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jim-reid · 6 years

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JAMC

The Jesus and Mary ChainWilliam / ZigZag 06.1985

William the bad rounds up those knavish outlaws - the Jesus and Mary Chain 'The outburst came. The effect was even more powerful than before because no two of The Outlaws were singing the same tune.' 'William In Trouble' "There's a lot of disgusting pop music. Close your eyes to the filthy and disgusting side of it and just look at the romance. It's easy if you just buy the records. It's more difficult if you've got to be in amongst the sewer... the pop music sewer. If you observe it from a distance it's much, much more romantic. If you've got to be in amongst it all it can be quite sick making." Jim Reid Similarities between The Jesus And Mary Chain and that other band can be fun to play with, but when it comes down to it they're pretty flimsy affairs. The difference is that the other group came along with the supposed intention of burying pop once and for all, while The Jesus And Mary Chain - to stretch a biblical allusion just about as far as it can go - have come to resurrect it. Because behind the ruffian attitude that's always good for a few column inches, The Jesus And Mary Chain approach pop with a missionary zeal. If anything their ideas are far from radical. They're trying to reconstruct the old beast as it should have been and still might be, but unlike so many others who've attempted the task, The Jesus And Mary Chain possess the right instincts and they come brandishing gorgeous songs, shining great slabs of noise. In a small Soho cafe William Reid and Douglas Hart are consuming cod and chips, while Jim - who says he hasn't slept for three days - abstains through tiredness. Bobby Gillespie is in Glasgow, having returned there are playing a London date with fellow Creation act Primal Scream. Since January the other three have been living in miserable bedsits in London's Muswell Hill. "You see," explains Jim, "the reason why Bobby is never with us at times like these is because he's in Primal Scream really, and drumming for us is just helping us out. Not many people realize that he's the singer in Primal Scream, not the drummer in The Jesus And Mary Chain." The group have just finished recording their third single 'You Trip Me Up', a song which they'd already unveiled on last year's Peel session: "It's like the last two," Jim explains, "in as much as it's a good tune and it's quite lively." It's their next assault after the disappointment of 'Never Understand' which had been expected to emerge in the top ten, but never showed its face there. "We were extremely pissed off about that because that song was it," drawls Jim. "If ever I've heard a hit, that was it. We did our best. We recorded a top ten single. It's just extremely bloody irritating that some clown won't play our records because he thinks it's too noisy or something. If you bring out a record and you think it's bloody great and some wee fart idiot who's fifty five decides it's too risky for daytime play..." "But the next one should be a hit," decides Douglas. "'You Trip Me Up' is pure summer," Jim crashes on. "It should be number one for about forty-two weeks and then we'll take it to the United States Of America and then it'll be number one there." "A nice pretty song," concludes William. And WEA? "They're treating us quite nicely, 'cause we're treating them quite nicely," answers Jim. "It's an understanding." "We've got to get on," adds William. "We can't indulge ourselves living in the same house." "We stay away from Warners as much as we can," continues Jim, "and it suits everybody really. I mean if the truth was being told we hate each other's guts, but we try to get along. That's all we can do. They treat us totally differently from any other groups... pretty much leave us to ourselves. I don't think they like handling us but it's to do with money. That's understandable because we see money in them so we're putting up with each other. "A company like WEA can water people down and that's the big danger. It's a danger that we've successfully avoided. That's why we have so much trouble with them - that's why they despise us so much. But more groups should be aiming at the top then. There's too much safety involved in playing to your five thousand fans. If you really want to get ahead, if you really want to make pop music better... "The world will never change, but pop music gets better from time to time. Every now and again some groups come along that are worthwhile. I think we're one of these groups. You can slightly change pop music for a short period of time, even if it always gets back into its totally disgusting state." Don Quixote and the Mary Chain canter full tilt at the windmills. Pop music's quite a romantic venture for you isn't it. "Yeah," responds William. "It is." "There's something quite poetic about the actual words 'pop music'," continues Douglas. "Well that's it," says Jim. "There is romance. The idea that in twenty years time people could be listening to 'You Trip Me Up' and thinking 'God Almighty, that was the summer of 1985'... That's one kind of nostalgia that I've got time for. I hate the other kind of nostalgia, people thinking 'Christ! Weren't The Sex Pistols a brilliant group! I wish there was another one. I wish punk rock would happen again,' That makes me sick." "I think," suggests Douglas, "that you should try and put it across that we're not a punk group. We're a pop group. Punk belongs to a certain era. Pop goes across the board." "Pop is shit," says Jim. "But at the moment we consider ourselves one of the best pop groups around. We don't want to be considered a punk group because we always associate punk with something that happened a hundred years ago. It's total nostalgia. If anything we're ahead of our time; for anybody to turn around and say well they're a good punk group is like a total slap in the face." "When we say we're ahead of our time we're not saying we've got pretentions to the avant garde," expands Douglas. "We're just ahead of our time. I can see something happening in two or three years time. All those silly groups makin' no tunes. Anybody can make lots of noise and no tunes or melodies. I think that sooner or later people are going to realize... Some of the people who're making really amazing noises like Einsturzende Neubaten... I wish they'd go out and make a bloody pop song. I'd like to see something like Altered Images' 'I Could Be Happy' with metal bashing..." "We do like to do experimental things," extrapolates Jim, "but most of what we do is get nice melodies and catchy tunes... Summer sounds: that about described us I would say. The summer sounds of The Jesus And Mary Chain... Back to romance. We're incredibly romantic." "Incurably so," Douglas assents. Do you lie about things - ('17 year old Jim Reid is the singer with The Jesus And Mary Chain') - things like your ages? "Sometimes I lie about my age," Jim replies, "sometimes I don't. Sometimes I lie about what I had for my dinner as well. I'm a bit of a lying bastard." Lies, lies, lies. Have you had any odd letters about your name? William answers: "Usually from people who write on red paper with green ink. And they say 'You're sick you bastards, you're sick.' "It's a proven fact," admonishes Jim. "I've told you this before, I read an article in The Observer and it said that people who write letters in green ink are psychopaths." Who's the most obnoxious individual you've met? "Nik Kershaw," says Jim. "He treated us like bastards. We met him down a dark alley one night and he tried to mug us." "It was at the BBC studios," William tells the truth. "We went to get interviewed on the radio for Saturday live and he was there. No... actually he's a nice guy. Howard Jones: now he's a real bastard." From Jim: "He's a two-faced wee back-stabbing shit." When things get a bit out of order at gigs, does it scare the shite out of you? William: "No." "It depends how drunk you are," says Jim. "If you're not very drunk and a big hail of bottles comes at you, you get scared. If you're really drunk you tend to laugh." Douglas interrupts: "And duck." Jim says: "At North London Poly (the gig where the audience dismantled the PA, something which has no made it practically impossible for the Mary Chain to hire one to play anywhere) people were tring to break down the doors. That was quite frightening. I don't know if they were after autographs or they were after our blood but they were still trying to break down the doors." "The ideal gig?" Jim continues. "It's when we could all be drunk or drugged to the perfect degree of happiness. The audience should smile or nod their heads because they were happy. Some of them would leave because they were disgusted." "... and some," dreams William, "would throw money and roses." "Your names, little boys," said the Vicar's wife, "are of course well known to me, and I have wished to hear you play for a long time. I can only say that it has far exceeded my expectations. Such verse - such execution - such gallant scorn of convention, such - such genius. And you composed it entirely yourself?" "Yes," said William with perfect truth. The mothers were stealing out, still casting glances of silent horror at The Outlaws.

