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January 2010, King's Take
Music That Speaks For Itself: An Interview With Jonathan Vassar
When I moved back to Richmond last year, I was out of touch and clueless about the state of Richmond's music scene. I had been gone for four years and wondered how I would reacquaint myself with it when all I had were fragmented memories of inspiring bands that made a huge impact on me throughout college. It didn't take long to discover that Jonathan Vassar and The Speckled Bird was one of Richmond's most prominent folk groups, creating music that speaks for itself: rich, colorful lyrics complimented by warm, emotive arrangements, and vocals that invite the listener into the story. I was curious to meet the man behind the music, so I met with Jonathan to find out more about him and The Speckled Bird.
The Interview
33: How long have you been writing and performing in Richmond?
JV: I started performing songs in Richmond when I moved here for school in 1998. I dropped out of school in 2001 to focus on songwriting. In 2004, I had dropped off the scene, gotten married, moved into a cabin over the river, and gone back to finish school. I resurfaced in 2007 and have been playing with The Speckled Bird since.
33: When I listen to your songs, it feels like I'm opening a short story filled with colorful lyrics, locations, and characters. What inspires your creativity?
JV: When I started writing, inspiration came from urban folk and relationships. Eventually, I exhausted this song cycle. Since I've reentered the music scene, I've worked in a new song cycle that's taken cues from lines I've jotted down in my journals. Patching lyrics together has helped paint specific, expressionistic narratives.
33: Most of your lyrical content paints a fictional narrative. Are any of your songs autobiographical disguised as fiction?
JV: In my opinion, the artist is the coordinator of context. Most of my writing is autobiographical.
33: Who comprises The Speckled Bird? How long have you been performing together?
JV: It started out as a trio. My wife, Antonia, Chris Edwards, and myself. Josh Quarles joined in early 2009. Antonia plays the accordion and glockenspiel. Chris Edwards plays mandolin, banjo, and electric guitar. Josh Quarles plays cello, clarinet, and guitar. Everyone sings. We've been playing together for three years.
33: Do you write most of the songs or is the creative process collaborative with The Speckled Bird?
JV: Up until this point, I've introduced the songs and revisions. Everyone has added their input and ideas to touch them up. For our upcoming full length, "Science and Wonders" I'll write the lyrics and pass them to Chris and Josh to construct the music. It will be liberating not to worry about the music side of things and have a healthy input of creativity and collaboration from everyone. I'm excited!
33: How was it recording your last EP, The Fire Next Time?
JV: We recorded with Allen Bergendahl of Viking Recording Co. in my wife's and my log cabin. Additional tracking and mixing were done at Sound of Music. In some ways it was easy, in other ways it was hard. We wanted the EP to be indicative of the band's live sound. Recording songs and capturing live performances are two different monsters, so it was challenging.
33: When did you sign to Triple Stamp Records?
JV: In 2001, I began booking shows at Betsy's Coffee Shop. We'd have one show a month with regular performers that included Josh Small, Liza Kate, Anousheh Khalili, Chris Terry, Paul Watson, and myself. Wil Loyal founded Triple Stamp Records in response to the acoustic movement that was growing. By the time the record label was started, I had dropped off the scene. When I started writing music again in 2007, Wil found out and contacted me about putting out an EP on Triple Stamp Records. That became "The Hours and The Days" and turned out to be a wide collaboration between old and new friends. The lineup included Josh Small, David Shultz and The Skyline, Homemade Knives, and Anousheh Khalili. It was a great opportunity for me to become reacquainted with a much-changed music scene.
33: What is it like playing in Richmond? Do you find Richmond's music community supportive?
JV: Yes, Richmond's music scene is extremely supportive because the number of local acoustic, indie folk musicians is fairly small. Because of that support, there's a lot of collaboration and networking. The older musicians reach out to the younger musicians to help them get plugged in and book shows. A lot of this synergy stems from the punk scene with its shared networks, community emphasis, and house shows. The Camel has been a great venue to host acoustic, folk music like ours.
33: I noticed you're connected to a number of folk bands and artists. There seems to be camaraderie amongst musicians of similar genres. In music circles, do you ever feel a sense of competition with local bands or is it encouraging to be a part of a close-knit community?
JV: Now that I'm older, there's a wider perspective compared to my early days as a young performer. I am excited to see what other musicians are up to and what's being created in the community. The better we can do to support and promote others, the better it is for everyone. Every now and then I come across a musician with a standoffish front but it doesn't really bother me. It's their "persona" I guess.
33: Do you have a favorite city or venue to play? What has been your most memorable gig so far?
JV: Besides Richmond, we've had a lot of luck in Roanoke. One of our most memorable gigs was at Gallery 5 this past September. We played with one of our favorite bands Vandaveer and locals, The Low Branches, Nick Coward & The Last Battle, and Paul Watson. We haven't seen a show at Gallery 5, before or since, so packed and so quiet! Chairs were brought out and the entire audience sat down to give their undivided attention to the performers. A rare, quiet acoustic show hard to come by outside of small house shows. Everyone who performed really brought it. Nick Coward and The Low Branches really blew us away. For me, it brought back the salad days at Betsy's.
33: What's in the works for 2010?
JV: We're currently finishing up another EP, "Our Heritage is Unto Us." It's sort of an odds and ends compilation of songs that are leftover from the larger song cycle that umbrellas all of the Triple Stamp releases so far. Songs that didn't fit on anything else due to the fact that they're either too happy or too weird. It's also an exercise in home recording for our full length that will start in January. Hopefully, it'll come out on Triple Stamp late next year.
Thanks, Jonathan!
To find out more about Jonathan Vassar and The Speckled Bird, visit JonathanVassar.com
You can buy his CD, released through Triple Stamp Records, here
Michael King returns to Richmond, Virginia after working four years in the music and television industry. He’s a VCU graduate thrilled to finally use his English degree for Magazine33! On road trips, he enjoys listening to indie rock, folk, and NPR. He digs the sound of a Fender Telecaster and is nerdy about guitar pedals. An ASCAP member, his music has been placed on MTV and Destineer video games.