Q&A with J. Tillman (of Fleet Foxes) — Playing @ The EARL, November 21

By Eileen Tilson

A few months back I received the new J. Tillman CD to review. Not knowing much about the Tillman, outside of the fact that he was the drummer for Fleet Foxes, I decided I needed to do some serious research. I put in the album, and what came through the speakers blew me away. I searched around on his MySpace, and discovered that not only was Tillman an extremely talented songwriter, but that he has put out several great albums. Ironically though, there were only negative comments from other music critics. I emailed his publicist to discover the reason for this, and Tillman himself wrote me back. Instead of doing a review, I wanted to get the most honest interview I could, and then let the listeners decide if they like it or not. So here is the interview, please leave as many comments as you can.

You told me that you hope people don't feel the need to read reviews in order to decide for themselves if the like it; I have listened to it, and it sounds like a hymnal to my own personal church; is there a vision you have for your albums, do you hope a message gets passed to your listeners?

Well, as opposed to saying that I "hope" people don't need to read reviews, I'm of the opinion that all reviews really do is either confound or affirm people's existing stance on something. Reading reviews of something you haven't heard is a bit silly, I think a lot of places that provide reviews thrive solely on a masochistic appetite. Most people don't think of themselves as people who like something just because someone else told them they should. It's not much different than "Funniest Home Videos." Sometimes people just want to see someone else get hit in the balls. That form of infotainment is totally divorced from the perceived quality of the source for most people.

I'm not necessarily trying to convey a message with my albums. Messages get fine-tuned, and are altruistic. The listener is the whole point of a "message." My songs don't always portray what's best for people, it's a distillation of the philosophies that are sensual to me.

Are your songs more inspired from the life you live, the lives you watch, or the lives you read about?

I think all three come into play.
 
What are you reading right now?

The Gay Science by Nietzsche, The Tree of Life by Israel Regardie, Notes from the Underground, and some Aleister Crowley stuff on Numerology

Does your environment effect your creative process? Your music is so rich and earthy, it seems like you formed your album using more of your carpenter skills than instruments.

Not a carpenter; I think the fact that I said the word "carpenter" in the sentence, "I wasn't a carpenter" to the lady from The Irish Times confused her. I did grunt work and manufacturing for a company that fabricates acoustical paneling. Used tools and wood, etc. but I couldn't build you a rocking chair. 
I'm not much of an outdoorsman, I'm more of a stay inside and read kind of guy. I enjoy nature as much as anyone else, but this whole idea that 20-year-olds who do interviews on their laptops and have publicists are actually cave-dwelling hermits is pretty hilarious. Everybody wants to believe in their abstractions, it makes everything more interesting than it really is. Like calling me a "carpenter." 

Do you ever co-write? If you could co-write with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?

I'm not really proficient enough in the musical language to co-write.  How that happens has always been a mystery to me. It's pretty contrary to my whole process.
 
Do you ever get to a point where you just can't take yourself seriously? What do you do to unwind?

There are substances to help with both of those.
 
What's a perfect day for you?

Thanksgiving.
 
Your lyrics are poetic. The first time I heard "Earthly Bodies" I though I was listening to a Pablo Neruda sonnet. Outside of Flannery O' Connor, are there any other writers whose style you are influenced by?

I don't think my writing is really influenced by Flannery O' Connor.  I love her, but I don't really understand the comparison. "Violent Grace" may be some similar DNA, but even that's a stretch. My lyrics have a pretty drastic economy, and haven't been particularly narrative within the last few albums.  Nietzsche, though that's probably dangerous to say due to how pervasive and wrong the conventional wisdom regarding him is. "Zarathustra" is so lyrical and funny and uplifting, that's a huge influence. 
 
Do you believe in an afterlife, and if so, how to you envision it?

I don't really have any reason to believe in one, but I like ruminating on it. It's pretty crazy how literal people are. Mythology and cultivating one through music or what have you doesn't need to be a means to an actual end.
 
You have been such a prolific songwriter for so many years, is there anyone who you would want to sing any of you songs?

Not really.

J. Tillman plays at The EARL on November 21. Tickets are available at Ticket Alternative.