Archive for the ‘Interviews’ Category

jj // Some Questions Answered

Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

Stumbled across two jj interviews that are both intriguing and hilarious. The first is a Q&A session with the folks at Drumming on Tabletops. Here are some of the highlights:

Where does the name “jj” come from?
jag & joakim
joakim & jag
(“jag” means me or myself in Swedish)

What do you think of the new “indie” culture created by Pitchfork media and how it’s blending with popular American music?
We don’t know what to think about Pitchfork. I don’t think we think about it at all since we first heard our friends telling us about it, that they’d written something about us, and now when you ask us about it. But that someone on the internet would direct the so called “show” seems ridiculous to me.

What’s the plan for live shows? did you originally ever expect to perform live?
Whatever we do I hope people will understand that being on stage is a fucked up situation in the first place, where everything can happen: you can live more than you’ve ever lived or be wanting to die, feeling things will never be the same again.

The newest album, jj no 3 has already leaked online. What does it feel like to have to deal with a leak?
It (jj no3) should’ve been released in September though, so it’s all good. A slightly fairer chance for anyone to keep up with us.

And what’s Sweden like?
It’s everything you want it to be.

You can read the rest of the exchange here.

The second “interview” is more of a single e-mail response to a website who has blasted their latest no.3 release. Here’s what Joakim has to say to Warmer Climes negative response to their latest effort:

I admire you being honest and straightforward, speaking from your guts, but as we both can see, there’s no future for you and me, if you say I’m useless, awful, telling me what to do with my life and my time, how to feel, how to live, we can never have a working relationship. I hope you can understand that. It’s oh so simple. We’re about life, and everything ain’t pretty, you, if anybody should know that. I’m me, what else could I be, and if you can’t handle the truth, well, then you’re bound to drown. I hope you can maintain your successful career on the internet, when it seems so important to you. And one should do what feels important in ones heart. Like writing emails. Talking about albums. To me it feels like you have a lot inside of you that needs to find its right way out. But on your way there I understand that this is something you think is worthwhile. I hope your persistence, passion and love will take you to places you never could imagine. And that we can someday meet as equals, not me being adored and you not being a whore. SY 4 ever.

jj // My Way

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Interview // CS Nielsen

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

I had the pleasure of interviewing country musician CS Nielsen (one of my favorite finds from last year) for my first article featured on The Llano Idea. Here is an excerpt from the interview which you can read in its entirety here:

Copenhagen, Denmark, seems an unlikely place to come across good ol’ fashioned country western tunes.  However, this past July I stumbled across a Danish artist that cured my West Texas homesickness with just a strum of his guitar. In a region better known for its electronic acts, CS Nielsen has been able to make a name for himself with powerful singing and intelligent songwriting reminiscent of past Americana greats such as Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan. I caught up with CS recently to ask him a few questions concerning his unlikely choice of sound and whether he had any plans of making a pilgrimage stateside.

Do you remember that first album that got you intrigued with country music — the one that made you think you wanted to do something like this?
I think my first introduction to hardcore country music was some old reel-to-reel tapes of my father’s that I got exposed to at a very early age. It was mainly Johnny Horton, Buck Owens, Marty Robbins and Johnny Cash. As a small kid I didn’t understand a word of English, but I was totally captured by the drama and fatalism of it all. Marty Robbins’ gunfighter ballads, for example – that was frightening stuff! It wasn’t too long after that that I discovered Hank Williams, and I still remember the first time I heard “Alone and Forsaken” and “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry”.

Do you see the popularity of country music expanding in Denmark and the rest of Scandinavia — kind of like the emergence of “cool jazz” in the 50s and 60s?
Well, as far as country music I actually don’t see much going on in Denmark. Maybe I’m not looking hard enough! In the pop field, there’s a certain trendiness about ‘going country’ these days, but I don’t pay any attention to that whatsoever. Honestly, I don’t pay much attention to where country music is going in the States either. It’s extremely rare that I feel myself being moved by a new popular country act. In the left fields of alt. country something is happening though from time to time. Gillian Welch may be the most important artist to write and record in Nashville in many years, she’s fabulous. And of course we still have Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Emmylou Harris, and Hank III, bless his hell-billy heart!

CS Nielsen – Rage

CS Nielsen – Here’s Lost John

CS Nielsen – New Song

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