Q&A: Damien
Jurado
Damien Jurado is a Seattle
singer-songwriter iconic to the Pacific Northwest .
A master of his craft with a cult following, Jurado refuses to conform to any
one genre. His often melancholy songs speak subtly to unrequited love and
private despair. Jurado, whose music has received substantial critical acclaim,
has twelve studio albums under his belt and shows no sign of slowing down. His
last release, 2012’s Maraqopa, was released on Secretly Canadian and
produced with Richard Swift.
We spoke to Jurado about his unconventional approach to
music and his long-lasting career.
Q: You’ve been making music for so long. How do you
keep it fresh and exciting, both for yourself and for your listeners?
A: I don’t know. I don’t really do it for the
listeners. I do it for me. I’m always on that journey to take the music
further. It happens naturally. It’s growth.
Q: Does it ever feel like a job?
A: It only feels like a job since I had kids. That’s
the only reason. There are times I have to play when I’d rather not, but I have
to make a living.
Q: Where do the stories and characters of your songs
come from?
A: Mostly my imagination. They’re not based on
anything real.
Q: Your catalog of music includes so many different
instruments. Are there any you haven’t gotten to use yet that you would like to
in the future?
A: Not that I can think of. I play guitar, and drums,
and bass. If I want something else, I’ll have someone else play.
Q: Your current tour includes several living room
shows. Talk about your decision to do those and whether or not you think there
a movement in the music industry to get back to that kind of setting?
A: I’m not sure if there’s a movement. I don’t pay
attention to the music industry. I have friends who have done living room shows,
like David Bazan. Growing up in high school, when I started doing music, the
Teen Dance Ordinance went into effect in Seattle .
The local government was shutting down all-ages places. We had no where to play
except people’s houses. I like living rooms for the intimacy and because my
music is quiet. To be honest, it could be anywhere—art spaces or churches. I
prefer churches because of the acoustics.
Q: In an interview with Splendid Magazine you once
said, “Politics and me, we're like lovers. I'm obsessed with politics.” Talk
about how that informs your music today, if at all.
A: I’m a person who constantly changes. That’s old
energy. I haven’t touched politics in years. I’m sort of starting to abandon
it. I did the “kill television” thing and now I only know what I know about the
world through hearsay.
Q: We hear you are working on your next album. What
can you tell us about it?
A: It’s done. And it’s a surprise. It’s the next
chapter of, or a second step from, Maraqopa. That’s all I’ll say for
now.
Q: Where do you see yourself in the grand scheme of
the music community? With so much experience, do you feel you the need to usher
in the next generation, to pass on the lineage?
A: I like helping artists. There’s quite a few I’ve
helped in the past: Fleet Foxes, Head and the Heart, Father John Misty. All of
them went on to be very successful in their own right. Knowing I had a huge
part in that feels good. I’m the advice-giver. That’s a role I’m proud of. As
for where I am on the spectrum…I’m smaller than a speck of dust. And I’m okay
with that.
Originally published on Vita.mn in May 2013.
Originally published on Vita.mn in May 2013.
