A coversation with Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley
This is an interview i always get requests for and we ran out of print copies. So the best way to meet this demand is to put the Jenny Lewis Interview here. I hope you all enjoy. Joe is the old station manager of WSVA
A CONVERSATION WITH JENNY LEWIS OF RILO KILEY
By Joe Petrick
When I sat down to talk with Jenny Lewis, lead singer of the band Rilo Kiley, I didn’t quite know what to expect. Would she be nice? Would she answer any questions about The Wizard, Foxfire or the classic: Big Girls Don't Cry, They Get Even? What I soon learned was that she is one of the nicest, easy to talk to interviews I have ever done and after breaking the ice by asking me what I thought of the new Willy Wonka re-make, our interview quickly turned into a friendly conversation that went as follows:
WSVA: What’s your favorite re-make of a movie?
JENNY: I’m not sure. I can tell you my least favorite.
WSVA: Okay, go:
JENNY: Psycho.
WSVA: Agreed. What kind of pie do you like?
JENNY: Reubarb.
WSVA: Me too.
JENNY It’s the texture I think that makes it good.
WSVA: Also I think it has a really good balance of sweet and sour.
JENNY: Mmm, yeah.
WSVA: Did you know your old label mate Connor Oberst has a MySpace profile? Will this trend continue for rock stars?
JENNY: What’s MySpace?
WSVA: It’s like Friendster, LiveJournal and an MP3 site combined.
JENNY: I used to be on Friendster but have since joined the Friendster graveyard.
WSVA: Oh, that sounds so sad.
JENNY: Well it’s all very strange to have people that you knew from the forth grade who treated you terribly try to contact you years later and be “friends” with you.
WSVA: Well you’re lucky then because there are five or six fake Jenny Lewis’ on Friendster currently that can do that for you.
JENNY: I have to say that I’m aware of that. I’ve checked them out and it’s pretty… it’s embarrassing because people really think it’s actually me. It’s also weird to read the testimonials “I” write, like: “Here’s me rockin’ out with my keyboard, I enjoy it so much!” and “Interests: Playin’ with my rock band!” and “The Wizard.”
WSVA: I bet. Which brings me to a question I’ve always wanted to ask you. How have you guys been able to be in a band and not let your work in the past haunt you like so many bands that have child celebrities in them have? Even Phantom Planet got a little over shadowed by the “Hey it’s the kid from Rushmore’s band!” stamp while you have really avoided it. Has that been difficult?
JENNY: Not really. It hasn’t really been a focus for us and I think we just work really hard and put out records and toured a lot and never really made a point of talking about it but I think we are still aware of it and sure, some people used to heckle us from the crowd which is just sort of sad but now people are kind of over it.
WSVA: What would they say?
JENNY: It doesn’t happen so much now but in the past we’ve had our share of bullies that yell at me from the audience like “where’s your power glove?!” during a really sad song or something but most people are really nice and ultimately we just make music and if people like that then that’s good.
WSVA: Definitely. I think some bands in your position in the past have used their celebrity to get a jump start in the music industry and then complain about having that label slapped on them but you guys didn’t do that.
JENNY: And I think an important thing to remember is that we were washed up. We weren’t great successes, we failed at that miserably and were unhappy doing it which I think helps as well that we kind of closed the chapter on that part of our lives.
WSVA: I refuse to believe that Pinsky was a failure.
JENNY: We were hacks though.
WSVA: Oh that’s not true, I saw you in a movie called “Little Boy Blue” with Ryan Phillippe and you were great. Actually that film was directed by Antonio Tibaldi who teaches at this school.
JENNY: Really? He was a very nice man.
WSVA: He taught me in an acting and directing course and was very cool.
JENNY: You know, I got to make out with Mr. Phillippe in that.
WSVA: I did know that and honestly I was wondering how that went?
JENNY: (sarcastically) It was pretty… It was pretty exciting.
WSVA: I bet, I bet. (a “he’s so dreamy” sigh) So where did the name Rilo Kiley come from?
JENNY: That’s a Blake question and I don’t see him around right now but if I see him pass by I’ll ask him.
WSVA: Awesome. Or you could just tell me it’s from an obscure poem by Pablo Neruda and I’ll believe it.
JENNY: I’m not a liar man.
WSVA: I believe you but have you ever been tempted while you’re doing these interviews to just make stuff up?
JENNY: Yes.
WSVA: Have you?
JENNY: Yes. I actually love they Psycho remake.
WSVA: That’s good to know ‘cause now I feel I’m really getting to the heart of Rilo Kiley.
