J interview in the german music mag Visions

[FlyingCloud]

the April issue of the German music magazine Visions had an interview with J. obviously, the news about the reunion wasn’t out at the time the interview was held. I translated it, so if the language appears uneven, blame it on me.
here we go:

The Opposite of Fun

big changes are not his business. J Mascis as a solo artist didn’t go far away from the sound of his eternal Indie legend Dinosaur Jr, neither did he go far away from being monosyllabic. Nevertheless he’s thinking seriously about a Dinosaur Jr reunion.

Q:It’s been 3 years now since your last solo record, Free So Free,
A:Really? oh wow

Q:How did you spend the last years?
A: oh man… what did I do? (thinks very long) I moved house. My house was on fire, directly after Free So Free came out.

Q You mean your house in Amherst?
A: Yeah right. So I had to buy a new house and I was busy with insurance matters.

Q: Things are more quiet now for you?
A: yeah, quite.

Q:Let’s talk about the breaking news: They say you’re planning a Dinosaur Jr reunion.
A: (hesitating) We talked about that, here and there

Q: And how are the plans so far?
A: No real plans, we only talked about it a bit.

Q: also with Lou Barlow?
A: yes

Q: and Murph?
A: (nods slowly)

Q: Let’s consider the reunion will really happen. will there be a new album, too?
A: oh, no. that will only be live shows. no new songs.

Q: anyway: there are many people who would like to see Lou and you playing together again. He was an important part of the band until shortly after Bug.
A: yeah, but then it was impossible to go on.

Q: How is your relationship nowadays? do you talk?
A: a bit. I don’t talk too much with Lou. We get into an argument too fast.

Q: How does the thought feel, to go onstage as Dinosaur Jr after so many years? Are you looking forward?
A: Not really. (giggles)

Q: why not?
A: (silence) I don’t know! (giggles again)

Q: you don’t think it will be fun?
A: (resolutely) No! it will be the opposite of fun.

Q: you only do it for the money?
A: Probably, yes. why else? (laughs out loud)

Q: you’re doing the same like the Pixies, then?
A: looks like it.

Q: like: what they can do, we can also do?
A: not exactly. our situation has more incalculable factors.

Q: how does Lou like the idea of a reunion?
A: Lou always liked the thought, all the time.

Q: did he bring up the idea, or was it you?
A: (long silence) I don’t know.I think our managers have talked more about it than we did.

Q: honestly, it will be easier for you to share a stage, than to work together on an album? you already had the problem of different musical visions back then.
A: no, that wasn’t the reason. it was more the two different characters. we just didn’t get along with each other. music was the only thing we shared.

Q: were you interested in what he did with Sebadoh?
A: I went to his shows, when he was in town. But I didn’t listen much to his records. that would have been too much Lou. And I really had enough Lou for a lifetime. He really isn’t a bad guy, it’s just like when you listen to a record 1000 times. that’s enough forever.

Q: would he sing in the reunion shows?
A: Oh yes. it was a reason for the split, that he concentrated on Sebadoh, and didn’t contribute to Dinosaur Jr anymore. Suddenly he didn’t want to sing anymore, he didn’t want to do vocals or backing vocals anymore.

Q: so mainly he was responsible himself that he was thrown out?
A: He simply didn’t do anything anymore. but he didn’t want to go, either. But that’s a thing I’ve asked him, if he would sing, because I was always disappointed when he refused to sing. he said yes.

Q: did you have a lot of conflicts after the split?
A: yes. (thinks) it was more that he had conflicts with me than I with him.

Q: when there are tensions in a band, it often leads to intensive music.
A: You know, it’s surely more fun to watch tensions like these, than to be part of it.

Q: which drummer you could imagine to work together with in the future?
A: I played some times with that guy called Kyle (Spence -ed.), he was part of the Fog. He is the only drummer whom I played with, who’s better than me, I think.

Q: another Topic: the first three Dinosaur Jr recordswill be reissued soon. the author Byron Coley is said to have written the liner notes.
A: he’s the only one whom I would let write the liner notes. he’s a real character. have you seen the movie "High Fidelity"? the character of Jack Black bases on Byron.he has also the label "Ecstatic Peace", together with Thurston Moore. Normally I hate liner notes, their tone or what they’re about, turns me off.

Q: now, seriously: how likely is a renuion?
A: it is very likely that it will happen sometimes. but on the long run, and if we would come to Germany, I’m not sure.

Q: If there was a tour, and if you would stand at the mic in Berlin, what would you say?
A: (rubs his chin) nothing.

Philipp Welsing

[andyfest]

Thanks for posting that! This sounds a lot more like the J I’m used to hearing. Some of the other interviews I’ve read make me doubt the interviewer was actually talking to J.

[rambleon]

thanks for that …

sounds like the fire was pretty bad if he had to move house

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