Damien Jurado takes time out to chat with Folk and Tumble. We talk about the differences in performing solo and playing in a band. He tells us about hiring Courtney Marie Andrews as a guitarist and opens up about mental health issues.
FT: The new album ‘In The Shape Of A Storm’ is very pared back compared to your other records. It’s just you and the guitar. Why and why now?
DJ: It just felt like it was time. I know my fans wanted it. I’ve been asked when are you going to do an acoustic album? I don’t own any acoustic records myself. They can be kinda boring. But, I also felt it was time because Richard (Richard Swift – Damien’s producer for 4 albums who sadly passed away in 2018) was in hospital around this time. In some ways, it was symbolic of his absence, or pre-life absence, my life absence, so it just felt fitting I guess. I just felt the time was right. I’m not one to force the hand on my creative career with anything. I won’t do it unless it feels right.
FT: I remember reading that at one point in your career you felt you were putting on a performance. You felt you were being pushed down the road of artists like Bright Eyes and Iron and Wine and that really wasn’t you. You wanted to be more upbeat with more of a full band sound?
DJ: Yeah, something that I wanna listen to. I mean, the songs that I play are not the same kinds of music that I listen to at all. I feel I do the type of music I do because it’s music that I’m good at. It’s a bit like… if you are a vegetarian but you are known around the world for being the most insane chef when it comes to cooking beef or chicken. But you don’t touch it yourself. That’s the way it is for me. I don’t touch that kind of music. There are many reasons why not. One, I don’t really care for that kind of music much. I’m much more into other types of music. And two, I never want to be influenced by the things I’m hearing.
It would be like if you are a light bulb and you walk into a room full of light bulbs. No one’s gonna recognise you. You won’t even recognise yourself; your own voice, your own light. You have to walk into a dark room to light yourself up so people can see you and you can see yourself. That’s why I make a point of never listening to that kind of music, ever, no matter what it is.
FT: So what do you listen to?
DJ: I’m all over the map. On the way here we listening to King Tubby records, which is Reggae. I’ve been listening to this compilation of 1960s American garage rock bands. As a teenager, my first love was punk rock and American hardcore. So I’m kinda all over the map in terms of my taste in music… nothing like I play at all.
FT: When you’re writing a song, do you think this is an acoustic number or this one would work with a band?
DJ: No, those thoughts come much later in the studio.
FT: You have another album due out soon. What can you tell us about it?
DJ: It’s called ‘What’s New Tomboy’ and it comes out in May. It’s ten songs. I’m working with Joss Gordon again. Joss is my collaborator on an instrumental level in a way that Richard was on a production level. Joss is an insane guitar player and multi-instrumentalist, actually a lot like Richard. The sound on this record is different from anything I’ve done before.
I’m obsessed with production. I took liberties to explore the sound – trying things that I’ve never done on a record. The bass is very much the lead instrument on this record. You’re gonna hear the vocals very upfront. There’s no effects on it. This is the complete polar opposite of the Maraqopa albums. I’m really pleased with how it’s turned out.
FT: Given the full production on some of the albums and yet your reputation as a solo artist, do people prefer to see you with a band or solo?
DJ: Well here’s the thing – a record like ‘Brothers and Sisters’ was very well received but when I play it live it’s a different story. People love the record but they didn’t want to see it live with the band. They wanted me as a solo artist. I’m one of the only musicians I know who’s like this. I can record an album with full production but the fans don’t want to see it live.
FT: Still, it’s good for keeping costs down when you don’t need to pay for a band!
DJ: (Laughs) Oh Yeah it helps. It’s amazing. For years I was touring with a band and A – I found it was very expensive; B – the fans didn’t care for it, and; C – they were holding out for the encore because that was me playing acoustic. They’d always say “we liked that better than with the band, no offence”. None taken.
FT: Talking about the band… You hired Courtney Marie Andrews for her guitar skills in your band. Are you surprised how quickly her stock has risen?
DJ: No, I’m not surprised at all man. I brought her to England and Europe on tour with the ‘Brothers and Sisters’ album. She came with me as an opener. No one had heard of her before. The first show was in Amsterdam and the second in London, I believe. That’s when people just lost their minds. Like “who is this? You know, people were amazed at her voice. Prior to that tour, no one really knew about her at all.
She was a local musician and I was obsessed with her voice and her playing. She blew my mind. I asked her to come on tour with me even though she had no record out. And that was kinda it. She took off from there. Funny enough, I was in a hotel in London and they were playing her music in the restaurant I was in. I thought, wow, this is so full circle. This is the place – London – where she first got known or seen.
FT: Damien, can I talk to you about mental health? You had real struggles with it in 2012?
DJ: Yeah, and again in, what, 2016?
FT: Does the struggle for a positive place ever really go away?
DJ: No, it’s always there. It’s always there. I think it takes a lot of responsibility on my end to make sure that I’m maintaining myself and doing the right things for the most part. It takes work.
FT: And how do you do that> We see a lot of artists struggle particularly on the road. How do you look after your mental health?
DJ: Well, I tour less now. I was touring five or six weeks at a time but now I don’t do any more than ten to fourteen shows at a time. Fourteen tops. That’s it. That’s part of it. I have days off and my wife comes with me on the road. That also helps me a lot too.
FT: Does that struggle inform your lyrics at all?
DJ: No not really. I really keep myself out of the lyrics. I mean, am I in there? Sure, cause it comes from me, right? But not much. I’m not really into writing about my own self, my own struggles. I’m such a separate being from what happens. They’re very separate things.
FT: There remains a stigma about mental health and people will look at artists playing to applauding crowds and flying around the world and think: “What’s wrong with this guy? How can he be depressed?”
DJ: Well that’s on them. To me, it’s no different than if I was a doctor or a mechanic or a gardener. Fuck them. People get sick. People get mentally fucked up sometimes. It’s no different. It’s like saying how can a gardener go to work if he’s fucked up in the head? Well, he does. You gotta work, man.
FT: People like you being so open about it can only help lessen that stigma that’s still around.
DJ: I don’t know why there still is a stigma but there is.
FT: Damien, thank you for your honesty and your time. It’s been a real pleasure.
DJ: Me too man. It’s been great.