Jen Wood Interview: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 7th 2010 4:59PM by Heidi Lowry
Comments

For Jen Wood, SXSW is a celebration. The Seattle-based chanteuse's latest album, 'Finds You in Love,' that took three years to write and record will be released just weeks before her turn during New Granada Records' showcase at the Austin music festival. The disc delves into dark places in the human mind and the past, but captures a more mature and optimistic Wood, whose music career started as an angsty teen in the '90s band Tattle Tale. In a recent interview, Wood revealed her love of oldies radio, the way her delicate, haunting songs are born and how she was humbled by Japanese fans.

How would you describe your sound?

I would describe my sound as dynamic, heart-on-your-sleeve indie folk rock.

What are your biggest musical influences?

Current, timeless influences probably are Three Mile Pilot, Pinback, Elliott Smith, Joni Mitchell and older Wilco stuff. It's kind of all over the map because I'm also a big Gershwin fan, so I love Sinatra. Somehow I am very inspired by everything Sinatra.

How did the backup band for your solo work come together?

It was a very organic process. Everything just kind of fell into place. I wasn't placing any ads in papers; I very naturally became friends with these guys [because they were] friends of friends. I asked my drummer Joel [Harmon] if he wanted to play music sometime and he said "yeah" and we just clicked. I've been playing with the same guys for eight years.

When did you become a solo artist?

I became a solo artist when I was 19. I started out in a band [Tattle Tale] before that when I was 15. Me and a friend in high school were both into punk rock, skateboarding and the whole "riotgrrl" scene that was coming to life out here in Olympia, mainly, and Seattle as well. I started playing guitar on my own when I was 14 and had never thought about starting a band. This girl I went to school with, Madigan [Shive], had me come over and play my guitar and the rest is history. We were on Kill Rock Stars and had a lot of really cool opportunities and experiences.

How do you approach songwriting?

I really don't plan it out. I sit down, grab my guitar and I feel it through. It's really intuitive and free form. Songs are born out of me. I can write a lot of songs really fast and then I go back and refine them a little bit. I try not to refine them too much and keep them in their pure state as much as possible.

What CDs do you have in your car right now?

Phoenix; there's always an Ella Fitzgerald in high rotation; Mew; the standards; and I love listening to Phil Collins' stuff. There's this radio station here called KXI 880AM – what all the old people listen to. It's got all the old love songs and old heartbreak songs, the apology songs and the get-back-together songs. I love the old stuff.

What is your biggest vice?

Wine. White or red. I like pretty much any red from Chile. and for whites I really like the blancs and the grigios.

What's in your festival survival kit?

Sunblock, chap stick, a visor and wristbands. There might be a flask in there, to be honest. A really cute one. On the front of the flask – there's a picture of a 1950's housewife holding a martini – it says "It must be 5 o'clock somewhere."

Who was your first celebrity crush?

I definitely had a crush on Johnny Depp. I really like 'Heathers' and 'Edward Scissorhands.'

What is your musical guilty pleasure?

Top 40, hip hop and rap. Mariah Carey, Destiny's Child, Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent and Rihanna.

The Beatles or the Rolling Stones?

Beatles, definitely. First of all, they're sentimental to a generation; they're nostalgic. That's what my parents were listening to. I also think they were incredible song writers. I just love their songs.

Paul McCartney or John Lennon?

Oh Lennon, of course; it's a no-brainer. Lennon is such a natural talent – truly, naturally gifted, really sincere, really genuine and just pure. You can feel that what he is singing is coming straight from his heart and that's rare, especially now. I love him for his political activism, too. For him to take the risks he did and put himself out there, it's really admirable.

What's the craziest thing you've ever seen or experienced while on tour?

One of the most memorable tours I've done was in Japan. After we finished our set, there was a long line of really cool kids who were fans who had made gifts for me – handmade little boxes with origami and charms, books that they had made and they were the most intricate gifts I've ever received. That blew my mind. Every night after every show I was showered with gifts. It was also the first time I had done major autographing. Guys would line up and they'd open up their jackets, hand me a big, fat Sharpie pen and have me autograph the inside of their jacket or autograph their skin. I had never experienced anything like that before. It was really touching and humbling.

Heidi Lowry is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.