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Interview with Michael Harris, Belfast, 2008 09 26, page 6 ibth - We've been seeing you checking out Les Gars, the support band, you really seem to dig them.. so what do you dig about Les Gars. They don't exactly sound like Shellac, or.. harris - No they don't, they don't.. but there's something about their vocal melodies that are really catchy, and i really like.. I think if they put a little more effort into their songwriting they'll just be an amazing band, cause they have a very humorous, but also a very direct sound, it's just raw, and very serious and visceral from all this raw energy. I wish they were a little more veteran in a way, i wish they knew that Vello could get his guitar tone to be a little bit more clear and also have that raw sound that they want. But it's that kind of things that attracts me to them, these are immaturities, but also these immaturities about them that are really fun. I think they just write good songs, you know, i think their songs are really good.. 
ibth - You give the impression that you just can't wait to put your fingers in their
sound, right ?harris - It's funny you bring that up, cause i've thought of that a lot lately. It's just that it would be so fun to be involved in a band like that. And you know, i was like "if there's a place where you want me to do sound for you on this tour, just tell me" and they were like "do it man, it's gonna be way better than the guys doing it here." And in a sense i'd like to, but i also don't want to put myself where i haven't been properly involved, you know. But i like to.. I've been working with Evan on his new band, on the new Slang Chickens record and it's been so fun, because we've been doing things just in a different way than Jubilee and i like that. I like the change, that's exciting to me, to walk in and record literally three quarters of a record in a day with them. Everybody playing live, miking everything up, recording, sitting there and going "that was awesome". ibth - When you're working with all these producing mixing veterans like Moulder, Joe Barresi, Ed Monsef, is there anything you learnt through them, that rubbed off ? harris - I think i'm really into the way Alex mixes, which is really raw but really polished. I really like that, and i don't know if he even knows that's the way he does sounds, but i think that's how he sounds, and i think that's awesome. Even if that means that there's ambient noise, or weird things happening, but it's very clear around the edges aside from those things. Those things are intentional, but everything else around there is neat and tidy, so to speak. Kind of like my personality in a way – neat and tidy (laughs.) And then everything you hear, you can pay real attention to, and enjoy. ibth - This is yours and Jubilee's second tour in the UK, today is the first day out of the UK.. well, out of Great Britain at least.. do you still like the place ? Or did you ever like the place.. harris - What the UK ? Yeah ! among all of them, i'm probably the one who likes the UK the most. I think that the UK is really charming and quaint and kind of like everything i ever wanted to have in my hometown, but never did. Kind of small and compact. ibth - Is there anything that gets on your nerves incredibly, while being on tour in the UK ? harris - Yeah, being late ! Being late, cause we don't judge time properly, that gets incredibly on my nerves. ibth - Apart from that - is there anything that's PART of the UK that gets incredibly on your nerves ? harris - I don't know if i like how transient people are, like how quickly people move around, in the sense that – it doesn't seem like that people just sit and enjoy life around them. I mean, you see all those people (harris points around in the chinese take-away ), since they don't have any restaurants that are open late, every one just gets their take-away and leaves. I don't like that. I like going to a place and sitting down and being there with friends and enjoying it – being there for that period of time, not always moving around always needing somewhere else to be. The bar culture here is really weird, too. There's so many people who just bar-hop, but it's not because there's some other club night they wanna go to. They all listen to terrible music. I haven't been to one club night that i have actually enjoyed here at all. ibth - Basically they don't know how to "hang out" proper ? harris - In a certain sense, yeah. I like hanging out in different ways – i'll put it that way. ibth - Is there anything, when it comes to venues or when it comes to touring that would be nicer in the US than in the UK ? harris - Oh, the rooms ! The rooms in the States are wayyy fuckin' better than the ones here – like the rooms that people set up venues in, it's almost as if they thought about it in the States before they made a venue. Here it's like "Cool, that's a bar and we can make money by having people play in here. Let's put a PA in here – doesn't matter what kind of PA it is, whatever". That's shit, that sucks. ibth - Is there anything about playing live here in the UK, as opposed to the US, that's nicer here ? harris - Yes, there is. Here it seems like they're willing to accomodate you here in a way they won't in the States, where it's like "OK, you're done. Get out of here." And here they have curfews, but it's because there's something else going on. You remember when we played Tunbridge Wells and we just were there for two hours after, just loading gear out very slowly – you know, they didn't care, they were just standing there drinking. That was nice. I wish that it was more like that in the States. It could be in other parts of the country, but i haven't been all over, so i don't know. ibth - How about the audiences ? i know it's a bit of a strange question because you've been touring with Wires on Fire in the States and with Jubilee here.. but is there any sort of difference ? harris - Yeah. Southhampton was amazing, when we played there. And the crowd was great, the crowd was responsive and wanted to be there, they were very attentive. That was another place where the sound was awesome, i think i loved that. So yeah, i mean i really wish the response of people was a little better out here, but in the States i think it's a bit better than it is out here. Everybody says, that people like rock music here more, but i don't think that that's true necessarily, i think they like what they like in the rock genre. And they're willing to have a good time, if that's happening. ibth - So you think that american audiences go off more to music ? harris - Oh yeah, oh yeah. I mean the Wires on Fire shows were nuts, the two shows they played, where i did sound. It was crazy, people were just going crazy, they were into it. Maybe that's because they're into Wires on Fire, but it's like rock is rock, there's always someone who likes something out there. And if they're there, they should be enjoying it. ibth - So are you looking forward to Jubilee being brought to the States ? harris - Oh yeah, i'm looking forward to it. If there are any dates that they play there i'm really excited, because i really want to run sound at some of those clubs that i've known for my whole life but never really had a reason to run sound at, you know. ibth - Are there any other countries you'd love to tour ? harris - Yeah – Europe ! All of Europe, i'd looove to ! Mainland Europe, yes ! The wonderful France (pronounced the french way), i'd love to tour in France, that would be great. ibth - Something tells me you won't be that happy with the clubs and the way the rooms are set over there.. harris - Probably not, but the charm and the wonderful kind of setting would make up for all of that. ibth - What does an everage day on the road look like for you guys ? 
