"I think that country music as an art form is great because it is so American and it is so wrapped up with great, tragic but strong female voices and singers. There is such a strong female perspective in country music. Where in rock on the other hand, there are so few. "
"I think that country music as an art form is great because it is so American and it is so wrapped up with great, tragic but strong female voices and singers. There is such a strong female perspective in country music. Where in rock on the other hand, there are so few. "
Incendiary interview Jenny Lewis – 11/28/05 Toro Hotel, Amsterdam
You could bill this talk as a cosy fireside chat – as there was an actual fireplace in the room; replete with roaring fire – with Jenny Lewis about life, beer, going solo and turning 30 and being a woman with a big voice in today’s music world. Enough pandering to illusions, on with the interview!
IN: Doing these press tours, is it tiresome to talk about yourself, do self-promotion?
JL: Yeah, because I think, press, even though it is such an important part of getting people to find out about your music it feels so separate, you know? It’s like you make this thing and then you talk about for a couple of months and then it comes out.
IN: And then you play it for a year or two.
JL: Which I can do. It feels more comfortable playing the songs on tour, doing press is something different. People have been nice for the most part.
IN: In this case however it is different, it’s your first solo album, the music seems softer and much more vulnerable and much more personal then Rilo Kiley. Is it a release for you?
JL: It feels more personal because the songs are stripped down; I think there were some pretty personal lyrics within a lot of Rilo Kiley records. There was a lot of stuff going on in there, but because you taken away so many of the different layers, I think a lot of the songs kind of float to the surface a little bit more.
IN: How do you feel about the commercialization of indie pop right now, especially in shows like The O.C.?
JL: It’s a good question. I guess you have to look at it from the perspective of the artists. You can maintain your independent roots because of shows like The O.C. in a lot of ways. I think it facilitates the music getting to more people. I think, as a band sometimes you reach a crossroad where you feel that you’ve reach all of the hipsters and all of the kids that read the ‘zines and the web boards and follow Saddle Creek, Subpop and Merge, but there is a certain point where you want to reach beyond that and with stuff like the O.C., it’s a way to do that without necessarily shaking hands with the devil and involving yourself in the major label world. I try not to covet the music that I love, I’ve done that in the past, where something becomes popular and then suddenly I don’t want to go to the shows anymore. I think selling out is a lewd point when the music stays the same. So if the music is pure, then why not offer it out to the people and give them something better than, you know, Fallout Boy or other crap that’s on the radio.
IN: Wow, thanks! That’s a really good answer.
JL: Thanks! I’ve been working on that one.
IN: Can you talk about Saddle Creek Records and importance it has had for you? How has it influenced the community in America?
JL: I think it was really important for us. Before we met Tim Kasher from Cursive who brought us to Omaha and introduced us to (Mike) Mogus we felt kind of alone in what we were doing. Being in Los Angeles we were isolated. So I think we learned a completely better work ethic from them and we’ve learned that it’s probably better to tour with your friends if you have the chance to do so, there is no reason to go out and tour with bands that you don’t get along with or if you don’t like their music, you might as well pass the time in a better way. I think the level of talent and songwriting skills is so high (with Saddle Creek artists), they set the bar so high that it forces our peers to rise to that level; it’s a friendly competitive thing.
IN: At pretty much the same time during Rilo, you were also doing stuff with The Postal Service. How does that actually work with touring/recording?
JL: It all kind of blurs together and we all try to work it out as best we can. I mean, I was done with Rilo Kiley, I had a day off and then I went on tour with The Postal Service. Jason Boesel, who plays drums in Rilo Kiley and in Bright Eyes he was doing double duty, he was doing two sets a night, when he was finished with us, he flew to Japan, he ended our tour with Coldplay and then he went back on tour with Bright Eyes. Blake (Sennett) is in the Elected, so he does the same thing, we end and he starts up, so it all this big weird mix of friends and songs and records and…
IN. Workaholics.
