THE ATLANTIC MANOR: INTERVIEWS

How do you feel about the current state of
indie / underground music and who (if any) do you
feel is leading the way?

I THINK THAT THE STATE OF INDIE MUSIC SEEMS TO BE
REALLY HEATHY RIGHT NOW. AT LEAST IN BOSTON, THE CLUB
SCENE IS FLOURISHING FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS, AND
IT ALSO SEEMS THAT PEOPLE ARE LISTENING TO MORE MUSIC
NOW, MAYBE BECAUSE OF BEING ABLE TO EXPLORE AND CHECK
OUT NEW STUFF CHEAPLY VIA THE INTERENET. THERE SEEMS
TO BE LESS DEPENDENCE ON RADIO IN TERMS OF NEW BANDS
GETTING HEARD AND I THINK THAT IS A GOOD THING, AS
COMMERCIAL RADIO HAS BECOME A TOTAL JOKE PRETTY MUCH.
SO I THINK THAT IT'S VERY HEALTHY THAT THERE ARE NEW
And INEXPENSIVE WAYS TO GET YOUR MUSIC OUT.
THERE ARE SO MANY NEW TANGENTS HAPPENING NOW IN INDIE
MUSIC , THAT I CAN'T REALLY NAME ONE ACT THAT I FEEL
IS LEADING THE WAY. THINGS FEEL PRETTY SPLINTERED AND
I DON'T THINK THAT THE TERM "INDIE" DESCIBES A
PARTICULAR SOUND, AS IT HAD IN THE PAST. BUT I THINK
THAT IS A GOOD THING TOO.


After your first band White Women broke up you
formed The Dangerous Birds with Lori Green and after
releasing a 7" and compilation track the Birds also
folded. You were quoted as saying that the birds
"were to poppy, not violent enough, so I started
playing with men". You have come along way with
bands like Uzi, Live Skull and Come to a much
quieter place. Can you explain the journey?

THAT WAS KIND OF A STUPID THING FOR ME TO SAY ,
THE "PLAYING WITH MEN "THING. I THINK IT WAS MORE THAT
AFTER ABOUT 4 OR 5 YEARS PLAYING IN ALL WOMEN BANDS
,IT WAS A CONSCIOUS DECISION NOT TO DO THAT AGAIN,AT
LEAST FOR AWHILE! I THINK AT SOME POINT DURING LIVE
SKULL, I FELT THAT I WANTED TO PLAY IN A MORE "SONG "
ORIENTED BAND, AS OPPOSED TO A "SOUND " ORIENTED BAND.
I DEFINATLEY GOT CLOSER TO THAT IN COME, AND NOW I'VE
STRIPPED THINGS DOWN EVEN MORE, THOUGH I MUST SAY THAT
LATELY I'VE FOUND MYSELF WRITING LOUDER STUFF AGAIN.

I would imagine that performing these more
intimate songs live could be a little more stressful
because you cant hide behind a wall of guitars. It's
a totally different type of show. How was the transition? Any Cat Power type moments?

MY TWO CONSTANT PLAYING COMPANIONS, DANIEL COUGHLIN
(DRUMS) AND DAVE CURRY (VIOLA) ARE BOTH REALLY STRONG
AND SUPPORTIVE MUSICIANS ,SO I'VE ACTUALLY FELT PRETTY
COMFORTABLE ON STAGE.I DO (ON RARE OCCASIONS) PLAY
SOLO , AND THAT DEFINATLEY CAN BE A BIT HARROWING,
BUT I JUST TRY TO HAVE ASENSE OF HUMOR ABOUT. IF I
FUCK UP, I M MORE PRONE TO JUST LAUGH AT MYSELF, AS
OPPOSED TO KINDA FALLING APART. TO ME PLAYING LIVE IS
MORE ABOUT COMMUNICATION THAN PRECISION.

Your few most recent albums ( 2001's Been Here
And Gone, 2002's Your A Big Girl Now and 2004"s
Trust Not Thoes in Whom Without Some Touch Of
Madness) have a timeless quality to them. How do the
songs come together and what is the recording
process like? How important is the location itself
in regards to recording. Do you perffer a isolated
country setting or the hustle and chaos of the city?

