Exclusive Interview: Jim James (My Morning Jacket)
“Music is my life force”, says the artist
(Photo by Neil Krug)
Text and interview by Angélica Albuquerque
Translation by Eduardo Dos Santos Costa
It took a while, but it’s finally time for Jim James (My Morning Jacket, Monsters of Folk) to shine in Brazil. In 2013, the charismatic American artist’s well-deserved notoriety reaches new heights with the release of his first solo album, Regions Of Light And Sound Of God (CD and digital download via Slap).
One of this year’s most interesting releases, the record came out in February. James’s lyrics were inspired by Lynd Ward’s 1929 novel in woodcuts “God’s Man”. He related to the book in a deep and personal level, and had absolute control over the album’s material. As for the music, he has been influenced by styles and sounds that range from 1970s and 1980s gospel, funk, and soul music, to his neighbor’s dog’s barking.
In a recent exclusive interview to TMDQA!, James talks about his new record, his bands and collaborations, and how music has affected his life ever since he watched The Muppet Show at the tender age of three.
TMDQA!: First of all, congratulations for yet another incredible record. People think of you as someone spiritual and enigmatic, and the new record reinforces this image. Has meditation given you more answers or more questions regarding themes such as life and religion?
Jim James: Thank you. Yes, meditation has given me much needed peace, but also yes opens the mind to bigger questions and searching for truth and peace and a way that feels correct…
TMDQA!: Your songs are always very sentimental, intense, and personal, like “Dondante”. Which one demanded the most of you (both lyrically and musically) when you wrote it?
Jim James: Well its a strange process… I always say it is like the old saying “50% perspiration 50% inspiration” because the idea for a song comes from some other realm something divine – so you have to be open to that and in touch with that. But then also you have to put the “Sweat” in and really work with a song to make it come to life in this realm.
TMDQA!: What was the recording process of the new album like?
Jim James: It was a pretty solitary experience and I had a lot of fun making music in this way and playing all the instruments I love to play. I love to work alone and I love to work with people, so I try to do both. I had my old friend and former band mate Dave Givan come play drums on most of the album so we could get live takes and that was a lot of fun too.
TMDQA!: You said that reading “God’s Man” gave you a strong déjà vu feel. How did you get to this book? And which fact has impacted you the most?
Jim James: A friend gave it to me as a gift and I felt I had known it before in a previous life. It is one of the most beautiful works of art ever created in the world. It’s like seeing the inside of God’s blood vessel.
TMDQA!: You said that you wanted to make a “God’s Man” film adaptation. Is this the script you’ve been working on with your bandmates from Monsters Of Folk?
Jim James: No these are two different projects, which I hope both will happen some day!!
(Photo by Neil Krug)
TMDQA!: We know you love movies and you have even tried to release two movies before. Are you going to make an even bigger effort now and try and make movies again?
Jim James: Yes, I really love doing this and hope the universe allows it to happen at some point.
TMDQA!: We know you’re working in five songs with MOF. What about new My Morning Jacket and Yim Yames material?
Jim James: Well, I have a lot of ideas for the new MMJ record, which we will hopefully begin this fall… very excited about that.
TMDQA!: What was it like to work with Jay Farrar, Will Johnson and Anders Parker on the unusual New Multitudes? Are you going to get together again and do something new?
Jim James: It was beautiful and very enriching and I hope we get a chance to play some more.
TMDQA!: Questlove recently said he wants to record with you. Is it really happening? Are we talking about an EP or a full album?
Jim James: Quest is amazing. I would love to record with him and hopefully we will do it at some point soon.
TMDQA!: When writing, do you write specifically for one of your bands or do you choose where the song is going only after writing it?
Jim James: Each song is imbedded with a special genetic coding deep inside its DNA. It is the same process as the inside of a seed that falls from the oak, will be an oak, and a seed that falls from a mustard will be a mustard and so on the seeds fall and I run around collecting them, but don’t always know which tree they fell off of, but they always know that one day they will be born to be in this world.
TMDQA!: You really seem to be deeply in love with music, and I must confess reading about your feelings towards music is very inspiring. What does music mean to you and how do you perceive the music industry nowadays?
Jim James: Thanks. Oh yes, I am most deeply in love with music – it is my heart and soul and life force and carries me and dances me along through this life and connects us all to past lives and love and magic and beauty. It is limitless.
(Photo by Neil Krug)
TMDQA!: You’ve covered several songs by artists you admire. Do you have a favorite song or one that makes you think “boy, I wish I’d written this one”?
Jim James: Oh my God, there are too many to even name!!! Yes I love every song I’ve ever covered! I sure wish I’d written them all.
TMDQA!: I know you collect vinyl records. Do you have more records than friends? (this is something we always ask artists, as it’s a reference to the name of our website)
Jim James: I LOVE collecting vinyl and have friends that do too. We get together and listen to records often and trade new songs and enjoy old ones. God it is a beautiful thing getting to listen to music rolling off that beautiful piece of vinyl…it is so huge.
TMDQA!: Finally, do you know anything about Brazilian music? Can we expect to see you in Brazil in a not-too-distant future with one of your many projects?
Jim James: Well, I mean, I know and love the well-known artists, like Antonio Carlos Jobim and Astrud Gilberto, and even Sepultura I admire a lot and consider their Chaos AD record to be one of the greatest records ever made. I would love to learn more about what is going on in the modern music scene there and wish to come to Brazil one day soon as I have never been.
Thanks for your support and all the kind words.