Photo by Malia James
JEFF THE BROTHERHOOD
Interview with Jake Orrall
By Stephanie Dubick
Typically, certain songs intensify our various, emotional states in more considerable ways than others. Why we listen to these musical relics is a matter of opinion, but it’s my belief that the human connection between music and emotion is universal, and that a person’s attachment to a song in correlation to whatever issues they deal with, (whether positive or negative), or whatever activities they engage in, (also whether positive or negative), is a trait commonly understood amongst mostly everyone. It’s like when life throws you a slew of lemons; instead of wasting all that time squeezing yourself a glass of lemonade, listening to “Everybody Hurts” by R.E.M. is a far more suitable alternative when feeling like the world is a heaping pile of crap and that everyone and their mother should kiss off and die.
“Love Stinks” by the members of the now defunct, J. Geils Band, is another definitive track latched onto by the ones it aims to target, which in essence, is the lonely, bitter, and heart-wrecked, (and we’ve all been there, right?), that some might perpetually play on repeat while piercing their voodoo dolls with a devilish glee. And anthems like “I’m Walking on Sunshine,” with it’s obvious intention to lift spirits and inspire dance, provokes in my mind, that scene in High Fidelity, where Barry, (Jack Black), walks into the record store on a Monday morning and proceeds to blast Katrina and the Waves at an absurdly loud volume, skyrocketing Lloyd Dobbler into a fit of hysterics!
Indeed it’s true that music conjures up different meanings to us all.
It’s kind of like “Heavy Days” by Jeff the Brotherhood. Hypothetically speaking, if I were to ever find myself travelling through the vastness of Space, battling Clingons, dodging meteoroids, and saving the world from total destruction, I’d want this song and every other psych-rocking, party-inspiring track off of We Are the Champions, (Jeff the Bro’hood’s second LP via Infinity Cat Recordings), to play continuously. Odd, I know, but those initial feelings and images you get when you listen to an album for the first time is unavoidable, and I saw Space. (This also happened the first time I heard “Tom Sawyer” by Rush, coincidentally). But to imply that We Are the Champions is abundant with distorted guitar licks and psyched-out, hippie rock would be entirely deceiving, especially since the varying degrees of separation from Punk to Grunge to Psych Rock and even to Black Metal interspersed throughout the album, is bridged so close together, that finding a listener who doesn’t connect with at least one varying, musical element would be an oddity.
Guitarist, Jake Orrall, a day after he and his brother, Jammin, nearly brought down the roof of a tiny little club in Allston, MA with a grandiose live set that I consider to be my top ten favorite live performances, ever, spoke with me briefly over the phone about the new album, as well as Jeff’s cover of “Something in the Way,” for Spin’s 20th celebration of Nevermind, and the session work with ICP. (Yep…you read that correctly). Enjoy.
I just want to start off by saying that dear god was that show last night amazing!
Thank you.
It was just everything that I wanted it to be and more. So thank you and bravo.
We really had a great time.
I think you made mention at the end that that was the best turnout in Boston that you’ve had to date.
Yeah, it was.
Was it Great Scott (a small venue in Boston) that you guys had played before?
I think that was the fourth time for us playing Great Scott, and all of those times we played were in the last year. We really like our shows in Boston.
There was such an energy and you could tell everyone was feeling it. I loved how you even jumped into the crowd yourself.
It was a fun time.
Are you guys starting to notice that as you’ve started to gain a lot more press, (especially over this last year), that the crowds have been getting bigger?
Ummmm, yeah, it’s pretty up and down. Sometimes there’s a lot of people and the next night they’ll be none.
Yeah, I guess you never know how many people are going to show up. I think you made a comment in an interview that you guys are willing to play everywhere and anywhere, and I guess with that comes not really knowing who will be in attendance.
I made that statement like four years ago. (Laughs)
Oh, really? Yeah, I think you guys have gone on to bigger pedestals at this point where you don’t really have to play in crawlspaces anymore. This is a nice step up for a band, especially since the hype that’s surrounding the Brotherhood is really strong. There’s a lot of people out there saying that they haven’t been as excited for a band since Nirvana.
Yeah, that’s exciting.
Do comments like that intimidate you?
I don’t know. Not really. I don’t think it’s true. I don’t think that we can really be compared to them. It’s flattering. I’m just glad that people like us.
So you kind of maintain a more modest attitude towards comments like that?
Well, I know we’re a really good band.
Yes. This is true. In terms of fame, though, and even thinking about Jeff going onto a more mainstream level, how does that sit with you? Does the idea of fame at all seem scary?
Well, that’s kind of our goal. Everyone’s got to have a job, ya know?
Indeed. Being poor is not a fun thing. Going back to Nirvana, you guys recently did a cover of “Something in the Way,” which I heard you recorded in your bedroom. Is this correct?
Yeah, we did. I have an eight track, like a cassette eight track. It’s like a Tascam, (a combination mixer/recorder). And we had a couple of microphones.
Did you get to pick which song off of Nevermind to cover? And why “Something in the Way”?
We thought it would be funny to do like a really heavy version of it. I always considered Nevermind to be their least heavy album with the least heaviest songs.
So are you more of an In Utero fan, or are you more of a Bleach fan?
I’ve always been more of a fan of Bleach.
To stay on the topic of other projects you’ve been involved with, I’ve heard recently that you collaborated with ICP and Jack White, is this correct?
Me and Jammin (drummer) were hired session musicians for two songs. We didn’t really “collaborate.” But they were fun to work with.
So was it Jack White who approached you?
Yeah, we had done some projects with him before. Like, we did a live record with him.
So you’re not drinking Faygo, I’m hoping….
(Laughs) No not at the moment.
Have you heard the (ICP) song, yourself?