IT'S KIND OF HARD TO SAY, BECAUSE EACH RECORD HAD
DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES,IE: DIFFERENT STUDIOS,
DIFFERENT ENGINEER /PRODUCERS AND THE SONGS CAME
TOGETHER QUITE DIFFERENTLY. I COME UP WITH THE BASICS
OF THE SONGS, THAT IS, THE CHORD CHANGES, MELODY, AND
LYRICS, AND THEN PLAY THEM WITH DAVE AND DANIEL, WHO
COME UP WITH THEIR OWN PARTS, AND ADD RYTHMIC AND
MELODIC IDEAS AS WELL.WE'LL WORK ON THE ARRANGEMENTS
TOGETHER, THOUGH I KIND OF RESERVE THE RIGHT TO HAVE
THE FINAL SAY. SO IT'S KIND OF LIKE I'LL MAKE THE
SKETCH FOR THE DRAWING, BUT WE ALL FILL IN THE COLORS.
IN TERMS OF STUDIOS I DON'T THINK I'M TOO AFFECTED BY
THE LOCATION IN TERMS OF COUNTRY VS. CITY. WE TEND TO
RECORD IN SHORT INTENSE BURSTS SO I RARELY LEAVE THE
STUDIO ANYWAY. SOMETIMES I FEEL THAT THERE ARE
BENEFITS TO RECORDING CLOSE TO HOME THOUGH. JUST NOT
HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT ACCOMODATIONS, OR WHERE TO GET
FOOD, AND TO BE ABLE TO LISTEN TO MIXES ON A STEREO
THAT YOU'RE ACCUSTOMED TO. IT KIND OF BEATS SLEEPING
IN THE STUDIO, OR GOING BACK TO A MOTEL 6 ROOM, BOTH
OF WHICH I'VE DONE IN THE PAST. SO I THINK THAT I
PREFER THAT, THOUGH I WOULDN'T SAY THAT IT WAS MORE
IMPORTANT THAN WORKING IN A GREAT STUDIO WITH A GREAT
ENGINEER OUT OF STATE.


Looking back over your career, what record are
you most proud of and why?

BOY, THAT A REALLY HARD QUESTION AND I DON'T THINK
THAT I CAN REALLY ANSWER IT.I CAN SAY THAT THIS PAST
YEAR I'VE STARTED LISTENING TO THE UZI RECORD AGAIN,
AND I'VE BEEN PRETTY BLOWN AWAY BY HOW CURRENT AND
FRESH IT STILL SOUNDS TODAY!THAT'S PRETTY AMAZING
CONSIDERING IT WAS RECORDED OVER 20 YEARS AGO FOR
ABOUT$500, SO I'M PRETTY PROUD OF THAT ONE RIGHT NOW.

.Your last three release's have all been on
different indie labels. Have you finally found a
home with Thrill Jockey and have you reached a point
where you are able to support yourself with your
music?

I DO FEEL THAT I'VE FOUND A HOME WITH THRILL JOCKEY.
THEY'VE BEEN GREAT AND REALLY SUPPORTIVE ABOVE AND
BEYOND WHAT I HAD BEEN ACCUSTOMED TO FROM A RECORD
LABEL. IT'S BEEN REALLY GOOD FOR ME, AND ALSO FOR MY
BAND. AS FAR AS MAKING A LIVING OFF OF MUSIC, I'M NOT
QUITE THERE YET, THOUGH I DEFINATLEY HAVE HAD A PRETTY
GOOD YEAR, MAINLY BECAUSE BMI WERE FINALLY FORCED TO
PAY BACK ROYALTIES TO ALL THE ARTISTS THEY SUPPOSEDLY
COULDN'T LOCATE (INCLUDING ARTISTS LIKE DAVID BOWIE
AND DOLLY PARTON!). SINCE I HADN'T BEEN PAID A PENNY
FROM THEM IN LIKE 15 YEARS, THAT WAS REALLY NICE. BUT
IN TERMS OF SUPPORTING MYSELF THROUGH MUSIC, I CAN'T
REALLY COMPLAIN BECAUSE SOME OF MY FINANCIAL STRUGGLES
WERE DEFINATLEY CAUSED BY CHOICES THAT I MADE, AND I
DON'T NECESSARILY REGRET!

How do you feel about the business of selling
records? You have been recording / releasing music
for 25+ years, is there anything you wish you could
go back and change and what advise would you give to
bands just starting out?

