Highway Terrier: The Musical Project of Ben Sherstinsky
Interview ★ Kenzie Gay ★ @kenzwrites ★ 1.5k Words
In today’s day and age, there are lots of questions and discourse surrounding rock, its relevancy in modern pop culture, and if the new wave of contemporary acts can stand with the older legends. A controversial though well loved band that tends to kickstart this argument is none other than Greta Van Fleet. If you’ve read this magazine before, you know we’ve covered the band once or twice before and we’re just as much fans as our readers but today we’re only touching on them briefly to make a point of their influence. Greta Van Fleet has really kickstarted a new generation of rock fans despite their problematic reputation as “posers” (which we wholeheartedly disagree with) and amongst this fresh wave of inspired rock fans resides 22 year old Ben Sherstinsky.
The face and key mastermind behind Highway Terrier, Sherstinsky is a rock musician based in Davis, California. Manning nearly everything from drums and guitar to lyrics and the violin in a recorded/production setting, Sherstinsky took a moment to sit down with us and discuss Greta Van Fleet, Highway Terrier, and his impending debut EP.
Sherstinsky via Instagram
Online, much of your following has come about because of your frequent covers/posts about Greta Van Fleet and its sister band, Mirador. Can you explain what their music means to you and how it's influenced you as an artist?
Greta Van Fleet and Mirador mean so much to me. I started listening to them close to 7 years ago right before Anthem of the Peaceful Army was released and have been a huge fan ever since. What I really love is that they're retaining that raw energy that the music of the 60s and 70s had, while putting their own, modern spin on it. Their songs have this spiritual quality to them that has influenced me and my songwriting for sure.
Jake Kiszka in particular has been a major influence, and since I got into them I've been (to this day!) trying to learn Greta songs and the “Jake-isms” he plays during his solos. I also think that their very existence has inspired me to pursue music full-on, as they serve as an example of a modern band influenced by the old sound. It got me to think, "Oh there are people doing that!" I remember watching that video of Jake Kiszka soloing on their cover of White Room after Ginger Baker had passed, and thinking, "Imagine if I could do THAT." His insane skill, stage presence, overall energy, and also the spirituality present in their take of the song, really moved me.
(left) Greta Van Fleet via Neil Krug (right) Mirador
Aside from Greta Van Fleet/Mirador, who are some other artists that have inspired you and your work?
After my parents gave me a taste of a lot of the great classic rock bands when I was in elementary school, middle school was when I started getting obsessively into individual bands. The first one was Rush, I still listen to them often to this day. Rush has been a really huge influence for me and I love Alex Lifeson. And listening to the incredible virtuosity of Neil Peart inspired me to start playing drums! Alex Lifeson’s style and soloing was the blueprint for me, and ever since then I started going backwards in time.
I got really into Black Sabbath and Van Halen, and then as high school progressed—-Led Zeppelin, Cream, The Who, Hendrix, The Yardbirds, and Blue Cheer among others. I love the psychedelic scenes of the 60s. And what was so cool was that in parallel to those bands, I also got into Greta Van Fleet during high school. So I got to hear how those older bands influenced the new emerging rock generation, in parallel. More recently in the past year, I’ve been getting more into 90s grunge and metal like Alice in Chains and Tool, and I’m still constantly listening to Sacred the Thread by Greta Van Fleet. Can’t get enough of that song.
Many consider rock music to be something that's "died", what is your take on this?
Rock has not died! Maybe 10 or so years ago I’d be less confident in that answer, but now with Greta Van Fleet and other bands rock is very much alive. That music is timeless; there’s a reason why classic rock radio still exists to this day, as well as summer camps where you can learn Led Zeppelin at 8 years old. And I think new artists will continue to be making music in that vein!
Though you don't have anything out on official streaming platforms (yet!), you have teased originals such as 'Covid Blues'. Could you explain the creation process behind this song?
Back in 2020 during the pandemic, I started slowly coming up with a riff and song structure, but the song had nothing to do with Covid. Fast forward to mid-2024 and that became the blueprint for a song called “I Lost My Baby”, but also I had another song that was indeed called “Covid Blues” except it was more like a slow blues influenced by the blues of the 30s. But it was also influenced by my personal experiences; in Winter 2024 I went to a frat party and…got Covid. And this was my THIRD TIME getting Covid and the previous time was just a couple months prior! So I thought, I have to write a song about it. The song is about getting Covid all of the time. In Summer 2024 I had the idea to consolidate it with “I Lost My Baby”: What if the song was “Covid Blues” but it had the fast-paced rock and roll/punk music of “I Lost My Baby”? So that’s how the song was born, and I recorded it Fall 2024. We also filmed a music video for it this past March! I can’t wait for you all to hear the song and watch the video once it’s out, it’s been so fun to make.
What are some things outside of music itself that may or may not indirectly influence your work (hobbies, job, etc.)?
I love Star Wars. I love Star Wars, Marvel, all that stuff. I love the idea of screenwriting and why films are written the way they are and I love analyzing all the characters. In addition, I love the Star Wars and Marvel soundtracks. John Williams is just incredible and the fact that he’s still composing at 93 years of age is beyond amazing. Those soundtracks have definitely influenced my songwriting. Also, the way that scenes of a movie are structured or how episodes in a show are ordered influence the way I think about ordering songs on an album. My YouTube channel used to be Star Wars edits, and I’m proud to say that one of my edits got to 2M views recently. That whole world is a great relaxing outlet for me.
Online, you'd shown your support for fellow modern rock acts Feel and Dirty Honey. Who are some others, big or small, that you think are helping to keep this style of music alive and well?
Those two are really great, I was fortunate to see Dirty Honey with The Band Feel opening this past fall. They brought the house down. There are so many out there: Red Voodoo is amazing, feel-good rock. Crown Lands write such beautiful and epic songs. Sascha Carlson and The Light have a really powerful sound too, Edward Crowther is an insane guitarist, and I really love The Definitive and their energetic, sharp sound. They have a really great singer, Duke Domino, who I was so glad to collaborate with on one of my songs for the EP. There’s such a great emerging rock scene out there and we’re all in each other’s comments and DMs supporting each other, so there’s a sense of togetherness there and it’s a great feeling.
How do you approach/view live performances?
I feel like live performances are something that get easier and less nerve-wracking as you do more of them. But most importantly, they are so so fun, and that's how it should be viewed. I remember during our most recent show, my friends were in the crowd and they were singing along to these songs that haven’t even come out yet. That was such a heartwarming feeling to experience.
As a small artist, what are some trials and tribulations you've had to overcome that might not be so obvious to fans and listeners?
It’s been a very busy time. In addition to trying to make it in this rock thing I’m also a student at UC Davis, which takes up a lot of time as well. It’s still something I’m trying to figure out actually, how to manage all of it. I’m majoring in Music and doing a Violin Performance track; it can get overwhelming, but it’s all worth it!
Is there anything you'd like to promote or plug (future projects, shows, etc.)
Stay tuned for Covid Blues and the Highway Terrier self-titled debut EP!
Also, keep an eye out for more Highway Terrier shows featuring Christian Bush on vocals, Kelly May on vocals, Jonah Kalmar on bass, Johnny Moeller on drums, and CJ Borges on flute. Can’t wait for you all to experience it!