JENNY: Good.
WSVA: Did the success of The Postal Service or Blake’s side project The Elected effect the dynamic of the band?
JENNY: I think it was a positive experience for us to be able to go off and do our own thing because we’ve been a band for a really long time and it can be annoying to hang out constantly, you know four people in a van for seven years can start to suck. But I think it was a good experience for us because it made us appreciate each other more and, personally I learned so much from Ben, I had to learn all of his guitar parts and keyboard parts and basically perform and sing everything that he had written and that was a new experience for me to kind of let go and let someone else direct me. I think it was really good ‘cause it was kind of “music boot camp” or something.
WSVA: I’m interested in the fact that you guys were on Barsuk and then Saddle Creek, both The Postal Service and the Elected records were released on Sub Pop and now you guys are starting your own label, how has the experience been on those labels and how will that experience transfer over to running you own label?
JENNY: I think it’s been a really positive experience for us, not only getting to know different groups of people and learning about how they run their labels but I think starting our own label just made sense for us. Our first EP was released on “Rilo Records” which didn’t get a formal release but it always made us talk about starting a label and we have a lot of friends that are really great song writers that we hope to put out so we’ll see how that goes and hopefully we won’t ruin their careers in the process.
WSVA: That was actually my next question as to whether this will be a label that has a real roster or is just for you guys.
JENNY Well I think our record will be a sort of experiment to see how it goes but we’ve got a couple of bands that we’re thinking about right now that are really great and hopefully in a year or so we should start seeing something from them.
WSVA: That’s great. I was always fascinated by label politics, especially when I read about how Blake went with Sub Pop for The Elected album rather than Saddle Creek because they just didn’t have the same excitement for it.
JENNY: Yeah, I think Sub Pop was just generally more excited about it and the Sub Pop crew over there is just great. Plus what an amazing thing to be a part of a label that has such a great history.
WSVA: Absolutely. Will your label be as artist friendly as Saddle Creek has built its reputation on?
JENNY: Definitely, we’re gonna do our best to use all of our experiences with labels to make ours work.
WSVA: I was sort of confused when Connor started his label Team Love because, didn’t he start Saddle Creek?
JENNY: I think his brother actually started Saddle Creek. With them, like most labels, there is a committee and a bunch of people who have to decide what will get put out and sometimes they pass on great bands like Matt Ward who’s record is out on Merge and is an amazing, amazing record and so I think Team Love just allows Connor to put out exactly what he wants. Which brings me to a good segue to some self promotion, I’m actually going to do a solo record for Team Love that’s going to come out sometime next year.
WSVA: Really? Is it going to be under your name or an assumed name?
JENNY: I haven’t decided yet, I don’t know what I’m gonna call it. But I never even thought about doing that before and he asked me and kinda convinced me to do it.
WSVA: Well I’m sure the record will be great. I love the Tilly and the Wall record and I think he’s got a great thing going over there and I’m really excited to hear what comes out of it.
JENNY: We’re actually going on tour with Tilly and the Wall and Now it’s overhead. We’re taking strings and horns with us and congas with us so I’m excited.
WSVA: Congas?
JENNY: Congas.
WSVA: What about maracas, will there be maracas?
JENNY: …Yes.
WSVA: Oh crap that’s good news! I will be there!
JENNY: You can play the maraca!
WSVA: Well then I better get to practicing because last time I played I blew out my maracin’ wrist.
JENNY: Wow.
WSVA: That just reminded me of Beulah, another band that’s used a maraca in the past and they’re breaking up. Just like poor Ozma. You toured with them.
JENNY: Yup. They actually took us on their first tour.
WSVA: How was it?
JENNY: It was great. They seemed very happy. But it’s really hard being in a band for a long time. At a certain point you have to look around and say: “Is this really what I want to do with my life and do I really want to spend it with these people, do I even like them anymore, did I like them to begin with?” So we feel pretty lucky that we can still tolerate each other.
WSVA: Has that come easy or is it something you’ve had to work at?
JENNY It’s deffinatly something we’ve had to work at especially because Blake and I used to go out a couple years ago and then we broke up and we were still in the band now we’re really good friends and it’s been a couple of years since we were together but we’ve weathered them well I think.
WSVA: That’s interesting, I didn’t know you two dated.
JENNY: We did indeed.
WSVA: That sounds so “Days of Our Lives”.
JENNY: It was. There were many things thrown in the practice space.
WSVA: Really?
JENNY Oh yeah.
WSVA: That’s hard to imagine.
