[nomowish]

http://www.kittymagik.com/interviews....asp?artist=25

 

Words // Jens Jurgensen + Hollis Queens

Pix // Jens Jurgensen
For over twenty years Kim Gordon's bass playing has been anchoring what often sounds like a guitar army in Sonic Youth. Her singing and visual presence at times defined the band and gave them an air of mystery that few bands could touch. Anyone who has been paying attention to the music scene during this time is already familiar with her many talents and accomplishments, so there is no need to review them here. Suffice it to say that Hollis and I were thrilled to sit down with Kim on the occasion of Sonic Youth recording their 19th LP to ask her a few questions.

Jens: Do you approach playing the bass and the guitar differently?
It depends on what the song is. A lot of times when I’m playing bass on songs that are already written it’s going to be more—just kind of conservative, root-based, following the song, until I find a part where I can do something creative. There is always some section in one of those songs where you can think of something more interesting. On guitar it’s more free. Actually, it’s great when Jim O’Rourke plays bass. He’s such a good bass player. I think bass was his first instrument. I’m such a punk rock bass player.

Jens: How do you decide who plays bass?
It depends on the song. You know, whether Thurston would rather have Jim play hot licks (laughs) in the traditional rock sense.

Hollis: What’s easier for you, bass or guitar?
Well, physically, guitar is so much easier. I have chronic tendonitis from double strumming playing bass. As they say in basketball, “I’m playing in pain.”

Jens: Do you have any bass influences or heroes?
Oh, you know, Sid Vicious (laughs) and other really great bass players. When I lived in LA I used to go and see X, and John Doe was the first bass player I thought was really great to watch. And Tim Wright, when I came to New York. I used to love to watch Tim Wright from DNA playing with his shoes off.

Hollis: I used to always see you and Julie Cafritz at Royal Trux shows. What kind of influence did they have on you?
Royal Trux? Oh, they were a big influence on Free Kitten. I love that first Royal Trux record. There are actually women bass players that influenced me. The bass player in the Slits was great, and the Bush Tetras.

Jens: Do you see any influence that Sonic Youth’s music has had over the current music scene?
I don’t see any direct influence. It’s so dissipated. I think we’re part of all those bands who were influential like the Blues Explosion and Pavement. I think Pavement influenced some of those emo bands.

Jens: How did the addition of Jim O’Rourke change the dynamic of the band?
He brought musicianship to the band (laughs). He is a great role player. I like to use that basketball term. Whatever is needed, he’s into doing. He’s very good with details. He and Thurston are big Sparks fans, so he is somebody who will play those double leads. He can bring me more into the fold.

Jens: It seems kind of bold to me that a band like yours, which has been together for a while and have done as much as you have, should bring another member—just the idea seems like it could kind of mess things up.
Well, it could. I mean, at this point, we’ve become so dependent on Jim, and I’m used to him. If he walked, I think it would be weird to be four people again.

Jens: So he doesn’t feel like a new member anymore?
Yes, he’s showing his more human side. He’s not afraid to be human now. But when you’re together as long as we have been—when we signed to a major we’d been together for ten years, so it was like, what do we have to lose? With Jim, it just happened more gradually than people think.

Jens: So you were working with him before he joined?
He had played with us on some of the SYR stuff. Then I had him mix the SYR record that I did, and I really liked what he did. So then we asked him to mix a record for us, and then we had him come on tour to play the bass parts.

Jens: What keeps you wanting to make new music?
Just the music itself, I guess. I mean, it’s kind of like, this is what we do. It’s like blues musicians, or jazz musicians, it’s what they do their whole lives. I don’t know how much longer we plan to go on. Maybe we’ll make films again or something. Who knows?

Jens: It’s just wanting to be creative, and to keep doing creative stuff.
Yes. I’m trying to get more into doing visual art stuff. But it’s so hard to do both, and at some point, music just seems to take over.

Jens: Are you still painting?
Yes. I had two shows this last year. It’s difficult because the art world is so specific, you know, in terms of galleries and where you show. I hate the idea of what a successful artist has to do, but I really love making art. I love thinking about it. I’m a visual person. I just can’t escape it.

Hollis: What is it that bothers you that successful artists have to do?
I just think a lot of them wind up turning out work, having to catalog their work. It’s also the question of what is art for. Who buys your art? Wealthy people buy art. You can’t help but be elitist in a certain way. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the art is done for that, but it’s just dealing with a certain element of people. It’s just kind of gross to me.

Jens: What concerns you most about the current state of the world?
The most immediate thing that concerns me is that Bush might win again. And has Courtney Love turned to Scientology—but I’m afraid to ask.

[LittlePuppetBoy]

"I think Pavement inspired some of those emo bands." What the hell?

[hey alex]

Originally Posted by LittlePuppetBoy

"I think Pavement inspired some of those emo bands." What the hell?

makes sense. Everything cool has to be uncool sometimes. Even if it's by influence.

[Danny Himself]

Originally Posted by hey alex

makes sense. Everything cool has to be uncool sometimes. Even if it's by influence.

Yeah, just listen to 'Brighten The Corners'.

[scott v]

Well, physically, guitar is so much easier. I have chronic tendonitis from double strumming playing bass. As they say in basketball, “I’m playing in pain.”

I guess this pretty much sums up as to why they've been going with the auxilary fifth member for touring at least...

[schizophrenicroom]

Originally Posted by Danny Himself

Yeah, just listen to 'Brighten The Corners'.

ohnoyoudidn't.

neat interview.

[holy-reverb!!]

thanks for that

[making the drama scene]

Originally Posted by nomowish

Jens: So you were working with him before he joined?
He had played with us on some of the SYR stuff. Then I had him mix the SYR record that I did, and I really liked what he did. So then we asked him to mix a record for us, and then we had him come on tour to play the bass parts.

so will Mark sooner or later become a member of sy in the same way jim did???

[guitarpro]

Cool shit