I JUST ALWAYS TRY TO USE MY MISTAKES AS A WAY TO
LEARN, SO I'VE DEFINATLEY LEARNED ALOT THROUGH THE
YEARS. I DON'T TEND TO LOOK BACK THAT MUCH, WHEN I DO
I CAN SEE SOME THINGS THAT I COULD HAVE HANDLED BETTER
(MAINLY IN TERMS OF BAND RELATIONS, RECORD LABEL
RELATIONS TYPE STUFF) BUT AT THE SAME TIME I DON'T
HAVE ANY BIG REGRETS, I THINK THAT I DID THE BEST THAT
I COULD DO AT THE TIME,AND IT'S ALL A BIG CRAPSHOOT
ANYWAY!
I GUESS MY ADVICE WOULD BE TO JUST KEEP LEARNING AND
LISTENING AND CHECKING OUT NEW THINGS. STAY INSPIRED!

"ON THE WRONG SIDE OF A SATURDAY NIGHT" is the title of the upcoming record. It was recorded with the help of Bob Platt and Ariel Herrera. The songs are done and are waiting to be heard. I hope the album finds a happy home in your record collection.

trakMARX - What inspired you to pick up a gtr in the first place?

Rick: Black Sabbath, Cheap Trick and The Ramones. Although my music sounds nothing like any of them, those were the bands that made me jump around in my bedroom and play air guitar. What fantastic guitarists - and what better place for a 13 year old kid to start.

trakMARX - What musical path led you to the door of The Atlantic Manor?

Rick: If your interested in music and have a true love for it, then it's just a natural progression. No one goes from Cheap Trick to The Velvet Underground or Half Japanese overnight. You never heard of someone like Roky Erickson or Galaxie 500 in the mainstream. The good stuff is underground. The stuff that makes an impact on your life and becomes the soundtrack to it. You have to go out and find the stuff and it's an amazing journey. Discovering a band or hearing a song that you have to play over and over and over again is what it's all about. Don’t settle for radio or MTV.

trakMARX - We can here echoes of 13th Floor Elevators, early Stipe & the wide-screen vision of Codiene - any others we may have missed out?

Rick: I love 13th Floor Elevators. "Splash" and "Don’t Fall Down" are two of my favourite songs ever. Roky Erickson is a big influence for me. He is an amazing song-writer and what I think that I’ve taken from him is being able to allow myself to venture from one extreme to the other, musically. Roky can write the most beautiful acoustic love song like "Clear Night For Love" or "Starry Eyes" and than destroy you with some real heavy stuff like "Bloody Hammer" or "Two Headed Dog" - and when he does it, it all fits and comes together. Neil Young is another guy like that. I love using feedback in my songs so I get the My Bloody Valentine or VU comparisons. I got that Vic Chesnut on crack thing going. I don’t know, for better or worse I think my stuff sticks out.

trakMARX - You are very prolific - 7 LPs in 5 years - 2 already this year - how long can you keep up this kind of blistering pace aligned, as it is, to an ever improving arc of quality? Will The Atlantic Manor just keep getting better?

Rick: I do write a lot. I have another record on the way called "ALL THE BEST GIRLS HAVE WINTER HEARTS". All the songs are done and sound great. I think I’m going to put it out in the beginning of next year. All my records are similar sounding, you know what your going to get. My records can be described as "mid-fi" so if you’re a fan of high quality studio recordings you might not be into The Atlantic Manor. I record my stuff very quickly. There are never any rehearsals involved. What you hear was recorded in one or two takes. The people who play on my records have never heard the songs until right before we record them. I show them the chord progressions and than were off - press record.

trakMARX - How often do The Atlantic Manor play out? Is this a live thing or a studio based project?

Rick: Up to now The Atlantic Manor has been a studio only thing. Who knows - maybe I should play out. I need a band first. Anyone interested?

trakMARX - Who do The Atlantic Manor view as contemporaries?

Rick: I don’t know how to answer that. No one knows I even exist. Who the fuck is The Atlantic Manor? Contemporaries? I look to people like Jad and David Fair (Half Japanese), Roky Erickson, Jandek, and Daniel Johnston for inspiration. They’re heroes for me and the reason that I exist. What contemporaries could I compare myself to? I would like to say Cat Power, Smog, Palace, My Morning Jacket, Jason Molina and Thalia Zedek (Come) - but I'm so underground that I can’t call them that.

trakMARX - What are the boundaries of The Atlantic Manor's ambitions?

