If you are over the age of 20-something the name Jebediah will ultimately bring back memories of your teenage years spent moshing around at Homebake screaming, "Life was never good to me!" Talking to Brett Mitchell however, one gets the feeling that the Jebs may not have much to complain about anymore, with a new album on the way, and a possible collaboration with Hannah Montana.
yourGigs (yG): So you guys are recording a brand new album with Dave Parkin. What can old-school Jeb fans expect from the new material?
Brett Mitchell (BM): Well it's a bit early to say. We are trying to take advantage of the situation this time around which is that there is no schedule for completion, no marketing or commercial considerations, and no real pressure to meet any particular expectations. Basically it's a pretty laid back environment, but it means that we can give things plenty of time and attention and not proceed until we're happy. We're not really interested in consciously trying to be anything different than what we are but there will be stuff on there that sounds new. I already think it's going to contain some of the best songs we've ever recorded, but frankly I'm just glad to be involved so I could be a tad biased.
yG: You guys are playing the Blueprint Festival, which is looking like it is going to be a pretty original and different festival-going experience. What are hoping for on the day?
BM: First and foremost that we can put on a good set, especially considering some of the tasty stuff that is on the line-up. Because we only play sporadically now, it takes a bit more effort to get warmed up and ready for shows - so we'll be rehearsing for it and will be doing a warm-up show in Perth to kick off the cobwebs. Apart from that simply good weather, good music, good fun.
yG: You're festival veterans - what is it about the festival experience that you guys love so much? How does it compare to individual shows?
BM: It's an experience unlike any other and probably fans and bands alike get a similar sort off buzz from the scale and variety of it. It can be nerve-wracking playing a big show, but when it goes right it's incredibly gratifying to be a part of. You don't have the intimacy of a smaller show, which allows you to connect to people more as individuals I guess - which is also really great when it happens. I guess a good show is a good show regardless of how many people are involved, but the energy is very different.
yG: You guys played a fairly limited tour last year, can fans expect to see more headlining Jebediah shows soon?
BM: Umm... maybe? I think realistically it will be when we release new material, so not for a while. Things like that do unfortunately become more difficult to schedule with everybody having other commitments. Instead of something you "just do", it becomes something you need to have a reason to do - apart from having fun. That sounds a bit sad doesn't it? Personally I think a week or two off work is a good enough reason to play some shows.
yG: Are there any collaborations on the new album? Who would you love to collaborate with in the future?
BM: Not so far. I sent some demos to Billy Ray Cyrus but have yet to hear back - I guess he's understandably pretty busy with the whole Hannah Montana thing but I'm still a bit miffed to be completely ignored. We may have to look a little closer to home. I have a cat who's pretty vocal, but I haven't yet tried to teach her anything about songwriting, and frankly she's got a very short attention span so it probably wouldn't work out. She'd arrive at the studio eight hours late and then immediately lose interest and wander off. I'm currently investigating the feasibility of a collaboration with Bob Evans, but his management is notoriously controlling so this may not meet with approval either. Actually Dave Parkin would easily count as a collaborator since he plays in Red Jezebel. If we left him for long enough with what we've recorded so far he'd probably finish the album for us.
Truthfully though, we might get to a stage where some of the songs need a little something, and hopefully if we reach that point we may be able to pull in a couple of favours from around the place. We'll have to keep you posted.
Alex Hahn
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