JL: We all get to watch each other from the side of the stage, which is the best part. I think if you are a true fan of someone, and if you can and they want you to be a part of it, to participate is the ultimate compliment.
IN: On your new album with the Watson Twins, Rabbit Fur Coat, you do a cover of The Traveling Wilbury’s song, Handle With Care. I read that previously you were against doing covers, but why this cover? Why now?
JL: I think for me there was a fear of fucking songs up. You know, you’re gonna chose your favorite songs and how could you possibly do it any better than the original. In this song there was that fear as well, but in casting the characters, with some of my friends, and I thought you know what, if this is done in a completely un-ironic way and in a sincere way then I think we can all pull it off.
IN: It’s funny; the set up is the "indie super group". The Wilbury’s were "THE" super group.
JL: I’m just exploiting my friends. For a buck! (Laughs) And the song is great! The lyrics are amazing and weirdly optimistic and I had forgotten how cool the words were until we recorded it. I thought, "Wow this is a really sweet song!"
IN: And it is really nice from a female perspective now, it gives it a whole new structure. I would say that one of my all time favorite covers is "Against All Odds" from The Postal Service. It is really something completely different… I am a big fan of… of… um… (Stutter, stutter) Phil… ph-ph-phil-ph… yeah, it is hard for me…
JL: You love Phil Collins! Just admit it! He’s awesome, I mean, he’s a drummer that sings! That is as cool as it gets! That song was so stressful for me live because I had to do that guitar part at the end (deerrrr-neeerrr-de-de-deh). And I messed it up every single night. I had to wait to the very end to do it, and man, it was embarrassing.
IN: What was the first album you ever bought?
JL: I bought a 7 inch single of Pass the Duchie by Musical Youth. That song is great.
IN: And fitting for your stay in Holland. How long are you here for?
JL: Just for a couple more hours, then we take the train to Brussels and we got here really late last night. I love it, I’m Dutch, my grandmother was from Amsterdam I think. She died before I was born, but my dad is always saying, "You’re Dutch!" go to Holland…
IN: And go back to your people… Tell your audiences that, the audiences love pro-Holland people. If you tell them, you’ve got a wee bit of Dutch in you, and then they’ll really love you.
JL: Yeah, but then they come up to me after the shows and start speaking Dutch and I’m like totally completely confused.
IN: What are some of your other important major musical influences beside Musical Youth?
JL: (laughs) That record just happens to be the first one I ever bought! I love Neil Young and Bob Dylan of course, that is a given. Laura Nero, Tammy Wynette, Lucinda William and then the independent rock from the mid 90’s like Pavement, Built to Spill and Modest Mouse.
IN: Rabbit Fur Coat, is PETA upset about the title?
JL: The coat is a metaphor and if people don’t understand what a metaphor is, then they might go and throw red paint all over my mom, which would be really sad for her. It’s the need to show your wealth. Use a bunch of little dead things to make you more than what you are. I don’t wear fur.
IN: And feel soft and fluffy.
JL: Soft and fluffy. (Giggles)
IN: Are you originally from LA?
JL: I’m from Las Vegas. But moved when I was three, pretty much grew up in the valley.
IN: I’ve spent like 0 time in LA.
JL: It’s not so bad.
IN: I was there once for the summer, I was staying in studio city and I went to this day camp called CaliCamp. I went with the kids I staying with.
JL: How was it?
IN: It was actually pretty cool, because we could ride horses, dirt bikes and 4runners and stuff and there was archery and shooting BBguns, I remember it being really cool, just really hot.
JL: That’s cool; I think I knew some people who went to that camp.
IN: Hey did you know about these rabbits in Stockholm. Some rabbits escaped from a pet store or something and now in a couple of parks there are these rabbits that have returned to the wild. It is like the 5th, 7th, 10th, probably 20th generation now of cute little black and brown and white spotted rabbits. There are actually like wild pet rabbits running around in Stockholm parks.