ibth - Is there any new music around that you're really thrilled about and and think everyone should check out ? harris - Yeah, well.. new, old ? ibth - As well as. Stuff that everyone should listen to before they die, right now. harris - Oh god, i don't know about that, there's not much music that anyone should listen to, no.. i'm just kidding. I think Future Of The Left is a really great band and i think everyone should check them out. And i think that, who else.. there's that guy that Mike turned me onto, he's this pop singer/songwriter and i think his stuff is amazing, i think it's got a lot of really amazing qualities to it, i think people should listen to that. I mean i love Deerhunter.. Devo and everything they put out i'm always into and i always want to hear it. So there's always that. Who else was it i was listening to the other day, ah, a band on subpop, it sounds a lot like maybe like Syd Barrett's stuff. It's a.. i can't remember the name. But yeah, anyway those three. Those three are great bands i'm always thrilled to listen to. Anything Xiu Xiu puts out, is just great, i love them, always wanting to listen to more of their stuff. I don't know, John Fahey - listen to John Fahey, he's dead now, but everybody should listen to John Fahey and all of his contemporaries are great. ibth - If you weren't Jubilee's sound engineer what would you be doing professionally right now ? harris - Ah, phewuahh.. god.. professionally.. i'd probably be working in a studio somewhere, i'm guessing, and not having nearly as much fun. That's it. ibth - Do you need to work a job on the side apart from being Jubilee's engineer ? harris - Right now, yeah. Not while i'm on tour obviously. But when i'm back home, i may need to do that. My rent is pretty steep, living in L.A. ibth - How do you manage that ? harris - Oh i just work days at a job and then i work nights at the studio. ibth - And the sleeping ? harris - I sleep 6 hours and then i'm very happy - with those 6 hours of sleep. (chuckles) And a lot of coffee.. ibth - In the somewhat short- to midterm future of Jubilee there's the final mixing of the album planned.. will you be attending the mixing sessions ? harris - I don't know, Alex really only wants.. if it's Alex that mixes the record.. three people around, so it probably would be them three. Since Troy hasn't played on the record and stuff there's no real need for him to be there for the mixing i suppose. If Alan Moulder does it, it's a different story - we'll have to fly back here, so probably it will only be Aaron and Mike then, because honestly it's their songs and it's a lot of money flying people out here. And maybe Jeff. But i don't know, it depends. If we do it in L.A. I'll definitely be there, if we do it elsewhere i don't know. ibth - Do you have any final last words of wisdom.. or folly ? harris - God, i'm not a very funny person though. ibth - No, not "funny, "folly".. harris - No, not really. Maybe, just pay attention in life to all the little things that are around you. For example we were at the laundromat the other day and i was watching the laundry spin around in the dryer and it was so nice to just watch that, because i had not watched my laundry spinning around the dryer in so long.. i just started laughing at all of that and i thought it was really funny and i pointed it out to people and they pointed out that i was crazy and i was fine with that. So, anyway pay attention to the little details in life cause they are really rewarding. ibth - Thank you very, very much for taking the time. harris - You're welcome, you're welcome, of course. |
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Jubilee (ju.bi.lee), n. : 1. A rock'n'roll band from L.A., Ca., currently composed of Aaron North (vocals, guitar), Tony Bevilacqua (guitar, vocals), Jenni Tarma (bass), Troy Petrey (drums.)2. Jubilation; rejoicing. 3. A season or an occasion of joyful celebration. 4.a. A specially celebrated anniversary. b. The celebration of such an anniversary. |
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