Interview- Jute

Band: Jute Interviewer: Julie Johnson Date: 8/4/04

"Jute makes music that is darkly hypnotic, ominous, edgy and beautiful"

GC: What is the name of your band and Who are the current members?

JUTE:

Music:

Julie Axis

Joe Axis

Robb Shakespeare

Mike Dobkowski

Danielle Colbeck

Joe St. Charles

Visuals:

Arturo Valle

Aaron Schmidt

GC: How did you become connected to make music?

Jute: We got very lucky. Joe St. Charles works at a bar where Mike played and Robb saw perform, who had met Joe through his wife Julie who placed an ad and met Danielle.

GC: What are your musical influences?

Jute: Tool, Curve, Bjork, Massive Attack, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, Portishead, PJ Harvey, Jane's Addiction

GC: What is your live show like?

Jute: Sexy, mysterious, beautiful, engaging, swirling, visual, enticing, powerful, hypnotic.

GC: Tell us about your own unique style of music?

Jute: Jute's music is darkly hypnotic, ominous, edgy and beautiful.

GC: What serparates your band from all the other bands out there?

Jute: We care more about the message than the messenger.

GC: How do you go about writing songs?

Jute: Most songs have started with a drum loop to whic gets added a bass line, a rough vocal and a guitar idea. Then they are honed into shape in various ways. Sometimes words come with the vocal melodies, sometimes they are the last thing to be finished.

GC: Pick one of your latest song and talk about everything from writing it, meanings, the challenges of recording it?

Jute: Every song we write is a challenge--to be a more inventive writer, to stretch beyond what we could do yesterday, to say what couldn't be said yesterday, to find new ways to get a sound with our limited equipment. I have found that I sing best when I record my own vocal takes. I like to be alone. It feels more intimate with my soul. But I also like to work out parts with the live band, so that I can get in touch with the energy of a vocal line as well. This is a new discovery, since the debut CD was written in the studio before the band ever performed live. Everything about the band is challenging. Each new song we write is a journey. Most of our songs all have the same meaning--seek truth within yourself, in the tangible world and outside yourself.

GC: What is your latest news with the band?

Jute; We are getting ready to play shows again after a 9 month hiatus. We took a few months off to find a new drummer and rehearse with him. We also added another vocalist. We recorded a film score in March for Mark Miremont, a filmmaker in LA. MarkMiremont.com

GC: Where do you hope to be in 5 year with your band?

Jute: We hope to have a few more CDs under our belt and to be playing bigger venues. We hope to tour Europe at some point in the next 5 years.

GC: How are people currently reacting to your music?

Jute:Very well. Surprisingly well. Even the reviewers that have given us a bad review have found some redeeming qualities to our sound. People have been very nice to us.

GC: What would be the top 3 reasons for listening to you music?

Jute: Our CD "a violent narcotic" is best when driving on open road, perhaps late at night, or just before bed, or when getting it on with someone special, or when being introspective.

GC: What is your best experience as a band?

Jute:Having a show where the energy is so high you can feel it pulse throughout your whole body.

GC: What is your worst experience as a band?

Jute:A show that never got off the ground. Nothing feels worse than playing a bad show and knowing there is nothing you can do to get the groove happening.

GC:What is most important to you in your band?

Jute:That we are all friends. And that we do what is best for the song, not for our egos.

GC: Do you have a personal favorite song?

Jute:Every new song is my favorite. If it isn't my new favorite, then it isn't a good song.

GC: What was the hardest song to write and why?

Jute:The first one with Jute. It is always hard to open up at first. We were extremely critical at the beginning as well because we wanted to make sure we knew what the Jute sound was before we wrote an entire CD.

GC: What do you think of the current gothic/ EBM/ Industrial/ noise/ synthpop etc scence today?

Jute: There are some bands out there doing stuff that is meaningful. But the majority of bands in any genre these days are not really doing it for the right reasons. Most bands have nothing to say except "Look at me--see how fabulous I am?" I would rather hear a whisper of truth than a shout of ignorance.

GC: What music do you current listen to?

Jute: PJ Harvey, Cooper Temple Clause, Radiohead, Nobody, Broadway Project

GC: How do you keep changing your music from album to album or plan to change it?

Jute: We are adding more energy to our next CD, mostly due to where we are at emotionally--we feel more confident and more aware than ever before.

GC: What kind of recording environment do you have?

Jute: We record in our living room/studio. It is cozy. With four cats to keep us company.

GC: How long did you spend on your latest effort?

Jute: Our CD "a violent narcotic" took almost three years to write and record. It being our first, we wanted to take the time to do it right.

GC: What is the hardest thing about being in a band for this genre?

Jute: Well, I feel like we barely make it into this genre--we use electonics in our recordings and shows, but we are more of a rock band. This being said, I feel that the hardest thing is knowing what category to put ourselves in. It is limiting and freeing at the same time.

GC: Feel free to do any shameless self promotion here of you band, now is your turn to talk about anything you want about your band, ideas, or life in the band.

Visit our website if you like: www.juteband.com.

Check out our music and if you like it, come see a show.

https://www.juteband.com/pressPhotos.html

Thanks a lot for this interview.

It was fun.

Julie Axis

Jute