Creating Utopia: An Interview With Jason Falkner

Posted in Current Faves, Interviews, Music |

Popshifter: (laughs)

Jason Falkner: Just because you have the desire, or you have a good record collection, or you read Mojo—

Popshifter: (laughs again)

Jason Falkner: —it doesn’t mean that you’re very good. But your average person, because society has been dumbed down to such a point, your average person hears their friend’s band that goes (sings) “ooh la la la” and they’re like, “It sounds like the Beatles!”

So you have this real regression. Also because there’s so many options out there and you can actually drum up major business just with MySpace, if you work your ass off on it, which I clearly don’t. (laughs) I probably should but it’s just too time-consuming.

I guess the point I’m making is that when there was a little less to consume, but a bit more quality control. . . well, here’s an example.

Rough Trade, 1978
Photo © Jill Furmanovsky @ RockArchive.com

The label Rough Trade: I used to buy anything that was on Rough Trade because I knew they had a kind of politic.

Popshifter: Yeah, like Some Bizarre or Mute.

Jason Falkner: Yeah, Some Bizarre. . . or SubPop. At SubPop there were just two guys who were deciding what was going to be released on that label. It wasn’t just because there was a band in Seattle. . . (laughs) okay, I should take that back.

Popshifter: (laughs)

Jason Falkner: In the early 90s, if you were a band in Seattle, even if you’d just moved there from Kansas. . .

Popshifter: (laughs)

Jason Falkner: But you know what I’m saying. I think it’s good when there is an entity that releases music that has style and standards. That being said, I would never sign to a label right now.

Popshifter: I also think that the term “pop culture” has become abused. I was just telling someone today, that when I tell people I’m into music, they’ll say these stupid things like, “Oh, well, do you watch American Idol?”

Jason Falkner: Exactly.

Popshifter: And it’s like, “NO!” (laughs) “Why would you think that?”

Jason Falkner: Yeah, it’s like, “Did I stutter? I said I was really into music.”

Popshifter: (laughs) Every dumb band that they hear on Top 40, they’ll ask, “Oh, don’t you like them? I thought you were into music?”

Jason Falkner: “Oh, you got the new Daughtry record?”

Popshifter: (laughs) It’s like, “I’m into food, but I’m not going to eat McDonald’s Filet-o-Fish all day long.”

Jason Falkner: I’m. . . I mean, I’m speechless from that because that is just such a problem. Even my mom, bless her, will be like, “American Idol!” and I’m like, “Oh my god. . . Mom! Do you know who your son is?”

Popshifter: (cracks up)

Jason Falkner: “Do you know who I think I am?” No. . . but it’s really tragic.

I’ve had some friends call me and say, “Hey, I talked to somebody and we could submit your songs to American Idol.” I don’t even call them back!

I mean, are you kidding me?! Have you never listened to what I do? Do you think I would be into that? (laughs)

I mean, I’m broke, but I’m not that broke. There is no “that broke.” That’s like, I’d make that decision in a crazy, rare moment of like, sleep deprivation and (laughing) gnarly alcohol poisoning—

Popshifter: (cracks up)

Jason Falkner: —and then maybe kill myself after.

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Click to read more from Jason Falkner on. . .

Revisiting The Beatles
Ripoffs and references
That “Power Pop” thing
“It all boils down to Bowie.”
A pre-Internet world
The dumbing down of pop culture
What’s next for Jason

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