Although I can say I knew
Joel Gion before I knew he was famous, his stardom seems so effortless and fitting that it never ceases to surprise me; he wears it so well. His recent solo release,
Extended Play, further showcases his charisma and psychedelic
savoir-faire above and beyond a warm "
San Francisco Nights" degree. I caught up with him recently to chat about the new jams, future plans and his adventures as a modern tambourine man.
How long was this record in the making? Have you been sitting on these tunes for long?
Joel Gion: I started writing for this in 2009, but recording was off and on because there was a lot of
Brian Jonestown Massacre touring in that year and the year after. Originally I was going to do a full length album, then I wanted to do four 7 inch singles over the course of the year, but in the end I went for two 12 inch E.P.s. I have more tunes ready and I'm also working on new stuff for the next one. One of the things that made it fun doing this as a self-release was to be able to change my mind whenever I wanted because it's mine.
There are many folks out there familiar with you via Brian Jonestown Massacre; how would you explain the sound of this record to BJM fans?
