Interview: Jupe Jupe
Published on July 2nd, 2012 | Jonny Abrams
Jupe Jupe recently released their terrific new single “Headlong to the Ground”, a swoonsome Stateside take on the smarter end of the Britpop spectrum (think Blur, Pulp…), so we fired them over some questions in the hope of finding out a little bit more about how they operate…
How did you all meet, and how long has the band been going for?
We’ve known each other collectively for years. Patrick and Jarrod were in the Seattle jangle-pop band The Cinematics during the late 1990s. My and Bryan lived in Austin, Texas and played together in the space-prog outfit Maximum Coherence During Flying. In the early 2000s, My, Bryan and Patrick were three quarters of the Seattle new-wave/electronic band Pleasurecraft.
Jupe Jupe was originally formed in 2009 by My and Bryan, who performed and recorded as a duo for the group’s first year. Patrick and Jarrod joined in 2010. The band has released two full-length albums: Invaders and Reduction in Drag.
How would you describe your music, if pushed?
We would describe it as dark, danceable, escapist pop music — if pushed! Our influences are sometimes too numerous to mention. Musical elements include new wave, glam, disco, pop, and 70’s prog—and most of the groups we’ve taken our cues from are from the UK and throughout Europe.
Where are you based, and what do you use to record with?
The band is based in Seattle, Washington. For demos, we use Cubase and Pro Tools. Our last album was recorded by our good friend Trevor Dutton at Studio Wormbone, deep in the forests of Hansville, Washington. Drums, engineering and production were completed at Seattle’s Jupiter Studios by Martin Feveyear, who has worked with a multitude of acts including REM, Modest Mouse, Robert Fripp and Cornershop.
Is there a full album in the works? If so, what can you tell us about it? (Feel free to be as abstract as you like!)
We’re currently writing songs for our next album, which we hope to record early next year. The demos are sounding like a combination of Echo and the Bunnymen, Roy Orbison, Italian film scores, and Kraftwerk.
Where can we hear your music online?
Hear it at www.jupejupemusic.com
Buy it at Amazon, iTunes, Band Camp (http://jupejupemusic.bandcamp.com/) and CD Baby (http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/jupejupe1)
Which have been your most exciting gigs and/or overall moments so far?
Our recent trip to Austin, Texas for the South By Southwest festival was definitely our most exciting week together as a band. Not only did we play at some incredible shows, we also experienced canceled flights, lost luggage, a five-hour trek across the state and through a torrential downpour to make a gig (with 10 minutes to spare), and many drunken evenings listening to fantastic groups.
Got any more coming up? (Gigs, that is…)
Yes. We have several large shows in Seattle—including the Noise for the Needy festival, a highly publicized benefit for local charities, and the Seattle Rock and Roll Marathon, which is attended by thousands of runners and spectators. A total of twenty-six bands are set up on stages at each mile mark throughout the course, which traverses through the city. Our load-in time is 5:30 am – our earliest yet!
Are there any obscure and/or up-and-coming acts that you’d like to recommend or give a shout-out to?
Bearstronaut, a Boston synth-pop band we met while in Austin.
Finally, if you were forced to spend the rest of your days in solitary confinement, but were allowed to bring the entire works of five different artists along to tide you over, whose would you choose?
Patrick: The Beatles, The Smiths, The Jam, New Order, Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark
My: Roxy Music, Echo and the Bunnymen, Kraftwerk, Legendary Pink Dots, The Cure
Bryan: Richard O’Brien, Mark Bolan, Riz Ortolani, The KLF
Jarrod: The Beach Boys, The Smiths, Frank Sinatra, Blur, The Cardigans
Jupe Jupe, thank you.
Jupe Jupe’s new single “Headlong to the Ground” is out now