Rick: Twenty years from now and many records later I will still be here. This is what I do and if you do something long enough people will notice. The crying baby eventually gets fed. I guess I just want to leave my own little mark and I’m more than happy to put in my time (funnily enough, that’s exactly the same reasons we all do this trakMARX shit – AMBITIONS ED).

trakMARX - What's coming up next for The Atlantic Manor?

Rick: I have one new record in the can ("All The Best Girls Have Winter Hearts") and plan on recording some more songs next month - so maybe I'll put out two records in the beginning of the new year.

trakMARX - Where's the best place for prospective punters to keep abreast of Atlantic Manor Action?

Rick: All your dreams will come true if you visit: www.theatlanticmanor.com

trakMARX - And finally, how will The Atlantic Manor be spending the festive period & do you have a special xmas message for trakMARX readers?

Rick: Pills and wine. Go start a band. Go write a song, record it and release it – and - if you’re proud of yourself and it makes you happy - then who gives a fuck what anyone says. Do yourselves a favour and seek out these bands:

The Holy Terrors, Thalia Zedek, Eleven Dream Day, Half Japanese, Galaxie 500, Lungfish, Wipers, Smog, Big Star, Jandek, The Velvet Underground, Husker Du and The Violent Femmes.

Many of you know these bands - but there's some 15- year-old kid who has never heard of any of them... let the journey begin.
Jean Aramis Encoule – tMx 22 – 11/05

The Atlantic Manor

Neo-zine: Please introduce the members of the band.

The Atlantic Manor: The Atlantic Manor has a small revolving cast of characters. It all depends on who and where I record the songs. I have been lucky enough to work with some wonderful talented people. Jorge Bejel and Bob Platt both have small studios and Ive recorded all my records with them. They help me out and play additional instruments. Jorge is a great drummer and Bob is insane on the piano. He's been playing forever. They are both very open minded when it comes to recording and always seem to be up for anything.

Neo-zine: Who does the song writing? What is the writing process like for you?

The Atlantic Manor: I write the songs and lyrics and we go from there. I'll come into the studio and show Jorge or Bob the chord progression and than we press record. Everything is recorded in one or two takes. They have never heard any of the music unitl the moment we record the songs. After the basic song structure is done I'll add some more guitar and than Bob or Jorge will add piano or keyboards. I cannot imagine working on a record for more than a day or two. these bands that spend a year to make a record... give me a fucking brake! The only difference between them and me is that my stuff tends to sound a little more lo-fi but for the type of music I play I think that it adds to the overall feel. What would the Velvet Underground sound like today if they recorded in some fancy studio? I dont think it would have the same impact. Somethings are better a little rough around the edges.

Neo-zine: Where did you get the name “Atlantic Manor?”

The Atlantic Manor: The Atlantic Manor is named after one of the worst housing projects in Miami. A lot of crazy stuff goes on there and I spend a lot of time in the area. It's a very interesting place.

Neo-zine: How would you explain your sound to those who have not heard your music?

The Atlantic Manor: Outsider DIY combined with minimalist dirges, shards of feedback , beautiful melody's blah... blah... blah.... I dont know. Thats a tough question. A song like "I Dream Of Sleeping Sheep And The Wolf Upon The Hill" is so heavy that it makes Ministry sound tame and then a song like "Fire in The Sky" will just break your heart or at least I hope it will. You never know what your going to get I guess. Roky Erickson is a great example. He can write a beautiful acoustic love song like "Starry Eyes" and than play "Two Headed Dog" and melt your ears off.

Neo-zine: What really separates your music from that of other people playing similar styles?

The Atlantic Manor: I don't think anything does. If we are playing similar styles than I think we are hearfelt and just doing what we do because it's something we have to do. I have to write these songs and I am sure they feel the same way. I'm not writing songs for radio or money. I have a job. I am aware of the reality of my situation and the fact is, very few people are listening. I'm not doing anything new and no one else is either. It comes down to a matter of taste. One mans Jad Fair is another mans Celiene Dion. The problem is most people are lazy and they settle for what is given to them and thats why you hear the same 5 songs on the radio everyday.

Neo-zine: Tell us about the new CD “The Trouble That You Left.”

The Atlantic Manor: "The Trouble That You Left" was released along with "Sneaking Up On The Death Scene". I put both records out at the same time. The songs that ended up on "The Trouble That You Left" are a little more upbeat if you can imagine that. "Your White Is Grey" is such a happy sounding song but the lyrics are viscious. It's just another Atlantic Manor record.

