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In Conversation with Jen Schande - June 2003
A little background:
I first became aware of the music through a compilation on the great 555 records called 555CD 55 which featured a track by one of my partners in D.I.H, Keith Hicc under the name of Shanks Pony which is worth picking up the full CD alone for that.
I was really quite charmed by Jen's track "I walk with Fahrenheit", in fact so much I then dropped her a line and picked up her debut solo CD "kisses from moters, gashes from bellers" from her and was instantly impressed by her madder rose / breeders / throwing muses sort of lo fi indie / pop.
Jen also appears in a band simply called "The Schande" who are currently touring around the Birmingham area.
Prior to "The Schande" Jen was involved in a number of other bands / projects including Shove (1991-1997), Sharkey Farmers (1997), Bead Arithmetic (1998-1999), and Life Partners (1999-2001).
As Jen herself has said Shove was perhaps her most established outfit to feature Jen's talents to date (although I do think her current band "The Schande" could well go onto been just as major - SS) with four cross-country (America) tours and a variety of releases under their belts. Among these releases, Shove appeared on a variety of split singles with Team Dresch and Granddaddy, and was also featured on the Guided By Voices tribute album, "Blatant Doom Trip".
Shove themselves received critical acclaim in national music publications such as Magnet, Maximum Rock&Roll, Your Flesh, Zum zine, and Punk Planet to name but a few and toured with bands such as The Breeders, Imperial Teen, No Doubt, the Spinanes, Tsunami, Heavens to Betsy, Excuse 17, Some Velvet Sidewalk, Sone, Hazel, Go Sailor, Grandaddy, and many others.
After Shove split, Jen was involved in several other bands before moving over to England where she released her solo CD "kisses from Moters, gashes from Bellers" before forming The Schande, who are well checking out!
Jen herself in the interview as transcribed below, explains things in somewhat more depth, where to actually get her CDs from (including mentioning about her forthcoming release on Red Square records - which I cannot wait for myself!), but I would personally use her e-mail address which is -
Jen's e mail address
Thanks again, Jen. - Andy N - June 2003
Setting Sun:Hey there! How's things and what are you up at the moment?
Jen:
Hi Andy! Things are very well with me, thank you kind sir! As of late, I've been really busy but not for any exciting reasons, pathetically. I've just been working lots and doing research for school. Fortunately I've been able to spice things up by playing some shows, but for the most part I've just been working and nerding out.
Setting Sun: Now I've known you for a little bit but there will be some people reading this who won't - so can you introduce yourself if you like even and tell us what got you started etc, etc? Oh dear...where to start, where to start?
Jen:
Well.... let's see here.... my name is Jen, i'm28, from California, I'm a Pisces and I enjoy sunsets, walks on the beach, and fluffy bunnies. As for a musical introduction.... when I was 16, my friend mark and I started a band called shove together. We began in Ventura, California (our hometown) but he and I both went to university in Davis, California and we were pretty much based out of there. Shove played together for about 6 years, and while I could tell you all the things we released and stuff, I think I'll just make life easier and recommend that you check out:
Omnibus Records Website
You can read reviews and all that kind of stuff from the website...the websites a lovely shade of green too...well worth a viewing! Omnibus records is the label that mark started and we obviously released all of our stuff on it. He's really made a great label and has really wonderful bands on it.
Setting Sun: Again for those who don't know you, can you tell us what stuff you have released so far and where people can get them?
Jen:
To date, I have 3 releases...well, I guess it's more 2 and a half. First, I have a CD called "Kisses from Moters, Gashes from Bellers" that you can buy at any The Schande/ Jen Schande show, or you can email me and for a whopping ? you can get yourself a CD. Or, you can go to the music room in stoke-on-trent and buy one there. It may be easier to email me though!
[email protected]
Second, the wonderful Caroline and Darren from squirrel records (also of the now sadly defunct popthreat) released a split 7" with Jen Schande (me) on one side and the cribs on the other. The cribs are fantastic, let it be known!!!!
