"I’m the only guy in America without a computer. One of these
years, maybe like in 2008 or something, I’ll get a computer. And a VCR. Join the
modern world."
It seems like a strange admission at first, coming from a
man whose music has been revered and adored by modern sound lovers since the
earlier part of this decade. But on second thought, maybe that trend-bucking
statement isn’t so strange after all. History seems to prove that Jason Martin
has never been one to follow suit for the sake of convention. The
singer/guitarist/songwriter behind Starflyer 59 started the band, with its
characteristic droning guitars and walls of sound, at a time when the Jesus and
Mary Chain’s of the world were being shown the door.
Despite that
potential setback, SF59 found and steadily gained a devoted following, while
continually fine-tuning that classic Starflyer audio formula from album to
album. But 1998 brought a huge departure with the mellow, melancholic pop album
The Fashion Focus, as Jason and Co. surprised the music world yet again
with a non-conformist metamorphosis from prominent screaming guitars to
near-delicate piano keys and…sleigh bells?!
"We just wanted it to be real
minimal and just real easy, different kind of chords," says Jason
as he describes the mood
behind The Fashion Focus. "We use a lot of minors and stuff like that. It was
kind of what I was into at the time. Let’s see what I’m into at the time for the
next one."
And as it turns out, a conversation with Jason Martin is just
as full of surprises as his sometimes chameleon-like musical style. Sitting down
with the man responsible for lyrics such as "These could be days like Lamech"
and "Happy days are here again and you're not," etc., one prepares for an artsy
and rather somber delve into conversation. Thus, you can imagine my surprise
upon discovering an unexpected humor and honesty (even to the point of
self-effacement) in Jason’s views of his music and his life in
general.
After laughingly pointing to the root of
The Fashion
Focus mood shift as "just getting (the frustration) all out from my doomed,
depressed life," Jason elaborates about the latest Starflyer offering, the
Fell In Love At 22 EP. "It’s just a couple songs we had left over and
decided to record them, put out an EP just for the heck of it."
"Just for
the heck of it" seems to be a prevailing attitude on the
FILA22 effort.
What else can quite account for the 14-minute "Traffic Jam" track? As Mr. Martin
explains it, "I wish we could do a whole
album of instrumental stuff. I like doing that stuff. I just figured since it
was an EP, we might as well let it jam."
And jam it does. As far as
future plans for length-lover songs, Jason has this to say. "Traffic Jam…we’ve
got a sequel to that coming, too, on our next record."
So what’s it
called? He pauses with a dry smile and answers, "Detour."
Unfortunately,
the evening’s festivities do not include a detour for any kind of lengthy jam
session. Wrapping up their ultra-brief, six-song set at Austin’s South by
Southwest Music Festival, Jason explains the short stage visit. "We just always
like to play six songs. We don’t like to be jerks to the other bands, you
know…(We just want) to be cool to everybody else and just get off, get the heck
out of there. It’s enough. It gives everybody twenty-five minutes. I can’t even
take twenty-five minutes of that stuff. Twenty-five minutes is about all I can
bear to listen to."
Bet you weren’t expecting that comment, either.
Contrary to trying to support any kind of rock star image ("which we are not,"
Jason reiterates firmly), Starflyer hits the stage and the studio for one reason
only. "I’ve always got songs," he says passionately. "I just want to get them
out. It kind of gets depressing if I think I’ve got a cool song and nobody will
hear it."
And in the future, it seems that Starflyer followers won’t have
to worry about weathering any major musical droughts
from their
favorite rockers. As Jason sees it, the future for SF59 is to "just keep putting
out records…As long as 2 kids buy it, we could still have a record deal, keep
putting out records...I hope Starflyer’s (never over)." And for those more
impatient fans among us, the wait for a
FILA22 follow-up shouldn’t be too
long. "We’re starting a new album in June, so that should be out by the end of
the year."
As to what the new offering will sound like, one can only
assume that Jason will continue the Starflyer evolutionary trend of "doing
different stuff. Like on Silver, I was about 20 and just into different stuff.
I’ve learned how to play a couple more chords, a couple more incredible guitar
chords throughout the years," he adds wryly. " I don’t know, I’m just trying to
do something different, make it kinda fun for us."
In the meantime, despite album
successes, Jason will be keeping his day job. "I work for my dad. I’m a truck
driver." With a grin (and surely with thoughts of
The Fashion Focus
opener, "I Drive A Lot"), he elaborates, "I do drive a lot. See, that’s not art;
that’s truth. I’m writing truth. I’m writing about me, you know what I’m saying?
All about me. People get to listen to songs and writing about me."
All
joking aside, though, the constant controversy over those songs and that
writing, and the connection (or lack thereof) between music and Christianity,
has not left the members of Starflyer unaffected. Faced with the omnipresent
critics and labelers of the industry, Jason has this to say about the
unpleasantly ubiquitous "Christian band vs. Christians in a band"
question.
"Yeah, we’re a Christian band. Everybody in the band are
Christians. We’re just playing tunes, but I wouldn’t say we’re not a Christian
band, because we’re Christians in a band. We believe that Jesus Christ was the
Son of God, and He died and rose from the dead. So that’s what we believe and
we’re in a band, so I guess we’re a Christian band."
Simple enough. And
though the modern technological world goes on without Jason Martin, thankfully,
the Christian music world can claim and enjoy his presence for years to come.
May there always be another twenty-five minutes to look forward to.
