... in Words: Interviews

Channel 1 (U.K.) Interview

        This interview was conducted in 1995 for Channel 1, U.K.

        Jeff: I actually read in Mojo today, um, yeah ... the guy sort of called me on the fact that I -- I'm not really good at taking complements, and I'm not, usually because ... but I learned ... I learned to say 'thank you' because I know that it's only meant honestly. But usually I, I'm sort of apprehensive to, like, accept a kind of superlative that's like [funny ass-kissing voice] 'Well, you're at the forefront of the alternative scene and obviously you're the new age of...', you know '[unintelligible] rock.' And I go, [laughs] 'No, I'm not.' And they think I'm an arrogant bastard. But it's not that at all. It's just, um ... I'm just glad that people like it. 'Cuz people I know, like John Molvey [sp?] is a real big fan and he's a ... he's a rabid music fan.
        I keep my perspective about it. I always ask my management not to give me my press. 'Pleeeaase don't give me my press.' But they do. 'Cuz I think they want me to see something. So, I read through, like, a stack of it from a given month or so and then I just throw it away in the garbage. Um, it's good. It's a good thing that - and I feel complimented, and I feel proud of my band that Grace is being received so well, but, uh, as a- but I can't help but be the maker of it, and as the maker I see just evolution, an evolution that's happened from the time that we recorded Grace, and I see imperfections. I walked in, and you were playing "Eternal Life," and that's a, that's a pretty primitive song of mine. And I put it on the record to- prove it could, to myself, and to the song, just to, you know, just to get on with it. Not to anybody else really. That it could work on a record, and, um, 'cuz I, 'cuz I really -- to this day I really don't feel like I have a handle on song-writing at all. And we have, like, a new version of it. It's the third version of it and the final version of "Eternal Life," but there was, it was this riff that I heard, that I wanted to, like, point sort of the direction that's sort of happening now.

        ["Eternal Life" (edited) is played]

        FL: Do you find as you're playing, and that the band playing the songs from Grace on tour, the road itself is actually changing the songs, and they're taking a life of their own?
        JB: Definitely. And through, um, through the band, um, sort of...sort of like knowing our chemistry - just getting more resonated towards each other. The music is really evolving very well.

        FL: When you wrote the songs on the album, did you write them just on your own, or-
        JB: Yes...

        FL: -did you-
        JB: Well...

        FL: -basically demo them and then go take the band in the studio and do them?
        JB: Oh, no, no. I, ah, well some- they came around in so many different ways. "Dream Brother" was finished right at the last minute. "Mojo Pin" and "Grace" I wrote with Gary Lucas. "Eternal Life" - these are little but older. Actually, "Lover" is a bit newer. "So Real" I wrote with Michael in about a day. I don't know. They just came about all different ways. I'd burned away alot of material that I had been working on before, just totally dispensed with it and wanted to start something new. It was a bit of sabotage on my part, but I think I'm all the better for it. 'Just pushing me in brand new directions.

        FL: I find it interesting that you say that you still feel like you're a beginner at songwriting.
        JB: Definitely

        FL: Yet, your lyrics do sound so mature. Why's there no lyric sheet with the CD, because lyrics are so important, and I'm sure this sort of album- that people will peruse every piece of print on it.
        JB: There has been quite a ... Well, actually this is a good question to answer because I made a lyric book for people who wanted to know what the lyrics were. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get permission for the three covers. 'Cuz, I mean, printing up the booklets alone was, like, alot of money for me. It's not a Sony expense - it's mine, which means, like [funny voice] zero [laugh], or like zero funds to work with. And, um, so I'm going to send them to the fan club, the people that, like, wrote and said, 'Please, give me lyrics.' And, that's only overseas. I didn't include them because, well, two reasons. One, is that in my esteem it didn't really look all that good on paper, and I was a bit self-conscious about it. Second reason is sometimes it's better just to, just to garner your own interpretations of the song. You know, just to get your own picture of it, and have it happen to you as much as possible rather than having a blueprint to go by.

