An interview with James Jackson Toth

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Previously leader of the New York-based experimental jazz-folk collective Wooden Wand & the Vanishing Voice, James Jackson Toth’s solo debut is a lush take on alt-country informed by blues, soul and, occasionally, punk. Here, he talks about the departure of the experimental side of his music and the reasoning behind it.

The solo album is quite a big departure from the Wooden Wand stuff. What was behind the change of direction?
I wanted to make a record that made sense within the lineage of rock and roll. The tradition of rockand roll is very important to me and I wanted to put myself in that lineage. Every record should be a departure. The next one will be too.

What did Steve Fisk bring to the album as producer?
Steve Fisk was the perfect choice in that he understands the traditions and foundations of rock music but has an experimental, adventerous bent on which he has built a well deserved reputation. We were on the same page the entire session.

There are a lot of stories and characters in your music. How much of it is people you know and how much is fiction?
Like many writers, my work is usually a composite of the real and the imagined.

The blurb on your myspace page references Faulkner and William Egglestone. Are there any other writers or photographers that have had an influence on your music?
Larry McMurtry, Cormac McCarthy, EM Cioran.

Faust comes up in your songs. Have you made any pacts with the devil?
I don’t deal with the devil. I have only ever asked God for one thing, and I got it.

On ‘Look In On Me’ you seem to have summoned the ghost of John Lennon. If true, how did you do it?
I don’t know if that’s accurate. When I wrote that I thought I was channeling Bobby Womack. Goes to show ya.

Are you going to play any dates in the UK and Europe?
As soon as I possibly can. I love being overseas.

What’s it like recording with your wife? No Fleetwood Mac-style tensions I hope?
Ha! In every band there is tension, and this one is no different. The trick is not letting any disappointment or frustration linger or manifest itself in ways that are harmful to the relationship. It’s very easy to let a great thing slip away if you’re not careful and you should always be vigilant in your love above all.

‘Waiting in Vain’ is comparatively conventional considering the Wooden Wand stuff. Will you go more or less experimental on your next record?
Can’t really say. I don’t view music that way. I’ve been recording on 4 track for the past 15 years, so when I do that, it isn’t an experiment. What IS experimental is getting ten or 12 people who barely all know each other in a room for three weeks and giving them a bunch of money and telling them to create something that will stand the test of time and then taking that act on the road to bring music into people’s hearts. That’s more of an experiment than any I have ever embarked upon.

You brought in a lot of friends to play on ‘Waiting in Vain’. Will they be touring with you?
Only Jexie Lynn and Shayde Sartin from the LP will be touring with us.

You cite Roxy Music as an influence on your music. Any likelihood of some Brian Eno-style electronic embellishment on future recordings?
Again, it’s hard to say. Maybe? I don’t seek to mimic anyone, I like to just absorb music that excites me and hope that I secrete it in a way that stays well shy of boring “homage” or something

A lot of the guests on ‘Waiting for Vain’ are San Francisco-based, but the album is more Memphis in flavour. What did you do to put them in the mood?
See lyrics to “Look In On Me.” Shoulda called it “Look In On Us” – ha ha ha.

Country and folk are enjoying a popular come-back in the alternative music circles, why do you think that is?
I don’t know that I agree, especially about country. The No Depression scene is something of a distant memory here in America – the namesake magazine even recently went under – and it seems like anyone who’s appropriating folk music is doing so by tempering it with more many more contemporary influences. That said, things go in cycles – grunge, trip hop, folk, sheogaze – and hopefully songs will stand the test of time regardless of the compartments journalist put them in.

‘You can take the boy out of New York City but you can’t take New York City out of the boy’. Discuss.
The first four Ramones albums still send shivers through my body. See also: my affinity for combing my hair.

I hear gospel in ‘Beulah The Good’, is there a spiritual dimension to your music?
I have a relationship with God but I don’t consult him on anything. My co-pilot is Jexie.

There are a lot of barflies in your songs, are you a drinker?
There are only two types of people in the world – those that like a drink, and those that would like to keep us from having one.

What’s your poison?
Selfishness.

Do you avoid fame?
I avoid situations that will make me feel out of place or alien to my surroundings. I seek prosperity and the respect of my peers, and most of all, self satisfaction. I think Stephin Merritt said this, but you know you’re getting older when you’d rather be rich than famous. I would very much like to buy a boat at some point.

What are the other passions in your life except for your wife and music?
That’s about it man. I mean, I collect guns. But guns are a distant third. Music is a distant second. Love is always first.

James Jackson Toth on MySpace