Music Mayhem Month!

Despite the sweltering heat, we at JXM are feeling a bit generous. August is Music Mayhem Month!, and it's our first double feature in JXM history. We caught up with two very different musical groups, both putting out a unique sound.

Fair, the indie rock band hailing from Seattle, is the first band in our double feature. Their sincerity and nostalgic melodies are perfect for warm weather, lounging around, or contemplative moods. With notable songs such as Carelessness, The Attic, and Unglued, from their latest release, The Best Worst-Case Scenario, the band is definitely a group to watch out for. We got the opportunity to chat with Erick Newbill of Fair, about the new album, fears, and the truth behind positivity.

Fair

JXM: What was the writing process like as you wrote The Best Worst-Case Scenario?

Erick: We had a little less than a month to make this album during the late fall of 2005. It was the perfect time frame and perfect time of year to do what we needed to do. The time of year was almost another member of the band...that's one reason the artwork is the way it is. We want people to feel the crisp air of fall in Seattle when they listen to the album. Almost the whole album was written in the studio, and when we came out of recording and mixing it was spring time. For the next album we'll probably plan a little farther in advance and write more songs early. Every time you make an album there is a different process, different stories and lessons that come out of it, and of course different music. We worked well together on this album and hope that never changes, but everything else is an adventure and we hope to never make an album in the same way twice.

JXM: You note that lyrically this record is the "examination of fear and its logical end in pain or hope." What is the biggest fear you've had to overcome, and what was its logical end for you?

Erick: Specific to this album, there was some fear going into recording that we'd even be able to pull it off. We've all played music for a long time but have never been in a band like this one before. Being so excited about starting the album coupled with none of us having made a record for a few years created some level of fear. But that tension was what ultimately gave the songs their shape and life, and the lyrics reflect a genuine fragility to us. Also, the past five or so years have brought about a lot of change for all of us as individuals. Growing up can be scary and you learn that you're not who you thought you were, and that things are not always (if not rarely) what they seem. Life is full of dissapointments, but all four of us have found hope at the end of our fear. The album tells stories of pain and hope, and our desire is for the listener to feel encouraged by that honesty and find hope as well.

JXM: Thematically, we find the record is about being in a place of transition or on the threshold of discovery and acceptance. Is that where you are both personally and professionally?

Erick: This is kind of addressed in the last question, but yes, all four of us have seen a major transition in our lives whether it be with new bands, jobs, children, world events, whatever...we're at that age where everything seems to be changing at an alarming rate. And maybe things will never stop changing and moving that fast...which is a hard thing to stomach at times. The song The Attic kind of sums up that feeling of looking back on life, knowing that you can't turn back time, but not really being sure how to move forward alone. It's clear to us that we can't move forward alone and that we have to let go of a lot of selfishness to move forward.

JXM: Though much of the record seems to be about accepting yourself and your situation such as in the song Unglued, the tunes are still fairly upbeat. Would you say that this is a very positive record? Do you believe in always staying positive?

Erick: Always staying positive is not only impossible, but unrealistic. But still if we had to choose we'd say this record was positive, mainly because it's honest. It contains the truth about us at the time the songs were written, and the truth - though not always enjoyable - is positive.

JXM: Today there are so many genres and sub genres of music that denote an image or assigns some sort of value to the music. Considering this, where do you think Fair fits into today's ever-changing music scene?

Erick: We're not the kind of band that will sell out stadiums and sell millions of records. Our hope is that people will see that we've taken the time to work hard at our craft both musically and lyrically and be drawn to our band. So far we've gotten a tremendous response from all age groups which is fun for us, as it's nice not to be pegged into one demographic. As far as giving ourselves a classification...who knows! *smiles*

JXM: Where do you draw your inspiration from? From music exclusively or anything you come across at any fleeting moment?

Erick: Observing relationships, listening to other music, and being in relationships in a fallen world is where we get most of our inspiration. There is so much beauty and intrigue in the complex working of every day life in our world, and it gives us a lot to reflect on and write about.

JXM: What were your musical influences throughout your life? For this record?

Erick: We all love music that has a good melody. If there's not a good tune within the song we don't go for it. Between the four of us we like a million different bands but for Fair we strive for good melodies. For this record we were very inspired by music created outside of the US, particularly in Scandanavia. There's something magical about discovering music that is made across the world and seeing how it influences you when you sit down with an instrument.

JXM: What do you think makes you unique from other musical groups?

Erick: Musically and personally we're not trying to be anything we're not. What you see and hear is who we are and there's no attempt to fit into a certain scene or please a certain group. It seems like a lot of music today is intentionally driven towards a particular market and that a lot of bands are preoccupied with being cool rather than creating authentic music. We're not here to fight that, but we're glad to be in a place where we don't feel pressure to look or sound a certain way. Specific to the music, listeners will hopefully find something unique in our lyrics to connect with that brings them closer to understanding who we all are as people.

JXM: A lot of bands often struggle with the balance between commerce and art, and bands that were once indie who've become commercially successful often soon after seem to fit a mould. How do you find the balance between creating art and creating something that is still "radio"?