#interview

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themominars · 6 years

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Caroline Fardig - An Eye For An Eye

Caroline Fardig is the USA Today bestselling author of the Java Jive Mysteries series, the Lizzie Hart Mysteries series, and Ellie Matthews series. She has worked as a schoolteacher, church organist, insurance agent, funeral parlor associate, and stay-at-home mom before realizing that she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Born and raised in a small town in Indiana, Fardigstill lives in that same town with an understanding husband, two sweet kids, two energetic dogs, and one malevolent cat.

Interview with Caroline Fardig Q: I've read some procedurals, classic dicks, and crime mysteries, so I'm not unfamiliar with the genre(s). However, I've never read a book starting from the perspective of the first victim. What lead you to do that?

A: When I wrote the first book in the series, BITTER PAST, I actually had 4 chapters leading up to the murder, which originally happened off-page. But when my agent and I were discussing that book, he said it didn't start with enough of a bang. There was too much lead-up before anything really happened. So, I hacked those chapters and started (literally) with a bang--the victim in the first book was shot. It ended up being a great formula to draw the reader into the action and feel something for the victim, so I kept on with it. Every Ellie Matthews novel will start that way.

Q: One of my favorite authors does a ton of real world research for her books. Shooting the guns, doing interviews, suiting up with a SWAT team.... I know you do too. Can you describe what research you do and why you do it?

A: In the past couple of years, I've taken 3 college-level classes in Criminal Justice--two forensics classes and one criminal investigations class--to prepare for writing this series. There are so many books and movies and TV series that get the procedural stuff "wrong," I was determined to write something that showed the real way it's done--of course within the realm of fiction to keep things interesting. In the forensics classes, we did a lot of labs, which ended up being hands-on training provided by real criminalists who work at the Indiana State Police lab. My teacher is one of the firearms examiners, and she had her coworkers come in to teach lessons and labs in their field of expertise. They would bring actual supplies from their lab so we could have a true experience at evidence examination. We also got to tour the lab itself, which was incredibly exciting for me. My teacher and her coworkers have been so great about answering my many "what if" questions about forensics, even long after the classes were over. It's been an amazing experience.

Q: Your main character in this book is an aunt while you are a mom. I've noticed that a lot of authors, either intentionally or not, often infuse their characters and stories with elements from their own life. Can you tell me how Ellie and Rachel are or are not like yourself?