JENNY: I don’t know, if you hung around us I think you could imagine it.
WSVA: So you got a new record coming out and a tour coming up, tell us about the record.
JENNY I don’t really know what to say about it. There are eleven songs.
WSVA: Recently there has been a rush of guest stars on albums, I know The Elected had a lot of guest stars, can we expect any on this album?
JENNY: Yes. Jimmy Tamborello produced a track along with Farmer Dave from All Night Radio. We did a couple songs with Mark Trombino from Drive Like Jehu.
WSVA: He’s an amazing producer too.
JENNY: Yeah, he was really great to work with. Also Neely and Kianna from Tilly and the Wall sing back ups on a song. Also Nate Walcott arranged stings for us. There is a whole cast of characters that helped us out. A Doo-Wop group called No Better Cause.
WSVA: Really?
JENNY Yeah, me and Mike went to a college in Lincoln, Nebraska and asked the head of the music department and he told us to check out No Better Cause so we made a sign saying we were looking for them and stood outside their classroom.
WSVA: And they didn’t know you were coming?
JENNY: No. That was all part of our brilliant plan.
WSVA: Were they familer with your music before they met you at all?
JENNY: I don’t think so.
WSVA: Wow, it’s nice to know that kind of thing actually happens to people. It gives me hope.
JENNY: Well you should start a doo-wop group.
WSVA: I should… again, I mean. I had one before and it went nowhere. It was just me so it was most just the “doo” and none of the “wop”.
JENNY: Just doo... doo?
WSVA: Exactly. What kind of visual artists inspire your band?
JENNY: I really like Egon Schiele. We actually made a video and my friend Andy did this amazing animation for our video. He worked on it for two months and even used a Light Bright for backrounds.
WSVA: That sounds really cool. Now that you’re doing videos do you worry about getting too big or losing cred or anything like that?
JENNY: I don’t think so, we don’t really worry about that. We just like do what we do and we like to write songs and tour with our friends and even though this is a new thing to make videos it’s been really exciting every step of the way. But I’m sure world domination has it’s down falls, right?
WSVA: Sure and if you thought that there were a lot of fake Jenny Lewis’ before, just wait.
JENNY: Yeah, who are those people?
WSVA: It must be weird to have all that strange adulation. I wonder about how people on the Chris Carrabba level even handle it.
JENNY Yeah. He seems like such a ginger kind of guy anyway. I can’t imagine he’s very comfortable anyway so it must be weird.
WSVA: I wonder though if he’s as uncomfortable as he seems though, especially since the guy is sponsored by Honda now.
JENNY: Yeah, that's kind of a bummer.
WSVA: I know.
JENNY: Yeah but sometimes it’s okay for certain artists, I mean you forgive The Shins for being in a MacDonald’s commercial, right?
WSVA: Do I?
JENNY: Do you?
WSVA: I guess so but I was never really obsessed with The Shins. There are the bands that you think “oh good for them” but then there are bands that you almost feel betrayed by because they mean something more to you.
JENNY: Right, I have to say I was a little bummed about The Shins thing and now Modest Mouse has a song in a Honda commercial.
WSVA: And Death Cab has a song on The OC. JENNY: Right and we have a song on Six Feet Under.
WSVA: I think it’s different though because at least Six Feet Under is trying to be the best show it can be where as The OC just sucks. Beyond that I think it’s different to work on something that is an artistic creation, you’re not really “selling” the show like you would sell Budwiser or a Big Mac.
JENNY: Right.
WSVA: And you must have some insight on it because of the television shows and movies you guys have been a part of and the knowledge of how the system works.
JENNY: True but then people have to pay the rent and people have families and want to buy houses and things. If you can keep the music pure sometimes these corporate dollars can allow you to do that and support yourself at the same time. I certainly did a lot of commercials as a kid for products that I wouldn’t do now. (a long silence as we think this over)
WSVA: So what other kinds of pie do you like?
JENNY: Coconut. I like coconut things.
WSVA: Yeah. Coconut’s pretty good.
JENNY: Yeah.
WSVA: Mmmmm.
JENNY: I’m starving.
WSVA: Then I won’t keep you too long, I only had more questions about pie anyway. Thanks for talkin’ to us and best of luck with the new album and the label. I’m sure it will be a smashing success.
JENNY: Wow, smashing? Great. It was really nice talking with you Joe.
WSVA: It was really nice talking to you Jenny.
JENNY: Have a nice day.
WSVA: You too.
JENNY: Bye.
WSVA: Bye. - J.M.P
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