JEREMY JAY INTERVIEW: NOV. 2009

I first met Jeremy Jay in the summer at underground Vancouver, B.C. venue, The Sweatshop. My friends from the band, Cosmetics had asked my band, Terror Bird to join their bill. They had asked me months before the actual show, so at first I didn't bother to look at Jeremy Jay's myspace site for more than a few seconds. When I finally did, it blew my fucking brains...after I was done being snobby. I must say, I got a little jealous of his songwriting genious and ended up covering one of his best songs, "Airwalker". Fortunately for Jeremy Jay, I didn't cover it at the show and his version is a LOT better.

His live show didn't sound exactly like the electronic pop recordings I had heard online- it sounded more like a rock band (which, duh ,it was). Anyway, that doesn't matter because I ended up buying half of the record collection he had brought over to Canada as well as drunkenly flattering this shy, mellow man. When I asked him which recordings he thought were best, he said, "They're all fun."

"Fun? Don't you mean magical as in a trip to Mars?" I thought to myself.

I was too shy to ask him to trade 7 inches. Plus, it's so akward when someone whose music you don't like does that. God! Why do people in bands I don't like do that?

This dream-pop gem master is from Los Angeles. Despite the stifling heat and the general ick-factor of his home city, Jeremy Jay and his band manage to create the most dreamy, magical music heard since The Smiths' "Strangeways, Here We Come". Seriously, listening to his music is like falling in love while dancing on clouds from the vapors of tears of joy.

Jeremy Jay is signed to Olympia, Washington's K Records and Australian label, Pop Frenzy. Just this year, he and his band have gone on long tours both of America and Europe. He is about to journey on an Australian tour at the end of this month, as well as a tour of Germany with Deerhunter next year. I'd call him lucky, but he's too talented for a word like that. Anyone is welcome to punch me later for this mind-numbing gush fest.

Anyway, Jeremy Jay's next album, Slow Dance, comes out on K Records in March 2009. He also has a romantically titled single called "Love Everlasting" out in January, recorded by Calvin Johnson and Bob Schwenkler.

Sadly, because Jeremy Jay is so busy (and mysterious), he only had time to answer a few of my many, many questions. It is obvious from his charmingly unspecific statements that this rising star has had at least some practice doing interviews.

Nikki Never: What were some of the highlights and contrasts of touring Europe and the U.S?

Jeremy Jay: Well, I'd have to say I love touring both the U.S.A. and Europe. Both are actually very different. Driving around in the U.S., you don't see very many castles, but then again
driving around in Europe, you don't see the Plateau mountains of New Mexico. Both landscapes are so different. People-wise, I'd have to say its easier tour the U.S because I'm used to speaking English. But then again, it's exciting trying to order a coffee in German.

NN: How do you go about writing songs?

JJ: I don't know, but one way I can answer this question is to compare songs to life. In life, you never know what could or would happen in some sense. I feel that songs are the same. You never know what might be inspiring to you. Music can also be an expression of one's time in a way.

NN: There is a very dreamy, romantic undertone to your music. Would you agree? How well does your music match the way you are in everyday life? Are you a romantic? Are you a dreamer?

JJ: I feel that no matter how hard you try to hide yourself it shows through when someone sees you or hears you. Everything about one's self is in their music, I think.

NN: You've covered Suicide's "Ghost Rider" and Brian Eno's "Baby's On Fire"; what are some of your other influences?

JJ: I've also covered...others; "You Are My Lucky Star" [from the] Boyfriend soundtrack, "Starpower" [by Sonic Youth], "Shayla" [by] Blondie, "Lunar Camel" [by] Sioux, [and] Severin [of Siouxie and the Banshees]. I'm listening right now to Pauline Murray and the Invisible Girls- a very great and inspiring record. Next, I will probably listen to the album "12 X 5" by The Rolling Stones.

I just went to the bookstore and bought almost ten books. Among them, the Marlene Dietrich autobiography, "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", "The Orient Express" by Graham Greene, a biography on Walt Disney by Leonard Mosley, "The Thirty-Nine Steps" by John Buchan,
and "The Hunger" by Whitley Strieber.

I also recieved just today a gift of an anime movie called "Be Forever Yamamoto."
I love the movies. "I also wish I could meet John Hughes.

NN: What's the strangest thing a fan has ever done?

JJ: A girl just bum-rushed the stage and wanted to whisper something in my ear.

NN: Creepy.


www.myspace.com/jeremyjay