Erick: We've never tried to write songs that are specifically "radio". We're also not trying to be so indie that everything is obscure. When you've written something catchy it's pretty clear right away, but it either happens or it doesn't and there's not a lot you can do to change what comes out of you creatively and retain your integrity. We've had a great response from radio so far on this album which is encouraging, but if that changes we'll still make the music we want to make without worrying about the charts.

JXM: A lot of music artists we've spoken to have often discussed the creative freedom they've gotten being on a smaller independent label. Have you had a similar experience with Tooth and Nail?

Erick: We were able to make the album we wanted to with Tooth and Nail. They've been supportive all along. Even though it's a larger more well known label than it used to be, Tooth and Nail still has very much of a family vibe where people support each other. We felt like we had all the freedom we wanted to be creative, which is a huge blessing.

JXM: We've noticed that you participate regularly on your forum. How important is it to you to be accessible to your fans?

Erick: It's extremely important to us to be connected to people that listen to our band. We try to answer every e-mail, myspace message, and forum post personally. For us making music is not just about "us", it's about giving something we've created to other people and sharing in the experience. We learn just as much from people that enjoy our music as they do from us. It's a rewarding give and take that we wouldn't trade for anything.

JXM: Thanks for talking with us Erick!

Erick: It was a pleasure!

Amparanoia

Continuing JXM's Music Mayhem Month!, we bring you the Spanish band, Amparanoia, fronted by the headstrong Amparo Sanchez, who has a knack for living life to the fullest. With the carefree vibe of their latest album, La Vida Te Da, Amparanoia's music is perfect for the summer. Their diverse musical influences range from Reggae to Balkan, making their sound uniquely distinct and original, yet still traditionally Spanish. JXM caught up with Amparo, who took time out of her busy schedule touring the globe, to discuss the new album, her influences, and life.

JXM: How would you describe your music?

Amparo: My music is 'rebeldia con alegria'. I think my music is a mix of different styles such as rumba, Cuban son, balkan music, rock, reggae, ska...I am influenced by a lot of styles and a lot of people and I try to make my own music from all those influences. It is also important to know that my music has a very positive connotation although my lyrics are sometimes very sad.

JXM: Why title the album, La Vida Te Da? What has life given you?

Amparo: The title La Vida Te Da refers to our daily life. I think life is sometimes quite hard to live. We all have our daily problems. In my case, I am a mother of two children and I think a lot of people do feel the same. That's what I wanted to talk about. But in spite of those daily problems of being a husband, mother, father, or anything else, I think there is no other choice but to continue living your own life. And that's exactly what I wanted to express with this album.

JXM: Some of your musical influences include Billie Holiday and Manu Chao. Who are you inspired by today?

Amparo: I am inspired by a lot of people. Because I am touring a lot, I meet many different people and musicians. I am inspired by people like Joey Burns, Lhasa, Sidestepper...

JXM: The songs, Me Voy Lejos, Little Think and Jungle 3 - La Realidad have a little bit of a slow reggae beat, are you inspired by reggae music and if so, are there any particular artists that influence you?

Amparo: Yes, I am inspired by reggae music but also by a lot of Cuban and Latin american artists.

JXM: How does it feel to be recognized internationally?

Amparo: I actually don't feel as though I've been 'recognized' internationally. I mean, I think we played a lot of different countries in the past few years, but I don't get the impression that I am a big artist. I love to play in different places and countries though, because you meet a lot of people, and you also can see that in fact, an artist has a great life. I love my job.

JXM: What has been your biggest challenge as an artist thus far?

Amparo: The biggest challenge in my life so far has been trying to combine my life as a musician with my life as a mother. I think it is very important for every woman to do what you like to do. I hope I can help other women in convincing them that it is important to be who you are. If there's something that you've always wanted to do in your life, I feel you have to at least try to do it. That's very important for me.

JXM: How was it performing and dancing on stage, while being eight months pregnant?

Amparo: Being pregnant and playing shows was actually a great experience!

JXM: I've noticed a lot of upbeat songs on the album - why is it important to you to make people dance, while listening to the album?

Amparo: I think it's not only important to be able to dance to the album, but also listen to the album when you're in a more relaxed mood. A lot of people consider Amparanoia to be a very uptempo and fiesta minded band, but we also have another side. I love to play songs alone with my guitar and if you listen to my songs you will notice that most of those songs don't have the 'fiesta' type of lyrics, they often simply talk about problems in life.

JXM: I've noticed on the liner notes in the album cover, the words of the songs are written in English. Why not keep them in Spanish?

Amparo: That was a choice made by the record company. It is a pity indeed!

JXM: What instrument can't you live without and why?

Amparo: My guitar. It's really important to me to play the guitar every day and write songs.

JXM: Where do you hope to take your music in the future?

Amparo: I'm not so ambitious in that I have to have a big masterplan for the rest of my career or the rest of my life. I mean, sometimes life can change from one day to the next so I don't really make big plans. But I would love to continue playing music in different countries and meet different people. And of course I hope that a lot of people can 'taste' my music and attend our shows.

JXM: Thanks so much for chatting with us!

Amparo: Thank you!