Neo-zine: What sorts of things do you like to write about? Give us an example.

The Atlantic Manor: I find it very hard to write a happy song. I dont know why but I do. Maybe it has something to do with growing up listening to too much heavy metal. I'll blame Ronnie James Dio and Iron Madien. Isolation, depression, love lost, suicide, violence the basic stuff I guess. It seems we cant get enough of it. Car crash stuff you know? We all stop to look. We all go through up's and downs but my downs can get real bad. I'll never run out of material so there's the upside.

Neo-zine: I understand that “The Trouble That You Left” was recorded very quickly? Any specific reason for that? (Gorilla Recording?)

The Atlantic Manor: "Gorilla Recording" is just the way I have to record. I'm all alone in this thing as far as the initial creative process. I dont have a "real" band. It's just me until I get into the studio and I cant afford to spend time rehearsing. It's like here are the chords are you ready? Ok press record. Next song!

Neo-zine: Is there a specific “mood” to the CD?

The Atlantic Manor: It's a laid back record. It has it's moments of anger and release.

Neo-zine: Where did you get the interesting cover art?

The Atlantic Manor: It's a great cover. It was painted by Cristine Cambrea. She is a fantastic artist. I was very fortunate that she allowed me to grace my record with her work. Her work can be found on e-bay or visit her site at www.karmavt.com . Please visit her site and support independant artists.

Neo-zine: How have the reviewers been treating the new CD?

The Atlantic Manor: The reviews are just starting to come in and again to my suprise things are going very well. I just send my records out and hope they find a happy home.

Neo-zine: I love the fact that you sent multiple copies of your CD to the reviewer so that they could be spread around. Is that part of the marketing strategy?

The Atlantic Manor: Hell no! What's a marketing strategy? I just want to get my records in the homes of the right people. I know that if I send you 5 -10 copies your going to pass them along to someone you might want to expose new music to. I have records all over the world, Spain, Germany, France , Europe and thats a great feeling. Twenty years from now and 40 albums later some super group will say they were big fans. If you do something long enough people will take notice and you will make an impact.

Neo-zine: Do you play much live? What’s the show like?

The Atlantic Manor: I need a real band first. Things are starting to pick up so maybe the time is right.

Neo-zine: Anything else you would like to talk about?

The Atlantic Manor: Indie labels are full of shit and so are most of the indie magazines out there. Matador records can go fuck themselves. I will put my records out by myself so fuck off. If you have no label support or a&r publicity company you have to be in for the long haul. It will take a long time but you will eventualy break through the ice. Half Japanese, Roky Erickson, Daniel Johnston, and Jandek are people to look at for inspiration. People are always searching for new music and in time they will find you. Because of sites like Neo-Zine, Smother, Burning Emptyness and print zines like Dagger, Shredding Paper and Skyscraper new artist's are discovered every day. It can get tough at times but if your heart is in the right place than it should not matter. Now go start your own band but before you do please read "how to play guitar" by David Fair. It will change your life.

Florida's Rick Sell has been creating music under the name The Atlantic Manor for several years now. Sell's music cuts to the emotional core and visits many emotional places that many of us would not even want to go near, let alone record 5 (soon to be 7) records worth of it. For Sell I assume it's a form of therapy and each of his records has improved upon the one before it. Drop him a line and find out for yourself.


WHAT WERE SOME OF YOUR EARLIEST MUSICAL INSPIRATIONS?

My father had an uncle who was a dj for a radio station back in the 50's and he would give a bunch of these records to my father so he had one hell of a record collection. Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry were my introduction to rock and roll. The big break through came when one year for christmas I was given a tiny boombox that had a tape deck and I was able to record songs off the radio. I got really into bands like Cheap Trick, Sabbath and the Ramones. This was back in around 1980. One thing leads to another and you discover bands like The Velvet Underground and Roky Erickson. It's a natural progression I guess.

WERE YOU ALWAYS FROM MIAMI? HOW DID THAT COOLOR YOUR MUSICAL LIFE?

I grew up in Miami but I dont think it had any effect on the type of music I write. Miami is such a shallow town and everything is based on apperance, bad dance music, cocaine and how expensive your BMW is. The local scene here is good but you have to make an effort to seek it out. If you're willing to riskgetting shot you can see great bands like THE LAUNDRY ROOM SQUELCHERS, XELA ZAID, and AMANDA GREEN at Churchills Pub. It's like the CBGB's of Miami but it's located in a rough part of town.

