Written by: Jen Dan
Modern music is like an exploratory experiment in genetic engineering. It’s all about cross-genre gene splicing, creating the wildest hybrids possible by collaging elements together from the most unlikely sources.
A prime example of this type of playful approach to sound creation can be found on Long Tall Jefferson’s new album, Cloud Folk.
Cloud Folk is, of course, an invented genre, combining traits from loosely connected sub-genres found on Soundcloud with indie folk. The result is rootsy and glossy, irreverent and contemplative, and brash and classy all at once.
The LP was released on a Swiss collective-run label called Red Brick Chapel. The key players on the record, besides Jefferson (who played the acoustic parts and sang all of these songs), are Franziska Staubli on electric guitar and Laura Schenk on keyboards and backing vocals.
The full length is available on all streaming platforms and can be purchased on vinyl via Bandcamp.
Stereo Embers Magazine: Hello Long Tall Jefferson! Your music is really fun…
Jefferson: …and that’s what it should be, right!? I’m glad you say that! And, honestly, to me, even really sad music can be fun. Gosh, I’m so glad that music is such a multi-dimensional and un-sizable thing.
SEM: Would you say that you are a pretty easy-going individual?
Jefferson: (laughter) Oh man, I don’t know… like all of us, I’m many different things! I think I can be pretty easy-going for a while, especially when I’m around people. I want to keep the mood up and have a good time. People told me I have a relaxing effect on them, which surprises me because my mind is constantly buzzing… and when it comes to my art, I can be an obsessive maniac.
SEM: What drove you to start making music and how did you find yourself in the folk community?
Jefferson: I was always into music; it started early on as a kid. I remember having these emotions running through my body when listening to a song I liked, that made me hug the world or something. So I learned a few instruments as a kid and settled for the guitar, which became a true obsession once puberty hit. Playing guitar and starting to write songs, occasionally, really became all that I was doing.
Besides going to school, I’d play in rock bands and spend every weekend jamming in this room we had. I moved on to studying music, and by the end of it, I found myself in the role of a sideman, touring Europe with Swiss electronic producer Pablo Nouvelle. It was during this time that I realized I had piled up enough folk songs to make an album all by myself, and that was the start of Long Tall Jefferson.
SEM: You are a part of a whole community of Swiss artists, a collective that releases music under the name Red Brick Chapel – Tell us about that.
Jefferson: Red Brick Chapel started in 2011 as a bedroom label for my own band, and soon enough, I was releasing music from my circle of friends. At some point we decided it’d be more fun to run this thing together, and that’s when it really picked up steam. It all grew into a cooperative representing around 35 musicians who play in about 15 bands between each other. There’s a great sense of community in this, and every band somehow carries our collective spirit out into the world. Plus, we have the best deals with our own label, as you can imagine.
SEM: How would you describe the state of the Swiss music scene at the moment?
Jefferson: There is a truly thriving scene here, in this country, that really amazes and inspires me. Also, I feel like I’m part of a younger generation of musicians that doesn’t care about long-established, genre-divided scenes. There’s an ‘anything goes’ vibe among us that gives me a lot of joy.
SEM: If you had to choose three Swiss artists to introduce us to what’s going on in the scene, who would they be?
Jefferson: So first off, I can really recommend every band on our collective. Now that I made this clear, let me show you some other artists:
My current favorite Swiss band is Panda Lux whose new record is full of great pop attitude and phenomenal production: https://pandalux.bandcamp.com/album/fun-fun-fun
Recently, I discovered electronic music producer Noémi Büchi, and ever since, I listen to her music non-stop: https://soundcloud.com/noemibuchi
Kush K is sort of a band associated with our collective, but they release with another great underground label called Blau Blau Records. Check out their debut album: https://kushk.bandcamp.com/album/lotophagi
SEM: Tell me about your fondest memory of writing and recording Cloud Folk?
Jefferson: The moment when I finally solved the puzzle of “Wild Imagination” one morning, with this slow cloudy beat, and then recording the electric guitar over it. Later, the voices and the harmonica, and I was just beaming with joy. I was laboring over this song in various tempos with an acoustic guitar, for ages. I made several different versions, but I was never happy. When I cracked the code it made me also feel very strongly about Cloud Folk as a concept. It was as if I could finally see the DNA of this idea and only needed to follow the links to complete my mission
Find out more about Long Tall Jefferson
https://www.longtalljefferson.com/