Third, or Second and a half release, is the 555 records comp that I contributed a song too. I am on the bonus disc though, which is only on the 500 pressings, so depending on the copy you have, I may or may not be on there!
HOWEVER, sorry for the bold type but I'm excited about this, I do have a new CD coming out sometime this summer- or year- on red square records. The CD is from 'The Schande'- as it's a band effort and not a solo thing- and it's called "we're talking about china".
Setting Sun: Have you got any more releases / tours on the way? I seem to recall vaguely that you saying that you have an album out soon on Red Square (Jen, Stewart from 555's record label). How did the recording of that go compared with your previous album?
Jen:
Well, as I mentioned above, yes I do have a new album coming out!!!! The difference in this album is that there are more people on it- mind you it's only 4; it's still more than usual!!!! I recorded half of the album in my friend Dave's garage on my 8-track reel-to-reel in Ventura, just as I did for the last CD, but my good friend Jason was on hand to add guitar lines and vocals. He's one of my oldest and closest friends and I adore playing music with him- he has an amazing voice and really added a fantastic presence to the album.
The other half of the album was recorded in San Lois Obispo (also in California) with my friend Darren. Darren and I have a side project together called sharkey farmers and I can say in all honesty that Darren is one of the most amazing musicians (and people) I have ever had the fortune to meet in my life, let alone play music with. He used to be in a band called ranch 51, and shove and ranch 51 played together a lot so we got to be very good friends that way. We recorded together on 16 track reel-to-reel and Darren added an amazing presence to the album as well, as he laid down great drums and vocals.
I had a lot of fun recording this album, as it really was more of a collective effort than the last CD was. I personally think it sounds way more interesting due to the other people being involved too. The only other difference was that the last CD was recorded and mixed in a few days- this album I took a month on, which was really fun. God I miss recording!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Setting Sun: What stuff are you listening to at the moment and what have proved your influences? I would guess from your debt CD "Kissing from moters.... " Madder Rose would be a influence since you covered Baby gets High (which I love too!) And didn't you say recently that you saw Throwing Muses on tour?
Jen:
I have to be completely honest... I haven't listened to Madder Rose in ages! I just really like that song! I loved the first 2 madder rose albums, but the other ones...well, anyway, they weren't my favourites. At this exact moment in time, I'm listening to the "young, gifted, and black" Trojan records compilation. I've also been glued to the Trojan dub box set, volume 2; the yeah yeas; the new yo la tengo; the new Cat Power; and my friend from Germany who is in a great band called 'the boonaraaas' just sent me their new CD so I've been listening to that too. Oh, I've also been listening to the mittens and japhy ryder.... they're from stoke and very wonderful! oh, before I forget, I really like the new Throwing Muses/ Kristen Hersh albums too, and seeing them on tour was fantastic.
Setting Sun: What's the music scene up where you live like in Leamington Spar? Have you seen any good bands recently? I've been up the odd time (Hi Katy and Simon!) and would guess that most gigs would get played towards more Coventry or Birmingham way?
Jen:
Music Scene In Leamington spa? Are you hopped up on goofballs?!!!! :) (lol - Setting Sun) As far as I know, there is nothing even remotely resembling a music scene around here. There's a couple of bars that have bands, but I've actually never been- due to work primarily. There's a bit of an indie scene in Coventry and every now and then a good band comes through. We've played some shows there and have had fun, and I must say, there are a big effort to get music going in Coventry right now. I'm not a huge Coventry fan (despite the fact that 3 out of the 4 members of The Schande are from Coventry!), but I am impressed with the way people seem to be coming together to create more shows and opportunities for indie bands. Birmingham has way way way more going on, but I only go up there to see shows and couldn't really say what kind of scene was/is there... I'm pathetically out of touch with the goings on of the music world!
Setting Sun:I notice on the CD it is really just you on there, how do you transfer this live? Do you have a full rocking backing band or is it just generally you?
