{"id":267,"date":"2010-06-21T05:27:27","date_gmt":"2010-06-21T10:27:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/?p=267"},"modified":"2010-06-21T05:27:27","modified_gmt":"2010-06-21T10:27:27","slug":"the-jason-falkner-interview-part-one","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blog.musoscribe.com\/index.php\/2010\/06\/21\/the-jason-falkner-interview-part-one\/","title":{"rendered":"The Jason Falkner Interview, Part One"},"content":{"rendered":"

For more than twenty years, fans of a particular few strains of rock have known about Jason Falkner<\/strong>. Tagged early and often as something of a pop wunderkind, Falkner is one of that fairly short list of artists who can (and does) do it all. He plays guitar, drums, keyboards and bass. He sings lead and harmony. He writes. He arranges. He produces and engineers. That alone puts him in a category with Todd Rundgren<\/strong><\/a>, Paul McCartney<\/strong><\/a> and Stevie Wonder<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Through his career, Falkner has \u2013 his longtime fans (like this writer) would argue \u2013 never gotten his commercial due. The critics and tastemakers who know about his music are near unanimous in their praise (the odd early review in Trouser Press<\/em> that claimed Falkner\u2019s work with the Grays <\/strong>\u201csounds exactly like\u201d Jellyfish <\/strong>notwithstanding). But the record industry being what it is, someone who resolutely follows his own musical path \u2013 someone who refuses to \u201cplay the game,\u201d as it were \u2013 is perhaps not destined for high-profile success.<\/p>\n

Luckily for those in the know, Falkner is still at it. In addition to the creativity he brings as a sideman \u2013 he\u2019s worked in recent years with Air<\/strong>, Paul McCartney, Dennis Diken<\/strong><\/a> and a select list of other high-quality artists \u2013 Falkner maintains his solo career. His (sort of) latest album is the US release of I\u2019m OK, You\u2019re OK<\/em>. I recently sat down for a wide-ranging conversation with Falkner. Subjects ranged from musings on the relative commercial indifference to his work to the challenges and successes he\u2019s faced in his previous bands. His refreshing candor and willingness to field my sometimes pointedly direct questions made for a fascinating conversation.<\/p>\n

Commercial-sounding yet Not Commercial<\/strong>
\nThere’s nothing weird, off-kilter, avant-garde or otherwise fitting the classic definition of uncommercial on I’m OK, You’re OK<\/em>. (\u201cIt’s not the sound of an air-conditioner hum, nor is it black metal,\u201d Falkner helpfully points out.) Yet the album originally saw release only in Japan, and it took two years for Falkner to secure domestic release for the disc. Falkner agrees that tuneful, intelligent pop has a hard time getting a foothold in the musical marketplace. But why is that so? \u201cThat,\u201d he laughs, \u201cis the question that keeps me up on a nightly basis! I have several theories about this. I really believe that the general population\u00a0 doesn’t really want to be engaged. They don’t want anything to shake them out of their thought process.\u201d<\/p>\n

But Jason Falkner\u2019s music is accessible. It\u2019s not at all like, say, the Residents<\/strong><\/a>. \u201cOr R. Stevie Moore<\/strong><\/a>,\u201d he adds. \u201cIt’s certainly modern, but it also has a lot of classic elements to it. But I feel that it does kind of require your attention.\u201d Attempting to define his sound \u2013 always a dangerous and difficult thing for any artist \u2013 Falkner characterizes it as \u201cnot like the big immediate, giant, modern sound that a lot of people are accustomed to. Nor is it a tinkering, lo-fi indie\/rock\/pop thing either. It\u2019s right in the middle of those two things.\u201d He believes that his music is \u201cengaging, yet in ways it’s not as immediate <\/em>as some people need things to be in this day and age.\u201d He sums up by observing that his songs are \u201cdesigned for people who have committed <\/em>to sitting down and listening to [them].\u201d<\/p>\n

Falkner offers further observations that illustrate (a) a refreshing self-awareness and (b) the fact that he\u2019s given this matter a lifetime\u2019s worth of consideration. \u201cI feel like music can really stand out when it has quality and some honesty to it\u2026some heart and soul.\u201d He notes that media and entertainment provide \u201cso many things punching you in the face, trying to get your attention. And the only way to get anybody’s attention anymore is by literally grabbing you by the throat,\u201d but that with this approach \u201ca lot of heart <\/em>is missing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Thankfully, Falkner is certain he won\u2019t ever go in that direction. He tries to keep those forces from entering his creative space when he works. \u201cI don’t listen to anything else while I’m working. I certainly don’t pay attention to what’s on the television or the Internet when I’m writing songs or recording an album. I’m kind of in my own little fantasy of my perfect world.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Solo Route<\/strong>
\nSpeaking of that perfect world, it’s not as if Falkner can’t or won’t play well with others. Besides his roles in three high-profile bands (more on that presently), he\u2019s toured with Air and other groups. Yet on his albums, he nearly always does everything himself. I wondered how much of that is because he can, and how much because he wants to.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt’s all <\/em>because I want to,\u201d he asserts. \u201cNone of it is to be showy in a \u2018hey, make sure you read the credits\u2019 kind of way.” The solo approach is an outgrowth of the manner in which Falkner gets inspiration. \u201cI get so inspired<\/em>. I\u2019ll plug in an electric guitar into a cool, weird tube amp, and then I can’t imagine letting somebody else play it.\u201d He refers to his late ’60’s Premier drum set. “Why would I let anybody play that? I mean, I can play it. So I can, and therefore I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