WHEN DID YOU FIRST START WRITING SONGS

I've been writing songs since I was 15 or 16, real bad metal songs at first until I discovered The Velvet Underground and The Violent Femmes.

WHEN DID YOUR FIRST CD COME OUT? WERE YOU NERVOUS PRESENTING YOUR ART TO THE WORLD LIKE THAT?

The first record I released was "When I Am A Viking" in 2000 and I was terrified and excited at the same time. I was so inspired by HALF JAPANESE and their diy spirit that I will be forever grateful to Jad and David. I've been releasing better records ever since.

DO YOU READ REVIEWS OF YOUR MUSIC?

I read the reviews when I can find them. The fact that they get reviewed at all still shocks me. I have no label support or pr firm harrassing people. I just send out my records and hope they find a happy home, sowhen I read a good review I know I made a connection with somebody. If it's a bad review I just hope they spell the name right! Either way it doesn't matter.

DO YOU PLAY OUT LIVE? IF SO HOW HAS THAT GONE?

I don't play out. As a young child I was horribly disfigured in a freak Easter egg coloring accident and I'm afraid people will laugh at me. I don't know. I don't think anyone would be interested.

WHAT CAN YOU TELL ME ABOUT YOU PIANIST, BOB PLATT? HE ADDED SOME LOVELY INSTRUMENTATION TO YOUR NEW RECORD

I recorded some of the songs for "Special Is Dead" with Bob Platt at his home studio. He's an amazing musician and he was gracious enough to play pianoon the record. I think it sounds fantastic. Piano and feedback what more could you ask for! I'll be putting out 2 maybe 3 records this year and Bob plays on a bunch of the songs. Lo-fi and heartfelt I can't wait to put them out.

TOP TEN DESERT ISLAND DISCS?
1. Henry's Dream by Nick Cave
2. The Mob Rules by Black Sabbath
3. The Velvet Underground And Nico
4. Lived To Tell by Eleven Dream Day
5. Shape Shifter by Marcy Playground
6. Fun by Daniel Johnston
7. This Is Our Music by Galaxie 500
8. The Doctor Came At Dawn by Smog
9. Gremlins Have Pictures by Roky Erickson
10. This Is What It Sounds Like When Your Dead by The Holy Terrors

CLOSING THOUGHTS? WORDS OF WISDOM?

Yeah I've never sent MATADOR RECORDS a single album. I will put that out on my own, thank you. DIY. Thanks Tim.

BURNING EMPTYNESS INTERVIEW (France)

Q.Basically: who are you? More: who do you think you are?

A.I am just a spoke on the wheel.

Q. Your music seems influenced a lot by your personal life: most musicians could say so but your music seems so directly connected to your personal life it feels strangely intrusive to hear it... What do you think?

A.Most of my songs over the last few albums were written with just a few people in mind. These are just the type of songs that I am writing now. A broken heart is to blame I guess. Writing and recording these songs are like therapy for me. I don't know what I would do without them. Some of them are very personal and others are not. It's my on-going response to my side of the story. My own Coral Castle. I wish things could have turned out differently.

Q. How do you record your stuff?

A.Gorilla Recording is just the term I use to describe the way I record my music. Jorge Bejel who plays drums on my records has a little recording studio set up in his spare bedroom. When we get together to record Jorge has no idea of what he's about to hear. I'll go in and show him the chord progression and than were off to the races. He is a fantastic drummer and plays with such great feel and power and because we've played together for so long now we seem to know where we're going with the songs. Everything is recorded on the spot and with no rehearsals. After the basic song structure is done little melody lines are added pretty much on the spot.

Q Don't you see this way of recording as a limitation?

A. No, not at all. I like the spontaneity of the whole thing. I like going into it not knowing what it's going to sound like when we're finished.


Q. You always keep a very low profile, like saying your music 'flies well under the indie-rock radar' or saying you're not an interesting person. What are you trying to prove in doing so?

A. I have been told this before and I don't know why I am like that. I am a quiet guy and it's just my nature I guess. If you don't expect too much than you wont be let down. That's a fucking sad way to look at things I know.