Oh yeah, I have.
I guess I just don’t know what to make of it.
Hopefully it will make people laugh.
Yeah, I think that had to have been the point. To write a song that people won’t take too seriously.
It was definitely made with humor.
Moving on to We Are the Champions, this is your “second” album, and I say that with quotes all around it, because in actuality, this is your seventh. But how do you feel this differs from the first album, Heavy Days?
It’s better, I think.
Do you feel like you’ve grown a lot as musicians?
Yes. Not a whole lot, but as much as we normally would.
The thing that makes you guys so interesting is that there isn’t one category of music to put you in, which is nice because no one wants to be labeled. And you’ve been called everything from punk to pop to post-punk to garage rock, to psych-rock, to grunge. So if you could, how would you describe Jeff’s sound?
Party Rock.
Party Rock? Ok. I like that. I’ve heard you’re not a big fan of the term, “garage rock,” so I apologize for putting that in there.
Oh, no. I just don’t think we’re a garage rock band. I just think it’s funny that people call us garage rock.
And it’s weird, because a lot of interviews I’ve read with you guys, it’s always the interviewers saying that you play garage rock, which is really kind of untrue and it probably does bother you a bit to hear that being thrown around towards the music you’re making…
It’s never really bothered me, it’s fine. That’s just the really cool scene right now, and I’ll take it, but it’s just kind of funny.
I agree. But on the new album, you delve into a lot of genres, and it makes listening to you guys exciting and not boring. Like last night, I was doing the pogo one second, and then banging my head the next. You really mix it up.
That’s our thing.
That’s your shtick, so to speak. And out of all the styles of music that you really admire, if you could continuously play a certain genre all the time, what would you play?
I don’t know. Hard rock, I guess.
Now you released the album through your own label, Infinity Cat Records. How nice is it to have that control over your own music?
It’s great; it’s just a lot more work.
Yeah. I just feel bad for these bands who are just so bonded to a label who probably wish they were in your place.
Sometimes I wish I could let someone else just do it. (Laughs) Ya know?
So there are points where you wish you could just put your hands up?
Usually when I’m on tour for like, three weeks, and I’m doing all the label work through my Blackberry. I’m like, trying to catch up on it. I just want to relax, but I can’t, I have to go straight to work.
Could you talk just a little bit about your association with Warner Brothers?
Yeah, the next couple of records we’re doing are going to come out on Infinity Cat/Warner Brothers. And we got a really sick deal. We basically get to use other resources.
And they’re gonna help out on a financial level, too, right?
Yep. It’s huge for us. I can only do so much, ya know, with our label. And now we can do all kinds of stuff; actually, we can do whatever we want–contests, cool promotional stuff. It makes it where we can reach a wider audience; a bigger audience.
I think being associated with them will do that for you.
They’re also distributing it to, which is awesome.
That is! The more help the better, right?
I agree.
So the other day I was perusing Spin.com, and I read that you signed a band called Diarrhea Planet, which I thought was the greatest and most disgusting title for a band, EVER! What attracted you to their music and made you want to sign them to Infinity?
I don’t know why they picked that band name, but I think it works. They’re a bunch of really funny guys.
When looking for a band to put on the label, is there specific things you’re looking for that will deem them Infinity appropriate?
Yeah. Obviously, the first thing is the music. And all the other obvious stuff: able to put on a good show, have that drive, have a desire to want to be successful, go out and tour and have the ability to tour. And the only other important thing to me, ‘cause it’s such a small label, (it’s really just me and my dad and our manager all in it together), so whoever it is has to be a band that we can be close friends with. It’s kinda like a big family.
That’s what makes small labels so wonderful. There’s a sense of intimacy/friendship amongst bands and managers that you might not find if say, you were on a major label.
Definitely.
I wanted to ask you about the sitar on ‘’Health and Strength.” There’s something so elegant and peaceful about that instrument. I was wondering, who plays it on that track?
Our friend, Ryan. He plays in a band called Paperhead. They just put a record out on Trouble In Mind Records.
So you had him come and help you guys out?
Yeah. He helped out on a few songs.
In terms of your favorite songs off of We Are the Champions, which ones would they be and why?
Oh man, I don’t have any favorites. All of the songs are favorites. That’s why we have a new record.
Ok, that’s fair enough. So at this point, what do you have left on your tour? And do you see a time where you can go home and actually get some rest?
No. (Laughs)
So you’ll keep touring and working non-stop, huh?
I’ve got to run a label, ya know? I mean, we have only five shows left on this tour. I mean, I get to relax a little bit, but there’s always something going on that I have to deal with.
That kinda stinks, but it’s nice to keep busy…
It’s my passion.
I’ve also heard that you have a passion to tour Japan someday.
Yeah, we might be doing that in the spring, actually. Our record came out there recently and it’s doing pretty well.
Have you been to Japan before?
Yeah.
What was it like?
Awesome. It was incredible.
It’s sad, I’ve never been out of the States before or even gotten a passport. I just think it would be such an experience to do so; to see other parts of the world.
It’s a life changing experience. Everyone should do it and check out other countries. It makes the world a better place for everyone to know something about other people, and how others live.
Your first time traveling outside the US was in high school, correct? And wasn’t it Iceland that you traveled to?
I was seventeen or eighteen and I was in Iceland for eleven-and-a-half months.
Was that your life changing experience?
Every country I’ve ever been to has definitely changed my life.
Being the fact that you just released this new record, I have to ask if there’s any plans of working on a new album anytime soon…
Yeah, we’re recording this winter.
Do you have any idea of when you might release it?
Probably the end of July.
Amazing!! We’ll be on the lookout for it. Thanks, Jake.
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Great interview folks! Thanks!