My Morning Jacket
SUIT THEMSELVES
My Morning Jacket Try On the Majors with It Still Moves
Louisville's My Morning Jacket are something of an anomaly. They're proudly southern, yet not doctrinaire enough to wave rebel flags. They're fond of feedback-laced jamming, but capable of showing a sweet side to rival that of Jimmy Webb. From the subtle acoustic drones of their early indie releases to the Crazy Horse-via-Stones-styled power rock of their major debut, It Still Moves, the quintet have grown increasingly confident -- and increasingly loud. The band's near-obsession with reverb remains constant, though, making these new tunes a comfortable fit for longtime Jacket fans. Singer-guitarist Jim James talked with Barnes & Noble.com's David Sprague about his influences, his love for echo effects, and his distaste for wearing shoes.
Barnes & Noble.com: How did the band evolve into what it is now?
Jim James: It started as just me with an acoustic guitar playing songs that the band I was in back then didn't want to do. I recorded on a four-track by myself and played some at coffee shops. And I played some stuff for my cousin John [now My Morning Jacket's guitarist], who really dug it and took me out to his grandparents' farm, where we've done most of our recording. Tommy [Cash, MMJ keyboardist] heard what we were doing and said it would sound better with some Fender Rhodes [organ] on it. It's not much of a metaphysical story; it just all had to happen.
B&N.com: Do you see the band's sound as having changed much?
JJ: I think the sound has changed because we've become tighter; we've reached our ultimate lineup. We try to keep things the same. We still record in Shelbyville, we use tons of reverb and try to make things as weird as possible.
B&N.com: The reverb thing is something that jumps out at you right away. What's the appeal for you?
JJ: I've always loved reverb. It's almost like a subconscious thing. Ever since I was an infant all my favorite music was drenched in it: rock from the '70s, orchestral music, and soundtracks. It just makes sense to my brain -- I can't imagine playing music without it. Reverb is one of the most powerful tools mankind has at its disposal, and I intend to make the most of it.
B&N.com: Did you approach the making of this record any differently than your indie records?
JJ: We'd been writing it for a long time, but we didn't start recording it until after the contract was signed. Some of the songs go back three years, so it's been developing, but we recorded pretty much the same way. We got some gear we hadn't had before, and this time we used 24 tracks. We like to make subtle changes.
B&N.com: You're known for some pretty intense live performances. Does that come naturally for you?
JJ: I'm not totally comfortable, and I'm basically a pretty self-conscious guy, so I keep trying to get better onstage. It's not the easiest thing to do, but I enjoy doing it.
B&N.com: And as for stage gear, do you ever intend to wear shoes onstage?
JJ: Normally, I don't like to. I wore shoes at Field Day because there was so much water onstage that I would've probably gotten electrocuted. But other than that, no.
B&N.com: On older records and in concert, you've been known to do some oddball covers -- Elton John, for instance, or Elvis Presley.
JJ: We like to choose songs that are strange that people might enjoy, really. If you're playing to an audience you haven't played to for before, sometimes a cover is the best way to connect with them. If you do an obscure cover, they might not know it. So the best thing is to pick one that people know that's not too cheesy or corny, but not one that people might predict we could do -- like Neil Young or Wilco or Flaming Lips, bands we've been compared to. We take Erykah Badu or Black Sabbath or Elton John, something that will pack a wallop.
B&N.com: Do those comparisons get on your nerves?
JJ: It gets old after a while, but I understand that we're a comparatively new band and, it's human nature to tell your friend that you just heard this band and they sound like so-and-so. I hope we can move past that and have people recognize our sound as our own.
September 2003
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