The13th AÑO: 3
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NÚMERO 34
UNA R E VISTA IMA GINARIA
JOEL GION
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[ Interview With Joel Gion from The Brian Jonestown Massacre by Diego Centurión ]
¡I DIDN'T KNOW I HAD IT IN ME! Recently we were interviewing Anton Newcombe and we come back with another member of the band The Brian Jonestown Massacre, who by the way are about to launch a new album. But that will be theme for another topic. Joel Gion is the tambourine man of the band who has his own vision of music a nd has just released a preview of their second self-titled album to be released in european spring, the single "Tomorrow" comes to continue the career of Joel, who among singles, has released in 2014, his debut album "Apple Bonkers". In a relaxed talk he talked about music, the band and even politics. So enjoy the chat. Here’s a flashback. Twenty years ago you joined The Brian Jonestown Massacre. How do you see these past few decades in retrospect? If I was there and remembered it then I wasn't really there, man! No but seriously there was no way to know back then we'd still be so strong. We used to get attitude from the local San Francisco Mod scene for not being traditional "1960's" enough - where are they now? They all gave up and we are the same people we always were. We walk it like we talk it and I suppose that's why we're still around. Let's talk a little about your first album ‘Apple Bonkers’. Why did you take so long to start this path in parallel to The Brian Jonestown Massacre – a space where you can express your own unique ideas? For years I just had fun playing Anton's music. Then he went through a dance electronica music phase about 10 years ago which wasn't really why I joined the band so I started to make my own records.
Luckily these days he's making some of his best music again but now I have also been sent down my own path as well. How long did it take for you to write the material for this album? Did you write it especially with the idea in mind of releasing an album (Apple Bonkers)? I write and record in between The Brian Jonestown Massacre duties. Despite BJM's successes I didn't write the songs so I'm still pretty poor. I can't just record for weeks on end until a records done. You are releasing "Tomorrow", the first single from your second album. Will your second work be called "Joel Gion" or do you have another title in mind? Tell us about these recordings. You're right! It's self titled because this record is more of a representation of who I am now rather than where I've come from in this life. The first album was to "set the stage" as it were. Do you inevitably need to ignore the political news of your country? Or do you feel that the socio-political aspect is very important in art. How do you see the beginning of this Trump era? I think it's an artist's job to speak about the times they live in. I don't preach or want to come across as arrogant but when something horribly evil is happening you should say something. My new single "Tomorrow" is saying something. The Brian Jonestown Massacre will be touring in March and also visited Buenos Aires and Chile last year. What can you tell us about your time in South
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America? It was so wonderful and I was having too much fun so I can barely remember it. That is a sign of a good time. We were only there for a few days which was a shame. But I stayed in Buenos Aires for a few days after our shows. It's such a beautiful city. And some pretty good record shops! Wonderful. I wish I could spend a lot of time in South America. What is it like recording this new work but also being part of a band that does never sits idle? Well because Anton lives in Berlin now and I live in San Francisco so we aren't around together to do music. It's the main reason I started writing my own stuff. Glad I did I didn't know I had it in me! What plans do you have as part of The Brian Jonestown Massacre and also with your solo career?
TEverybody is happy if I do both. I just put BJM first because I’m not going to quit that when I can work my solo schedule around them. It works out good. Since I have the opportunity and having heard ‘Done 67’, what can you tell us about the new album of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, which will be out very soon? It's the second album in just a few months! Anton is writing nonstop right now I hope it will keep us all busy and touring this year. I want to see more of South America! Thank you very much for the time you took to answer our questions. I hope we can speak again in September or October for the 20th anniversary of the album ‘Give It Back!’. Let's do it!
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The13th U NA R EVISTA IMA GINA RIA