Ex-DEFTONES Bassist SERGIO VEGA Discusses His Cut up From The Band, New Mission With SPOTLIGHTS Drummer

Sergio Vega introduced earlier this yr that he had parted methods with Deftones someday in 2021 over a contract dispute. Now in an interview with the Discuss Toomey podcast, Vega defined his historical past with the band and in the end why he selected to depart.

Vega touched on becoming a member of the band in 2009 after bassist Chi Cheng was severely injured in an car accident the yr prior. Vega stated Deftones promised they might deliver him into the band as a full-time member identical to the did with keyboardist Frank Delgado, nevertheless it by no means occurred. Vega added that “they had been good with the established order,” and that his essential challenge was extra a few sense of belonging within the band than the cash itself.

“So I got here in throughout one thing very traumatic with Chi. I got here into an album, ya know, Eros, which was type of unfinished. My understanding was that the label wasn’t planning on releasing it. They weren’t enthusiastic about it. We had been simply gonna type of half methods with the label.

“However [producer Nick Raskulinecz] got here into the image and someway the severance cash went on to fund Diamond Eyes. And, so let’s give it one other shot with one other file. And all of that power, and a few altruality and trauma was all expressed in that creating what it was.

“Now after I got here into the band, I used to be open to no matter. My pals had been in want. ‘What do you guys want? Would you like me to play bass? Would you like me to play banjo? Would you like me to do no matter… they usually had been like ‘Hey, what you introduced in Quicksand, what you probably did, we’re not completely certain, however we love Quicksand. Chi beloved Quicksand. We need to deliver you into the band over time. And that is the way it labored with Frank and that is the way it’s gonna work with you.’

“And so I introduced my writing, my arranging and myself. And that was it. And so over time, it began to change into like ‘Hey I would like to belong to this,’ and every time it will come up, it was actually extra like they had been good with the established order.

“It was not monetary, as a result of they had been like, ‘Oh, this is extra money, this is a increase.’ It was by no means about cash, it was a few sense of belonging. In order that was actually it. And in the end, in parting methods, it was not a operate of me attempting to renegotiate through the pandemic. It was a operate of the contract being cancelled. And me having just a little dialog with Chino, after which one other dialog with a few the fellows saying ‘hey’ once they needed to reinstate [the contract.]

“I used to be like, I believe the trail ahead is that we are able to all be in the identical boat. Now can be the time to get off one of these construction. As a result of it is probably not working for anyone, particularly now after we’re not touring, we’re not doing something. And it would not make sense to have one of these construction, it has been twelve years at this level and let’s make good on that.

Vega stated regardless of conversations about becoming a member of the band as a full-time member all through the pandemic, the provide by no means materialized. Vega additionally identified that he felt possibly Deftones by no means supplied him a full-time place due to “the notion of it encroaching on anybody’s revenue.”

“…We do not have to work it out now, I simply can’t… I simply can’t go onto the wage factor as a result of it is not working for us. And that was it. We actually could not come again on that. In my final dialog it was clear that whereas that was the preliminary roadmap, that is what’s gonna occur. Which was the situations that I used to be type of attempting to see by means of.

“It grew to become clear that… ‘Hey, splitting it 4 methods, how that impacted my life…’ Ya know Chino has plenty of… You may have individuals that you simply’re supporting and people issues affect their life.

“So, it is like that may make individuals shift off a place or off of a factor. So it was clear that I used to be doing the whole lot on my finish to get that. However I used to be like, on the finish of the day, for me it is not about cash.

“And the best way I believe that it is probably not clear to some individuals is that, being introduced into one thing as a member vs. [being] a employed gun would not essentially imply I am impulsively seeing cash from White Pony.

“It is actually such as you stated earlier. It is the safety and stability of feeling such as you’re part of one thing that you simply’re investing in, and belonging. To me the key phrase is this sense that you simply belong. One thing that you simply’re pouring your self into.

“Now, had it been from the get go—’that is the vibe, this it the assistance that we want’—then that is cool… So for me it was little bit of listening to issues like ‘Sergio is out of pocket’ you realize, ‘we fired him, it is about cash.’ It was by no means about cash for me. However on the finish of the day, I assume the notion of it encroaching on anybody’s revenue may have been the factor that allowed it to not come collectively.”

Vega additionally talked just a little about his new venture with Spotlights drummer Chris Enriquez, and a track they’re engaged on with ex-Each Time I Die vocalist Keith Buckley.

“…So mainly briefly, it is a writing venture with a buddy of mine named Chris Enriquez, he performs drums within the band Spotlights. And what we’re doing is a single primarily based venture. You get with a singer, you discuss just a little bit a few vibe and we write a track collectively. And that is it.

“We write and file the track, we give it just a little digital element—it was type of impressed by an Argentine hip-hop producer, who has this collection of songs that he does with plenty of artists. [It’s] largely rappers and a few singers, [he] does a track, data it, that is it. It is a collection. And the concept of constructing that as a modality in this sort of music was actually, actually thrilling.

“You do not have the factor of attempting to construct the band. You do not have to cope with the time conflicts with the individuals it’s possible you’ll need to work with, it opens up so much. So at present we now have a track carried out. We now have [another] one virtually carried out. After which final week we began engaged on a monitor with Keith Buckley.”

Deftones has since recruited bassist Fred Sablan (Marilyn Manson, Heavens Blade) for his or her present tour.