JL: In Omaha it is like that too, and I don’t know how it started, but they just multiply. It was really easy for them to start a new eco-system. They love it! They are like, "YEEEEEEAAAHHHH"! Freedom!!!! I’m going to Stockholm!!! (Laughs)
IN: Do you have any other personal beliefs?
JL: I was vegan for a couple of years, but it is really hard to maintain on the road. And I didn’t feel quite well all the time. I felt okay, but not great. I do Yoga when I get a chance, most of the time I love it, but sometimes when my mind is going too fast it is so hard for me to actually calm myself and actually get into the meditation stuff.
I also like to drink beer.
IN: Really? What kind? What’s your favorite beer?
JL: I like Belgian beers.
IN: Oh good, so tonight, you guys can go hit the town.
JL: Yeah, we’ll drink little Duvel perhaps or maybe some Heffe, that is really good. Oh wait… Lef… Leffeeeeeee.
IN: My next question was what is your favorite drink? I was thinking non-alcoholic drinks actually.
JL: I hate water. I really like this stuff called Kombucha, it’s this weird health food elixir made from a mushroom and it is slightly bubbly and really good for you. It’s sweet because it is made from fermented tea from this mushroom. It’s become a sort of craze in California of course. We all hoard it in Rilo Kiley, our bus fridge is like FULL of GT’s Organic Raw Kombucha.
IN: Do you knit or do anything like that?
JL: I made those lanyard once in like the second grade.
IN: I think we did that at CaliCamp too. No I’m really thinking about getting into knitting. And it seems like it would be a really nice thing for you to do on the road.
JL: Knitting is great.
IN: Last time I went to NYC, I was really surprised to see on the subways and busses, everywhere people were knitting. My friend took me to this knitting cafe, where there sell yarn, sticks, coffee, cookies and cakes and all the people who work there are also like knitters so they can give you advice. It was on east 14th and 2nd I think.
JL: OH, oh, I think I passed by there the other day!!
IN: It is so cute!! Next time you’re there, check it out! The front is cool, it is all tiles, like aqua-bluish green tiles. My friend was telling me I should open a knitting cafe in Amsterdam…
JL: You should.
IN: Oh, what I really wanted to ask you… about doing the covers. How do you obtain rights? Do you have to record it and then send it off to them and then Bob Dylan calls you up and says, ‘Hey Jenny, its cool’?
JL: No, we kind of just did it and then we talk to their publishing company and then they give permission. I think I had to pay a licensing fee and then I have to pay them royalties on every record that I sell. A piece of that will have to go to the Harrison Estate and The Bob Dylan Bank and The Roy Orbison Grave and The Jeff Lynne Guitar Factory and The Tom Petty Hair Products Foundation. (Laughs)
IN: I was wondering if you got any feedback from them or something? Maybe they will… It would be cool to get a call…
JL: Yeah right! Can you imagine; the ghost of Orbison is on line one! (Laughs)
IN: Are your audiences the same fan base as Bright Eyes…The Kids?
JL: The Kids, yeah. I think that my record will move away from that a little bit. I think it will appeal to older audiences. I wonder what the kids will think about… I think they’ll be like, "country music? We hate it. BUT it’s not like twangy. I think that country music as an art form is great because it is so American and it is so wrapped up with great, tragic but strong female voices and singers. There is such a strong female perspective in country music. Where in rock on the other hand, there are so few. The serious rock and roll icons, there are way more dudes. But in country, I feel it is a little more balanced maybe.
IN: Are you having any pre-turning 30 jitters? (Jenny turns January 8th & the album is released January 23, 2006).
JL: I was when I was 28, but now, no. It is hard when you are 28 or 29, and you recall how you pictured yourself when you were like 12 and you thought, when I’m 30… and usually it is like I’ll have two kids and be married. I mean that was how a young girl plans their life and really I couldn’t be farther from that. So it is a weird feeling. I’m 30 and I’m still a child (aren’t we all – ed).
Words: Zoe E. Gottehrer