A: Well, they have a sweet Golden Retriever just like me. But on the serious side, Ellie's sarcasm comes straight from me. We both get into trouble for our witty yet cutting observations that maybe shouldn't always be shared with others. Ellie and Rachel's life and experiences are the polar opposite of mine, though, except for the teaching part. Although I don't use it, my degree is in education.

Q: Are there any real world inspirations for your characters?

A: Always! Every time someone says or does something that strikes me as interesting or unusual, I'm immediately on my phone, sending myself an email outlining the situation or turn of phrase so I can use it in the future. And we all know people who deserve to be caricatures in stories--but I'm not naming any names...

Q: Since this interview is for the Mominars I should probably ask some "mom" questions. How did you get started as a writer? With your diverse background what inspired you to try writing?

A: I honestly started getting fed up with how books I read would end. I would always rewrite the ending in my head, and I finally figured...why not do it on paper? I guess that was my muse giving me a nudge to write my own books. And my...ahem...diverse work background certainly plays a part in my writing. Through the many different career paths I've taken, I've managed to meet all sorts of people and have varied experiences. Q: Do you find being a parent presents challenges that other authors may not be faced with?

A: Absolutely! I try to get all my writing done when my kids are at school. But sometimes I have to keep working once they're home. It's easier now that my kids are older and entertain themselves, but it's not always easy to write something meaningful with the TV blaring in the background. My husband also works out of our home, so that can be challenging as well--we're always managing to interrupt each other at inopportune times. Q: Let's play 'High/Low'. What's the best part of being an author? What's the worst?

A: There are a lot of highs for me. I love it when readers connect with a book and let me know. I love it when I get good news about my career (new contracts, making bestseller lists, being nominated for awards). I love to talk about my writing with other people and meet with other authors. As for lows, it's pretty much the opposite of the highs--bad reviews, publishers saying no, low sales figures. It's quite a rollercoaster ride! Q: High/Low: parenthood?

A: I love watching my kids do what they enjoy and excelling at it. I love it when they're proud of themselves. I love it when they display kindness toward others. As for lows, again the opposite--getting upset over a bad performance or worrying over a bad grade, getting into arguments with their friends. And the worst--me realizing the times when I've not been a good role model and they're copying my bad behavior. Q: No one else may care, but I took a brief look at your FB and your husband had an interesting theme to your Christmas gifts. Care to explain that? A: HA! For years, he has always managed to get me a Christmas gift that either makes me laugh until I cry or embarrasses the heck out of me and I have to take it in another room to unwrap by myself. This time, he went full out and got me 12 of those crazy gifts, one for each day leading up to Christmas. He got me a foul-mouthed cookbook, a talking toilet paper roll, a farting butt bank, a book of cat poems called "I Could Pee on This," and a set of pens with some really weird sayings on them, to name a few. He made up for his nonsense on Christmas day, though, and got me a custom made electric guitar. Q: Is there anything you wish people would ask about?

A: I guess my music--most people who know me know that I'm a musician, but not everyone knows I've got 2 recorded songs under my belt. I wrote them for my Java Jive series, as the heroine is a struggling musician/songwriter, and recorded them with the help of a friend at a local recording studio. They're on iTunes, etc. if you want to check them out!

Q: Ok, I'll bite. Let's talk about your music. You said you wrote your songs for your Java Jive series, but do you think it will be something you pursue further? Another thing on your "ahem" diverse resume?

A: I’d love to write and record music all day, but that would mean putting my day job (writing) on the back burner. I have a lot of music in my life anyway, as I’m the lead singer/guitarist/arranger for our praise band at church. Writing brass parts isn’t quite as fun as writing love songs, but it uses the same part of my brain. And I perform at open mic nights every time I go to Nashville, which is a couple of times a year. As for my other former jobs, I don’t think I’m ready to dive back into the mortuary world anytime soon… Q: Speaking of diverse interests, as people who happen to be parents and do something to earn a living, we (people) often have interests too. What are some of yours?

A: Well, music. I’m lucky to be able to share that with my family—my husband plays piano for our praise band, my son plays trumpet, and my daughter sings with me. Aside from that, I love to cook, especially baking with my daughter. My son and I bingewatch sitcoms together and make Starbucks runs. My husband and I watch and even attend Pacers basketball games together as often as we can. As a family, we love to travel. Q: One of my interests is genealogy and I happen to think your last name is interesting. Do you know where it comes from?

A: Yeah, real interesting. You would not believe the number of people who mistakenly thing there are actually people out there named “Farting.” Seriously? Anyway, I think it’s Scandinavian originally. Q: Classic author question: What two pieces of advice would you give to aspiring authors?

A: I’d say the best thing you can do is surround yourself with people who are willing and able to help you get to where you want to be. I’ve got a great support system of family, friends, fellow authors, and industry professionals who help me polish my work, get my name out there, and offer great advice. Secondly, do your research. Keep up with what’s hot in the industry. Study the writing and marketing styles of other authors and learn what readers respond to best. Make sure what you’re writing has an audience. There’s nothing more soul-crushing than pouring months of your life into a manuscript and having someone tell you that no one is going to want to read it.

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