This approach has been a central theme of Falkner\u2019s musical methodology from the very beginning. \u201cI grew up playing in bands and frustrating everybody in my band. Because while I wasn’t your normal lead singer who wrote songs, I also could play the drums better than the drummer. I can play bass better than other bass players, and guitar, and so on and so on.\u201d<\/p>\n

But that attitude (based clearly in fact, so there) could make for an uncomfortable situation. \u201cI kind of took a back seat, and kind of diminished my talent in front of others just so I could fit in,\u201d Falkner recalls. \u201cIt’s not like I think I’m the best musician on the planet, or anything like that. I’m not walking around like that. I think I have interesting things to say on all of the instruments, and that’s why I play them.\u201d<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not always a function of technical expertise, then. \u201cOne of the reasons why I really like my drumming,\u201d he muses, \u201cis because I’m not really a drummer. I’m a pianist \/ guitar player who is playing the drums. Some of my favorite drummers \u2013 Stevie Wonder, Paul McCartney — are like that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recording is Songwriting<\/strong>
\nFalkner\u2019s manner of songwriting fits his solo approach. \u201cIt’s also often easier for me to play everything than to sit and work out parts with other people. There are many people I know who — if I could afford them — I would have them come over and we would work out songs together. And there\u2019s yet another reason: the people who are good enough to know what to do with my stuff on their instrument are very expensive people. Even friends. They’re like, \u2018hey, I love playing with you. But you know, I get five grand a week doing this.\u2019\u201d He chuckles that his solo approach is \u201cvery sensible, actually. Now that I think about it. That’s one aspect of my life I’m sensible about.\u201d<\/p>\n

While Jason\u2019s music is modern — timeless might be a better descriptor — there all sorts of what we might call classic elements in the songs. Little things like the way the instruments, and\/or subtle countermelody lines are added into a song as the song progresses. There\u2019s a clear emphasis on making sure that every song has a hook, a memorable melodic line. Or, sometimes several in a single song. It\u2019s clear that Falkner puts a great lot of effort into the craft <\/em>of songwriting as much as the art <\/em>of it.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think,\u201d Falkner reflects, \u201cthe way I write songs is kind of unorthodox. I don’t really ever write a song and complete a song on any given instrument like a guitar, or a piano, or whatever. I just start recording. And so recording is actually part of my songwriting process.\u201d<\/p>\n

He elaborates. \u201cI don\u2019t know how a song is going to begin or end. I just start recording as soon as I have a little more than half of a song done. I usually start with drums. And then I will just allocate something off the top of my head, a pattern or something on the bridge;\u00a0 maybe I’ll just screw around with something as an intro. And then maybe I’ll just stick some music on top of it and kind of write the bridge…sometimes not even a chorus is done. I just kind of see what happens.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not unlike Brian Eno<\/strong>\u2019s modus operandi<\/em> employed on his mid 70s rock trilogy — Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy)<\/em>, Another Green World<\/em>, and Before and After Science<\/em> \u2013 the concept of chance plays into Falkner\u2019s\u00a0 creative progress. \u201cThere might be an accident. Maybe I put in a chord but I hit the wrong chord because I hit the Apple space bar on my computer and I spin around and play the chord. And I might hit the wrong chord but I might like that better but than what I had in mind. Or maybe I didn’t have anything in mind. Then I’ll listen back and go, \u2018how cool!\u2019\u00a0 So recording is part of the songwriting.\u201d<\/p>\n

Which supports his notion of doing it all himself. \u201cI think part of this process accounts for the fact that [although] I was playing all of the instruments on my record, it doesn’t necessarily sound like that. It doesn’t sound like one brain.\u201d He pauses for a moment and adds, \u201cI mean, I hope it doesn’t.\u201d<\/p>\n

In Part Two<\/a> Jason Falkner explains the term \u201cdad-rock\u201d and talks about his experiences as a member of Jellyfish, and then as part of the Grays.<\/em><\/p>\n

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