Hey kind
people of a mad world. If you do had already read some posts and interviews at
this blog, you may have notice that Mineral is one of the most named bands
around here. When I first listened Simpson' melodies and lyrics, I was really
amazed. Since them, it's been more than ten years I've been trying to find his
works. With the whole internet stuff, things are much easier now. He's been
putting up some amazing music since 1994, leading Mineral, Gloria Record and
his actual project, Zookeeper. I know it sounds a little bit cliché, but the
man is one of my "musical heroes" since I remember enjoying music so
much. So, when he accepted doing this interview, it just brought smile to my
face. Hope you enjoy this as much as I:
* Sorry from bad English.
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Hi, how are you? How is everything
with Zookeeper clan?
Chris Simpson: Hi I am great.
Things are good. I feel more like a kid keeper than a zookeeper these days. Me
and my lady have 2 ½ years old twins and a 9-month old. I stay home with them
most of the time and go to school (a few classes a semester) a few days a week.
Somehow I still have found time to be thankful and celebrate by finishing a new
record.
The song “Flood Of Love”, has so
strong images. A lot of your songs work with images (like “When it's late at
night and the house is blue”).Does it happen naturally or is something you
always try to put in your lyrics?
Chris Simpson: I guess I like images too. I'm very visual. So maybe it
just seems natural to me to write this way. I don't think it's anything I think
too much about.
One doubt… Is Literature a thing
that influences the way your write your lyrics? If so, could you recommend us
some authors that you like?
Chris Simpson: Yes. I'm sure what I read influences the way I write. My
favorites as far as fiction have been Hermann Hesse, Carlos Castaneda, Flannery
O'Connor, Graham Greene, Beryl Bainbridge. Believe it or not I spend most of my
time reading non-fiction though: cosmology, religious philosophy, psychology,
mythology, I even went through a theoretical physics phase.
The first
time I heard “Becoming All Things” album, I thought “let’s make a party!”. A party with good moments. And hard ones too,
of course. I mean, after “Boy & The Street Choir”, we have the funky “Al
Kooper's Party Horn”. Why such variety and did you have a party while
recording?
Chris Simpson: Yes. We partied.
That was kind of the vibe and feel of the sessions. A bunch of people in one
room together having a good time. Playing spontaneously and often fairly unrehearsed.
How are you live presentations?
Chris Simpson: Raw. They are a little different everytime. And sometimes
(often) not greatly rehearsed either. I have been performing solo a lot more
lately, but still love to play with other people. When I have a band together
it is usually a band put together for that specific show or tour, so the
dynamics and energy between the players is often different from show to show,
etc. It is more a matter of working with the resources available usually, but I
like something about the spontaneity and energy of this approach.
Pink Chalk seems to me a little
slower, intimate and chilling record than previous ones. Why this “change”?
Chris Simpson: I don't know why. Fundamentally I guess it is different
because with this record I started and for the most played the majority of the
instruments by myself. So it was just me and an engineer working together
recording. We started a lot of it on an 8-track tape machine and I wanted to
limit the technical possibilities at first. To see if we could be more spare
with the instrumentation and get the songs across more simply.
It has been six years between your
last release, did you get kind of tired of making music or you just slowed down
your songwriting process?
Chris Simpson: Probably some of both. Also I had three kids and some
other detours along the way. My life was kind of crazy in a lot of ways and I
have been in the process of sort of settling down and getting back to work. I
had and still have a lot of inner work to do, but I am happy to have finished
something I can share with people outwardly again.
What bands are your medicines?
Chris Simpson: Harry Nilsson, Van Morrison, The Velvet Underground, The
Kinks, Talk Talk, Big Star, Broadcast, The Innocence Mission, Nina Simone,
Thelonious Monk, Otis Redding, Neil Young, Bowie. I don't know. So many. I like
artists. And singers. I love singers.
Zookeeper band-mates have other
projects, right? Can you please tell us a little about them?
Chris Simpson: Seth has a project called The Whiskey Priest.
He lives in New Mexico now and doesn't play with us much anymore. Alex Dupree
writes some of the best songs going under the name Idyl. He lives in
California now and goes to grad school for poetry. He's a true poet for sure.
Even if he didn't happen to also write poetry. Ben Lance and Ben Houtman play
in a band called Frank Smith, and Ben Lance also plays with our good friend Booher.
Jeremy Gomez, who also played with me in The Gloria Record, and Mineral, also plays with What
Made Milwaukee Famous sometimes. Joe Salinas is also an aspiring
film maker whose work is produced under the Miso Mesican Media moniker. Cully
Symington has played with Cursive,
Okkervil
River, and The Afghan Whigs. These people are
all amazing musicians and artists and much more. Look them and their projects
up.
Do you still listen the bands you
were hearing when you got into music?
Chris Simpson: When I got into music it was through my mom's records so
I was listening to Michael Jackson and Lionel Richie and Barry Manilow and
Laura Branigan, and thank God, The Bee Gees. I still listen to the early Bee
Gees (pre-disco era) records a lot. And Simon and Garfunkel. So, yes to some of
it.
Do you perceive many changes as
artist and person from the boy who recorded Power of Failing and the man you
are now? Which ones?
Chris Simpson: I can't think of a way in which I haven't changed. And
yet, everything remains. We seem to grow and take in more and more without ever
really letting any of it go. I have had to learn to let some of it go for sure,
but it is all a part of who I am now. Who I have become and am becoming.
What were your last year favorite
albums?
Chris Simpson: Oh boy. I don't listen to a lot of current stuff. I
really like The Walkmen, did they put out a record last year? They seem to
always be putting out records. I loved the last Bright Eyes record , The
People's Key, was that last year? I can't keep track. Bill Fay put out a new
record for the first time since the early 70's, I love that.
What are the good things about being
in a band that you only know if you’re in a band?
Chris Simpson: Are there good things about being in a band? No, of
course there are. It's been a while since I've been in a band that was really
consistent, but the camaraderie and creative bond can be so exhilarating. I
guess you wouldn't know that if you weren't in a band.
Thanks
Chris! I know people who read this blog really enjoys your music career as a
whole. Please leave them a message, anything.
Really appreciate.
Chris Simpson: Thank you! I enjoyed your questions and answering them
very much. Peace and lovingkindness you
and all of your readers. Hopefully I can come to Brazil and play for you some
day. It seems so far away but the world is small and getting smaller so you
never know.
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You can find Zookeeper's music here:
Thank you very much for the interview from Germany!!!
ResponderExcluirBest regards...ode.
(bought his first Mineral record back in 1997... been a long time... )