Matt Jaffe – The Spirit Catches You

By starrymag | December 17, 2018

By: Jamie Steinberg

 

 

Q) How would you describe your sound?

 

A) It’s rooted in alternative rock from the late 70’s early 80’s, infused with country and folk storytelling dating back to Hank Williams and marinated in NorCal post-pop sunshine.  I didn’t realize I was in a rock band until I got to college and I noticed I was an artifact.  I thought rock = music and music = rock.  I guess guitars are in my DNA, and it’s too late for anything else.

 

Q) Who are some of your musical influences?

 

A) Three camps.  New Wave: Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, The Clash and Blondie, X.  Country / Americana: Johnny Cash, Lucinda Williams, Alejandro Escovedo, Townes Van Zandt and Guy Clark.  21st Century Indie: Franz Ferdinand, Magnetic Fields, The Decemberists, Arcade Fire.

 

Q) Talk about the story behind your new song “Fever.”

 

A) We were doing a residency at a wonderful saloon in Bolinas, CA called Smiley’s and were supposed to write songs during the stay.  The first rule of co-writing or “spontaneous” songwriting is to write something in advance, so you seem great when you get put on the spot.  I wrote “Fever” as a rockabilly diddy.  My former bassist, Paul, suggested I try it as a slower MoTown number.  Once he started singing the response vocals, we envisioned it as a Gladys Knight & The Pips number, but since we usually can’t afford Gladys, let alone the Pips, we fill in as understudies.

 

Q) What do you think it is about the song that fans connect to?

 

A) I think they like seeing me in my underwear in the video.

 

Q) How does the video for the track play into the message behind it?

 

A) I wouldn’t say it’s a message-driven song.  It’s about sound and feeling.  And the video supplements the feeling.  It’s meant to be swampy and paranoid, all at the same time, and the video fleshes out the emotion.

 

Q) What is your song writing process? Do you need music before you can create lyrics? 

 

A) In a perfect world, the lyrics and melody arrive simultaneously in a divine package from above.  Other times, one outpaces the other and I have to be patient to make sure I don’t misuse it in the improper song or trash it all together. I try to write every day.

 

Q) How much of hand do you have in the production of your music? 

 

A) It varies from album to album.  My first album was very much handled by producer Matthew King Kaufman.  All I had to do was write the songs and show up.  My second album saw me self-producing and hence biting off way more than I could chew, which still haunts me.  My third album was a strong collaborative effort with James DePrato.  James is a great fit, a producer I agree with a lot of the time, but respect enough to side with even when we disagree.

 

Q) What can fans expect from a live Matt Jaffe performance?

 

A) A lot of heart.  And if you don’t get sweat on, request a refund.  They can expect me to play as many songs as I can and to substitute a Velvet Underground song where an original appeared on the set list.  And I’m trying to ensure that they’ll actually hear songs that appear on albums, though I’m not always great at omitting brand new material.  I’ll try to make you laugh and I’ll try to make you cry.  Sometimes I can achieve the former.  The latter is a work in progress.

 

Q) What songs off your The Spirit Catches You album are you looking forward to performing live?

 

A) We’ve been doing them for a while, but my favorite to play is “Something In Your Eyes.”  I don’t know why.  That song is everything I want to hear from myself.  My bassist, Rob, said he hopes we can do an album track, “Rumors Of Your Ghost” because it has a certain “lift” to it.  I don’t know exactly what that means, but I like the sound of it, so I might try to add it to the rotation.

 

Q) What do you hope listeners take away from listening to your new album as a whole?

 

A) Songwriting has been such a healing getaway for me for the last three years.  I hope the listening experience delivers some of that.

 

Q) Where are some of your favorite places to perform and what makes those locations so significant to you? 

 

A) I love performing at the Bazaar Cafe in San Francisco. I’ve been performing there since I was 12-years-old and everybody pays attention. You’re ostracized if you talk during the music–imagine that!  Anywhere that cultivates an appreciation of new music.  It can be an urban gardening store in Pittsburgh or the back room of a Chinese restaurant in Hollywood or a community college campus outside of Salt Lake City–if people engage, it’s right.

 

Q) Who would you most like to collaborate with on a song in the future?

 

A) I’d like to have Nick Lowe produce a song for me. I’d like to have Brian Eno produce a song for me.  I’d like to have Daniel Lanois produce a song for me. I’d like to have Pete Thomas play drums on a track for me.  I’d like to have DJ Bonebrake play drums on a track for me. I’d like to have Prairie Prince play drums on a track for me. I prefer to write alone, but maybe someday that will change.

 

Q) What album/artist are you currently listening to and why do you dig them? 

 

A) I am most enjoying listening to The Magnetic Fields 69 Love Songs.  It is indeed sixty-nine songs and only about three of them are bad.  I love the sound of the album and the different voices that are explored. I love that songs are sung by people of all different sexual orientations from the perspective of characters with a whole different set of orientations. Stephin Merritt is a genius.

 

Q) You are a part of social media. Why is that such an important way for you to connect with your fans?

 

A) Social media is a tough pill to swallow.  It is an unholy proxy for the human connection that preceded it, but I know that it helps me find my people and for that I am grateful.  It’s humbling to have followers around the world who respond to my work. I just wish I could actually meet them all.

 

Q) What would you like to say to everyone who is a fan and supporter of you and your work?

 

A) Thanks for choosing to listen.  There’s lots of great music.  And lots of great things to do that aren’t music.  I’m glad we could share the same space for a minute or two.