Q. There's something about the Atlantic Manor, like Lou Barlow for Sebadoh or Joey Mascis for Dinosaur Jr, it seems to be R. Sell and the Atlantic Manor, like you being the frontman and all. Wouldn't you prefer to record everything by yourself instead of having guest musicians?

A.If I was that talented maybe I would but to be honest I enjoy collaborating with others. If what I hear fits within my vision of the song than it stays.

Q. If Sony came and asked you to release a record on some kind of indie-like subdivision, would you do it?
If I was granted total control over everything sure I would. I would demand as much money up front as I could and than record the album for $500 bucks and pocket the rest.


A.Do you play live? Who would you like to play live with, in reality and in your wildest dreams?
I don't play out because I just don't think anyone would be interested. Playing with Rocky Erickson would be a dream coming true. Have you ever heard his version of Heroin? If Lou Reeds version is some guy shooting junk in an apartment somewhere then Rocky is the same guy off his head standing naked in the middle of the street while holding a human head and screaming to the world that he is God. I get chills when I hear him sing that song. I would love to record some songs with Jad Fair. I love his voice. He's a fantastic song writer. I just did an interview with him for Tim Hinleys' zine Dagger.


Q. To me, you're the perfect guitar anti-hero. Maybe you should show Steve Vai a few anti-tricks, although I'm not sure there's any lesson he can learn.

A. I'll take a great one note guitar solo over Steve Vai any day. Anti -guitar hero? I don't know, maybe. I only play with 4 strings anyways. It just makes things easier. I name my own guitar chords - I'm a disaster but it hasn't stopped me. Early on I read a piece titled "How to play guitar" by David Fair from the band Half Japanese. It should be required reading for anyone who picks up a guitar. I took great inspiration from it and their DIY spirit.


Q.You said you played on four strings, is that a real downtuned 4 string guitar or just a normal one with 2 strings removed?

A. It's just a regular guitar with the two high strings removed. I think I play in tune but sometimes things get a little scary. Does it matter anyways? I'll record on one string and bang on a shoe box if I thought it sounded good. I just rely on my ears and what sounds good to me.


Q.I think your music should be taught to beginner guitar students as an example of what type of excellence can be done with only a few chords and to super-advanced guitar students as an example of what should never be lost in guitar-playing: sobriety, simplicity, beauty. Do you teach music?

A. It all comes down to feeling and what it is your trying to say. That's why a band like Galaxie 500 can move mountains with just two chords. And no, I don't teach music and the world is a better place.

Q. In this world of heavily technology-influenced music, your music feels like a breath of fresh air to my ears... Do you refuse technology? Or simply the part that's not useful to you?

A. I just don't think that you can beat the sound of what you hear on The Velvet Underground or AC/DC records. I like to keep things simple; it fits well with what I do.

Strange and beautiful can best describe the music of Jad Fair. With Half Japanese or through his solo recordings his music and his pioneering diy spirit have been an inspiration to countless rock and roll dreamers. Without Jad Fair indie-rock as we know it would not exists. On the eighth day God created Jad Fair…



1. It has been a while since the last Half Japanese record came out. What’s the status of Half Japanese at the moment?

Half Japanese did a tour in Japan last year and a show in Norway. We don't
get together as much as we used to because we're
now living in different locations. John is in North Carolina, Jason in Maryland, Rob in New York, Gilles in Switzerland, and I'm in Texas.
That makes it hard to get together. We're wanting to record a new album, but we don't know yet when that will happen. It's always great getting
together with the band. We're all good friends, and it's fun to do shows.

2. Over the years you have collaborated with dozens of artists, can you tell
us a little about your new album Whale? Where was it recorded and how long
did it take to finish the record?

I was in Glasgow for an art exhibition at the Lloyd Jerome gallery, and Bill
asked me if I'd like to record with him. We went into a studio and recorded
it straight to two tracks. It was all done live. I did vocal sounds and Bill
sampled what I was doing and played with that on his sampler. We've started
some new recordings. The new songs will be with Norman Blake, Belle
Campbell, Tikaji Aojagi, Bill and me. I'm real pleased with how it's sounding.

3. Is there any other artists out there that you have not yet had the
chance to play with that you would like to record / release an album of songs
with?

Daniel Smith (Danielson Family) and I want to record together. I've
been to a few of his shows. He's great. I'd also love to do an album with
NRBQ. They're by far my favorite live band. This is an exciting time for music.
There are so many great bands. I love the Concretes, Kevin
Blechdom, The
Sadies, Amy Alison, Bjork, Scout Niblett, NRBQ, and Steve Earle. Steve would
be an interesting person to record with. He's a major talent.

