A Q&A with Johnathan Rice
Johnathan Rice is a laid-back guy. The young singer/guitarist talks a mile a minute in an accent that's a combination of his Virginia and Scotland upbringing. Bassist Davey Faragher (Elvis Costello, Cracker), drummer Jason Boesel & singer Jenny Lewis (Rilo Kiley) are among the musical contributors on his exceptional second disc "Further North." NPR stations like KCRW/Los Angeles and other outlets will probably have these alt-country and rock songs in regular rotation (if they aren't already). Rice plays The Glass House on Saturday. The following are excerpts from our chat.
Q: Will this weekend Is this your first time performing at the Glass House?
A: I’ve seen many shows there, but I don’t think I’ve ever played there. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s one of the best places in the whole country. Every time I go to see one of my friend’s bands there…sometimes it’s preferable to seeing a show in Los Angeles.
Q: Do you prefer to perform solo acoustic or with a band?
A: I’m certainly more accustomed to performing solo acoustic, but I have more fun personally interacting with other musicians. At the Glass House, we’ll strive to get a mix. I’ll be doing a couple songs by myself as well.
Q: Considering the amount of touring you’ve done in recent years, do you think you’re more confident as a musician now?
A: Very much so. I just have a different approach to playing live than I did before. People didn’t necessarily pay to see you (at shows), so you want to make sure you don’t rip them off and they’re getting their money’s worth.
[Due to a poor phone connection, I hang up and call him back. He says “it sounded like I was being interviewed by a trout underneath a lake.”]
Q: There are references to California, Arizona, Nevada on the CD. Was that a result of touring those places or leisure time?
A: I think it was between the recording of the first and second album. The first album, I was living in my native Virginia and New York City on the East Coast.
Q: Which 9/11 influenced.
A: People made a lot about that, but I don’t know if it influenced the music itself. I moved to New York within 24 hours of (9/11) happening. I don’t remember specifically thinking about 9/11 when I was writing. With the Southwest, I think it was because I changed my scenery.
Q: "Further North" has a sparer production compared to "Trouble is Real." Did your intend to strip away some of the gloss this time?
A: Yeah, very much so. A lot of people start out spare and become more lush. I started out very layered and produced and I wanted to get away from that. I thought the material, the actual songwriting, was stronger on this record. I just have a different aesthetic than I did. It comes with age and experience. A lot of the records I’ve enjoyed listening to are very spare and almost primal in their approach: Bob Dylan, the White Stripes and to some degree, the Black Keys.
Q: Was is a better recording experience overall?
A: Yeah, I think because I was very aware of what I wanted to do. I knew exactly how I wanted it to turn out. The first one, I didn’t have any idea. This one was very well thought out. We planned our spontaneity.
Q: On "End of the Affair," your voice is a great fit with Jenny’s. Was it written expressly for a male/female duet?
A: We wrote that song together. In between the touring for ‘Trouble is Real’ and this album, we played all over the world and were singing together every night. We were closing the shows with an old gospel song from the 1800s and we discovered our voices blended quite well. It was a happy accident and we sang more and more like that as we were traveling. It’s something we enjoy doing.
Q: I dig the Byrdsy vibe on "What Am I Gonna Do?" Was Roger McGuinn & Co. an influence on you?
A: Massive. I think one of my favorite musical moments was the first time I heard “Eight Miles High.” It seemed like Eastern and Western music all at once. When I was a kid, I thought it was backwards - the scale he was playing and the sound of the Rickenbacker 12-string...since Roger was a big influence on Mike Campbell and Tom Petty, I also loved the Heartbreakers records so much…that was a conscious influence on the songs and the studio we chose – Sound City in Van Nuys where Petty made a lot of his great records.
Q: I was impressed to see you worked with bassist Davey Faragher on the new CD.
A: He was the most important member of the band in a lot of ways because a lot of the other guys were younger and friends of mine. Having a musical presence like that in the room made everyone bring their A game. He motivated everyone.
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