        ["Lover You Should Have Come Over" (edited) is played]

        JB: I think it was someone in Suede that said, 'Videos are a tyranny.' I think it was them. I have no idea. And that phrase stuck out to me. Yeah, it is. It's a brand new, new-fanggled tyranny, thank God! [funny voice] But it's not new. You know, I've been seeing videos ever since the late '70's on TV. But there were, like, on the channels you got anything from Zappa's Big [?] claymation, to the Resident's videos to Stevie Windwood videos to Softso, and um, uh....even Philip Glass videos and, like, all kinds of pop videos. And it's a real risk to give your musical vision to a director of film. Especially a director of film that is very success-oriented in the video field. Because they make really good commercials, not really a filmic piece, and that's, that's kinda harsh on my mind. Because you might as well be selling Ultra-Brite, you know, just as well as your song. And, but also it's not only the piece. I mean, after you get the piece done - three minute, four minute video - it's also the stream that it goes in to that I really, I really- it just makes me bored stiff. I mean, I, you know, like, your basic video channel is like [fast, rhythmic finger snaps click,click,click,click,click] boom-boom-boom, boom-boom-boom, boom-boom, just, in-for-mation, in-for-mation. It's endless. There's no invocation of any kind. It's just, you know, you, toothpaste, pimple cream, Eddie Vedder, Green Day, ahhh....[funny voice] Weezer, burgers, the Grind, ah...Pepto-Bismol... It's like, commercial, commercial, commercial [bracelets rattle every time he says 'commercial'] - And they'll probably tell you that, as well, you know, the artists. It's just uh...the whole thing is, the whole rub is that, you know, you're- that these are- this is a tremendous record selling tool. But I'm not really concerned with that. And I almost hope that it doesn't work. 'Cuz I've seen -- there's this one band -- and they'll remain nameless -- but, I just never would have expected them to fill a house - packed - a really big theater, and like their music is like ughhhg [makes a sound of, let's say, displeasure] - I've heard it all before, but MTV filled that house. I'm convinced. And I just don't want that to happen...to me. I really, I really- I mean the gig is really precious to me, that one or two hours.

        FL: Because as you were saying, you know, you might, might be able to control the whole video shoot, the storyboard, and everything, but what you're never going to be able to control is the context that it's put in once it leaves your hands.
        JB: Mmmm-hmmm. Yeah, yeah, it's like- there's like a tremendous visual black market out there. I mean-

        FL: -And it is basically, as you say, sell, sell, sell, and there's no difference between the music and the traditional acts-
        JB: -Right-

        FL: -put in between. It's all for sale.
        JB: Terrific. Yeah, that's true. I mean, Cobain used to write a really great song, and then they mash it into the ground until you can't hear it anymore, and it's not Cobain's fault.

        FL: You mentioned Kurt Cobain. You're of similar age, and with the reviews of the album and the live shows that you're getting, you're probably, you know, in a really good position to see that kind of stress and pressure that was put on him. How do you deal with...I mean, do you have to keep people around you that have known you all your life, and would turn to you and, you know what I mean, say, 'Jeff, don't believe the hype?
        JB: I'll make one, uh, I'll make one comment is that even with a bunch of people around you that you've known for a long time, and even if you have a wife and child, you can still go down because you refuse to let yourself accept their love. It's all an inside job- hanging on to reality, and hanging on to possibility, and hanging on to life. And it's hard because their are so many outside voices involved. And, uh, and for a while I can imagine it being really being hard to divine where you stand, or where, you know, what's real, or do you suck, is this all true, you know.

        FL: Because there's so many people with a vested interest. They know what you want to hear and they're going to tell you.
        JB: Yeah, that's, that's, that's quite a danger, but, um, usually people- I'll tell you this, and I'm completely, you know, I'm the right person, one of the right people to say this cuz I'm completely paranoid of the music business all my life- that, uh, people usually aren't...I've never found any inherently evil people in the music business. At all. There's only one. [who might that be? Guesses anyone?] Only one. Um, and he- people steer clear of him. A, like, really underhanded man. But the rest of then just sort of like doing their job. You just have to remember to over communicate- overtly communicate- yourself in the most heartfelt terms you can find in order to just let people know exactly what it is you think you do, you know. If you completely rebel against everybody- and basically I'm collaborating with these people to get this, this disc out in a way that I think is good, and I have to depend on their knowledge of the outside world cuz they know more about the markets than I do. I really don't, you know, look at college markets to see when they're coming back and blah, blah, blah. So I leave that up to them. So once I know their take on the whole thing then I can make a decision. I don't really want it to get big at all. It's a first work. It's probably going to be the only one like it."

        ["Grace" starts]

        Jeff Buckley and the title song from his album Grace. An amazing new artist.

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