4. How is your brother David? What has he been up to?

David and his wife Pam just adopted a baby girl from China. Patty and I flew
to Maryland to see them. She's a beautiful baby. They're very happy.

5. I know that you recorded about 100 songs with him a while ago. Tell
us a little about that and do you have any plans on releasing this as a
record.

Back in May we started work on an album which will be called 100 short
songs. We have the vocals pretty much done. We now need to add some
music. The songs will all be very short. We want all of the songs to fit on a
single CD, so the songs will be around 45 seconds each.

6. In the film "The Band That Would Be King" Gerard Cosley who is the
CEO for Matador records talks about his love for Half Japanese and how
wonderful the band is. Has Matador ever approached you in regards to releasing a new Half Japanese record or reissueing some of your older albums?

The album I did with Yo La Tengo was released on Matador. When Gerard
first started Matador he asked me if Half Japanese wanted to do an album. He used to be with Dutch East India, which is a company I've had
differences with, and I decided not to go with Matador. I now think that was a mistake. A lot
of friends are on his label and they all seem to be happy.

7. Is there any chance of any further collaborations with Daniel
johnston?

Daniel Johnston and I might record again. I've been trying to work out
a recording schedule with his brother. Dick Johnston is Daniel's manager
now. It's a bit difficult to work out because Daniel is under contract with
a label and has 3 records to go on that contract before he's able to
release a new one. Those records have already been recorded, so if Daniel and I record we need to do it without advance money. I think I may be moving back to Austin soon. If that happens it'll make recording with Daniel a lot
easier.


8. Over the years what have been some of the high points in your career
and what have been some of the low points?

Being able to release a 3 album box set as our first LP release was a
big thrill. We had the opportunity to do that because John Peel was a fan and played Half Japanese on Radio One. I'm a big fan of the Velvet
Underground, and Moe Tucker as a solo artist, so being able to work with her was a high
point. As was working with Yo La Tengo, Teenage Fanclub, Daniel
Johnston, R. Stevie Moore, DQE, Naofumi Ishimaru, The Pastels, Phono Comb, The
Shapir-O'Rama, Kramer, Bill Wells, Jason Willett, The Dim Stars, Mosquito,
Monster Party, The Tinklers, Terry and Tom from NRBQ, God Is My
Co-Pilot, and Strobe Talbott. What a great bunch to have worked with. I've been so
lucky. One of the low points was having to wait so long for the release
of the Half Japanese album Charmed Life. It's one of my favorite albums
I've done, and it took over 3 years for it to be released. It was very
frustrating.


9. What records are you most proud of and why? They all become like
your children but which ones do you hold closest to your heart?

The first Half Japanese single (Calling All Girls), and my first solo
record (The Zombies Of Mora-Tau) are two of my favorites. I can't think of any other records released at that time which sounded anything like them. I'm
also very fond of the Half Japanese album Heaven Sent. It has an hour long song on it. There are very few bands that could pull that off.

10. Do you enjoy touring and do you have any plans to tour in 2005?

It's hard to find time to do all the things I'd like to. Touring is
great. My main focus now is on my art, but I hope to have tours in Japan and
Brazil. I'm working on a book / DVD release for a company in Tokyo. I'll do
some shows when that comes out.

12. Are there any upcoming gallery shows?

I'll be in group shows soon in Paris and Austin, and I've got a show
coming up in Orlando. Next year it looks like I'll have exhibitions in Tokyo,
Glasgow, Osaka, and Toronto.

13. Where can your artwork be viewed and purchased?

My website has art for sale. The address is www.jadfair.com I also
have art available through the sites of Yard Dog, and Webb Art galleries.

14. Your diy spirit has been an inspiration for so many what advice can
you offer to someone who is just picking up an instrument or paint brush or is passionate about something but might think they dont have what it
takes.

That's a hard one, because I've always thought I had what it takes. So
that's a bit hard to relate to. I'd like to be able to say that anyone can
do it, but I'm not sure that's true. If you think you don't have what
it takes, you're probably right. If you don't believe in yourself you're going
to have a rough time. I'm my number one fan. What can be learned from
what I've been able to accomplish is that the spectrum of what's able to
find an audience is much wider than most people think it is.