agent, social media manager, stylist, promoter, content creator, graphic designer, website builder, accountant, and merch distributor. It is quite a few hats and I barely have the talent part down so every other skill has been a learn-as-you-go process. But being able to look at all of those jobs and say “yeah, I know how to do that” is really gratifying. When we released our single “Disco Baby!” at the beginning of 2022, I spent six months prepping for how to release this single as if I was an indie label. I made a 31 day plan for me and my fellow bandmates to follow and created all of the content and promotional material. It is quite a monumental task and the only way to know if you’re doing a good job is if your monthly listener count is a number venues and labels want to see. It was our best release so far, but still not as big as I had hoped.

No amount of promotion is going to be as beneficial as going viral. I can only speak for the level I am at, but here in the trenches, we cannot manufacture that virality. It would be like catching lightning in a bottle. I think the biggest lesson I’ve learned is that it’s not a sprint, its a marathon. I am proud of the work that I have put in so far and slowly chipping away is better than standing still. Some people have help, some people, like myself, are figuring it all out as we go. I don’t think one is better than the other, so long as you’re learning and growing.

If I want the world to take away one thing from me or my band, it’s that we work so hard. I want this to be my full time job so I treat it as such. We are always growing and evolving and hoping to put on a really good show. I hope you give our music a listen, slide in to our DM’s and let us know what you think!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
The best places to eat in my hometown are on the side of the road. If I had a friend come to visit for a whole week, we would be eating at a taco truck or tent all seven days and all within a mile of my house. My absolute favorite vendor is Fresh Off The Grill and if they’re not parked out on 40th East in Palmdale, then they’re supplying dinner to the ravenous patrons of Transplants Brewing Company. We can wash down those tacos with one of Transplants Hard Seltzer Slushies. Whip It Good Pineapple is the best flavor and is a straight up dupe for Dole Whip.

The music scene is really the heartbeat of this valley and if there isn’t a show at Transplants, The Britisher or MOAH’s Cedar Center are venues very near and dear to my heart that host many established and up-and-coming local acts. There are shows going on every weekend in all corners of the AV and the promoters and venues that open up their spaces for us are the real heroes.

I don’t think a lot of outsiders know just how much art influences our local area. Certain times of the year boast art installations close to the Poppy Reserve as our last was a solar field surrounded by the bright orange flowers. The BLVD in Lancaster is covered in murals by artists from around the world and The Lancaster Museum of Art and History, or MOAH, has been a staple of the community for a decade now. Being able to see the fresh and innovative exhibits throughout the years is a real treat and will definitely be a place I’d bring a friend to experience. Just down the street, MOAH:CEDAR hosts workshops in zine creation and live figure drawing for the community and a concert series for local and regional acts, spearheaded by some real lovely people.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I really wouldn’t be anywhere without the Commercial Music program at Antelope Valley College. The mentorship from professors, encouragement from fellow classmates, and invaluable skills I acquired gave me the tools to find my voice. I formed creative partnerships with my future band members in late-night practice room writing sessions and parking lot hangs. In particular, a commercial music ensemble class named “Test Flight” was the vessel for honing my stage skills and getting to know who I would later share the stage with in my band, Rogue!.

Additionally, the music scene hasn’t always felt the most inclusive for a queer woman in rock, but over the last few years, I have made lifelong friends and partnerships with a group of fellow women musicians. I talk with them in our group chat more than I speak with my own family. Not only have they been there for me while I’ve been in the trenches emotionally, but they celebrate every victory and support everything I do. Oh and also invite me to play D&D. So this shoutout is also for Mandy Alexander, Tina Guzman of Westbound 66, Amy Colleen and Katelyn Shay of Siren Valley, Janell Crampton and Kristin Hovland. Please treat yourself to their amazing music on all streaming platforms, you will not be disappointed!

Website: www.rogueexclamationpoint.com

Instagram: instagram.com/rogueexclamationpoint

Facebook: www.facebook.com/roguetheband

Youtube: Rogue! Music

Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/7dHCifcsv0qOx82cBckbul?si=OwDkABI8SpiOCoWFroJnyA

Image Credits
Allison Rios (@cmpbyallisonrios) – Arnold Jimenez (@yoyoarnold)