Jen:
I play with a band now, so thank god Jen Schande has transformed into The Schande and the live act is way more energetic and interesting! I liked playing solo, but in all honesty it was just a default position. hardeep and daniel, the drummer and bassist of The Schande, and I tried to start a band over a year ago with hardeep in guitar. Sadly, we couldn't find a drummer so nothing ever came of it. I recorded a solo record and started playing shows out of the frustration of being musically inactive for a couple of years, and everything started to fall into place after that. hardeep is now on the drums and rich plays guitar. It sucks that the band had to form around songs I wrote, as opposed to the songs we were writing together last year, but we sadly forgot them all by the time we started playing together again! Oh well.....what do you?
Setting Sun: If you were not a musician, what would be your dream job?
Jen:
Currently, I'm working on my PhD in history. So, if I don't get to be a musician full time, I would gladly be a lecturer in history in a uni- I'd love to oversee research projects and work with postgraduate students. Fortunately, I'm working on the nerdy historian thing right now, so it just may happen! I'd much prefer rock and roll though! Although, thus said, I'd love to be a travel writer too.... that'd be so sweet just to be able to nomad around and then write about it. You'd be like an ethnographer, only way more casually.
Setting Sun: What has been your best / worst experiences of been a solo singer songwriter / been in band? Been in a band myself I've had some fun tales to tell certainly so I could guess you are the same?
Jen:
I really haven't done tons as a solo performer so fortunately I don't really have any bad experiences, per se. I mean, there was the show where I got so drunk I had to stop after 6 songs a). Because I couldn't control my strumming arm, and b) because I had to get sick in the bathroom- but that was much more embarrassing than bad.
As for the best memory, the very first show I played in England was a solo show in stoke-on-trent. I was so nervous because I hadn't played live in 3 years, and had only played about 4 solo shows in all my musical history, but it was one of those nights that can really only be described as majestic. The vibe was sooo cool at the venue- it was the kind of show where a lot of people turned up- due to the headling band- and they were just there to drink, here some music and hang out. It was really relaxed and the show went phenomenally well. I seriously remember that night as one of the best of my life. I know I haven't described it that well, but in all fairness I just don't know how too!
Now band stories...god, the most stories I could share occurred over 6 years ago from when I was in shove. The worst things that happen on tour is when you run out of money and have to sleep in the car and live off of 1 taco bell burrito a day. That sucks. It also sucks when you show up to Fargo, North Dakota only to be called that the guy that booked your shows was fired, didn't tell anyone that he had book a band, and you're basically fucked out of a show. That really sucks.
I got arrested on tour once too...that was funny, well funny now in retrospect. All I can say is that I hate New Jersey and be careful with weed if you ever go there! The incident has been cleared from my record though, so I have since regained my respectable citizen status! The best things that happen on tour are just simple times when you play with bands you love and have a great time hanging out with the people at the shows. It's cheesy, but the nights where everyone is stoked off each other and the energy is positive throughout the whole night 'cause everyone's feeling the music and the vibe.... like I said it's cheesy, but it's what it's all about, really.
Setting Sun: Lastly, something slightly lighter to finish off with... (Nicked from a pal's Zine almost)"Imagine you were ship wrecked on a desert Island and could have (clearly second sight here - lol) the choice of having 5 records or cds with you with a stereo of course. What would be your desert island discs?"
Jen:
Oh, that's not fair!!!!!!!!!
Only 5? doh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, well, I'd have to say....
1). The smiths- self-titled
2). Young, gifted, and black- Trojan compilation
3). Patsy cline 4-disc box set (that's not cheating is it?)
4). Wizards from the Southside- it's a chess records compilation featuring Howlin' Wolf, Little Walter, Muddy Waters, etc. from the late 40s and early 50s and is undoubtedly the best album I own.
5). Siouxise & the Banshees- Kaleidoscope. Man I love that album- sheer brilliance.
Ok Andy, I hope this works for you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Setting Sun: Thanks for this, Jen. Speak to you soon.
Jen:
Thanks so much for sending the questions! Hope you're doing great and I'll talk to you soon!! I've attached a copy of our bio- just in case you thought it'd be useful.
Hearts,
Jen xx