Jesse Vest (born May 10, 1977) is an American rock musician and bassist for the bands The Louisville Crashers^[1] and the supergroup, Blisskrieg.^[2] Vest was the founding bassist of the post-grunge band, Days of the New^[3] and the alternative rock band, Tantric.^[4]

Jesse Vest began his career in music at an early age. The son of a guitar player and avid bluegrass fan, his first instrument was a banjo. At age 10, however, he discovered rock and roll. The banjo found its way to the closet and a bass player was born. Over the next several years he played and collaborated with various musicians, and found a creative bond with two of his classmates. This group would later become "Days of the New", and the day after his high school graduation, Vest was on tour supporting the band's debut album.

Vest began as the bassist in an experimental rock/metal trio called Dead Reckoning, with singer Travis Meeks and drummer Matt Taul. When they turned to an acoustic sound, they changed the name of the band to Days of the New and added lead guitarist, Todd Whitener to the lineup.^[5][6]

Days of the New led to Vests' rise to fame when the band's 1997 self-titled debut album faired very successful, leading to the group's music appearing on MTV, appearing on the Late Show with David Letterman,^[7] and opening concerts for bands like Metallica and Aerosmith which helped the album eventually be certified platinum by the RIAA^[8] and their single "Touch, Peel and Stand" reach number one on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart and stayed their for 17 weeks,^[9] and the album's other singles "The Down Town" and "Shelf in the Room" each were top 40 hits^[10] and featured music videos that received airtime on MTV.^[11][12]

Citing clashes with lead singer, Travis Meeks over the direction of the band along with Meeks' unstable mental state and struggle with drug addiction^[13] in February 1999 Vest, Whitener, and Taul departed Days of the New and quickly began working to form a new band.

In 2021 Billboard magazine named Days of the New's 1997 single, Touch, Peel and Stand at the "Greatest Mainstream Rock song of all time" ranking it number one out of a chart of one hundred songs.^[14][15][16]

Shortly after all three instrumental band members departed the Days of the New, Whitener, Taul, and Vest would go on to form a new band named "C14" that would be renamed Tantric with Hugo Ferreira as the lead singer.^[17] Tantric, whose self titled debut album was released in February 2001, resulted in much of the same success as Days of the New had seen, with their debut single "Breakdown" reaching the number one position on the Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts^[18] leading to the band performing promotional appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, and sharing the stage, opening concerts for 3 Doors Down and Creed.

Tantric's self titled debut album spawned two more singles, "Astounded" that reached the number seven position on Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts in August 2001 and "Mourning" that reached number eighteen on Billboard Mainstream Rock Charts in December 2001 with each single being released with official music videos that received airtime on MTV as well.

Vest returned to the studio with Tantric in 2003 to begin writing and recording their sophomore album After We Go,^[19] which would be released on February 24, 2004. The album sold more than 200,000 copies and peaked at number fifty six on the Billboard Top 200 with the lead single "Hey Now" reaching number eight on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart, a cover of the Fleetwood Mac song "The Chain" reaching number twenty two on Billboard's Heritage Rock Chart and thirty six on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart, and the album's title track, "After We Go" reaching the number thirty position on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart.^[20]

In late 2004 it was announced by the band that Vest would be leaving the tour for to take some time off and take care of personal things at home, but stated he had not left the band permanently and Bruce LaFrance would replace him on bass guitar during his absence.^[21] However, later in 2005 Tantric posted a statement on their website that Vest had officially decided to leave the band for good, wishing to spend more time with his family living in Charlestown, Indiana.

Louisville Crashers was formed in 2004. Vest took part in one of the gigs the band was playing at the time and liked the style the band brought. In 2014, they released their debut self-titled album independently.

In June 2020 it was announced on Facebook that Vest got together with his former Days of the New and Tantric bandmates guitarist, Todd Whitener and drummer, Matt Taul to form a new band "Blisskrieg" with former Eye Empire and Submersed singer, Donald Carpenter as the new band's lead singer.^[22][23]

In November 2020 Vest revealed via his social media profiles he had finished recording a new album with Blisskrieg which would serve as the band's debut album with a release date in early 2021.^[24]

Their debut album titled "Remedy" was released on February 22, 2021.^[25][26]

• Days of the New (1997)^[27]

• Jesse Vest Biography
• Jesse Vest discography at Discogs
• thelouisvillecrashers.com
• Blisskrieg