Jack Oblivian

From the March Issue of OXFORDINSTEREO.COM

JACK OBLIVIAN: ON THE FLIP-SIDE
BY KID TWIST

ROCK-N-ROLLER, BALLADEER, AND STORYTELLER, JACK OBLIVIAN HAS MADE A PERMANENT MARK ON MEMPHIS MUSIC. FROM THE FIRST COMPULSIVE GAMBLERS’ SINGLES TO THE NEW JACK O’ ALBUM “THE FLIP-SIDE KID”, JACK HAS CREATED A UNIQUELY SOPHISTICATED BUT SEEMINGLY SIMPLE SOUND. WILD GUITARS AND TIGHT HORNS. MUSCULAR RIFFS AND DEADLY WALTZ. ORGANS AND VIOLIN. THESE ARE JACKS TOOLS. IN THIS DAY AND AGE OF HOMOGENIZED CULTURE AND BANDWAGON SCENES THE SINGULAR TALENT OF JACK OBLIVIAN SHINES BRIGHTER THAN EVER. QUIET AND RESERVED OFF STAGE AND WILD AND SWAGGERING ON, JACK OBLIVIAN IS THE FLIP-SIDE KID.

TWIST: HOW DID MOVING FROM CORINTH, MS TO MEMPHIS IN THE LATE 80’S AFFECT YOUR STYLE?

OBLIVIAN: BEFORE I MOVED TO MEMPHIS I PLAYED BASS IN MY COUSIN’S BAND, I REALLY HADN’T WRITTEN A LOT OF SONGS. THE FEW I REMEMBER WERE KIND OF POPPY, RAMONES TYPE. NOTHING ON THE DARK SIDE WITH MINOR CHORDS OR ANY KIND OF BLUES OR ROCKABILLY. IN CORINTH IT’S NOT LIKE THERE WERE A LOT OF RECORD STORES OR CLUBS. ALL YOU HEAR IS THE MAIN-STREAM MUSIC, AND NOT EVEN A LOT OF THAT. THE FIRST FEW YEARS I WAS HERE I DIDN’T REALLY GET INTO SEARCHING FOR SOUNDS IN RECORD STORES. I WENT TO BARS LIKE THE ANTENNA CLUB AND SAW A LOT OF TOURING BANDS. A LOT OF BANDS WERE POPULAR. A LOT WEREN’T. I SAW SOUTHERN CULTURE ON THE SKIDS WITH ABOUT TEN OR FIFTEEN PEOPLE. WHEN I WAS YOUNGER THAT’S WHAT I DID A LOT. I’D BE GOING TO THESE SHOWS ALONE. KIND OF A LONER. WHEN YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC THAT WAY IT’S DIFFERENT. NOW WHEN YOU GO TO PLACES IT’S DIFFERENT. YOU MIGHT BE TALKING A LOT, YAPPING AND PARTYING. GOING ALONE; THAT WAS MY SCHOOLING.

TWIST: DID SOME OF THE CHARACTERS IN YOUR SONGS COME FROM THOSE EARLY DAYS?

OBLIVIAN: LIKE THE EARLY GAMBLERS STUFF?

TWIST: YEAH. AND EVEN TODAY ON “FLIP-SIDE KID” YOU HAVE CHARACTERS LIKE “KNICK THE KNIFE” AND “FLIP-SIDE KID”. THERE’S A LOT OF STORYTELLING IN YOUR SONGS.

OBLIVIAN: I THINK THOSE CHARACTERS, I DON’T KNOW. JUST BECAUSE YOU WANNA WRITE A SONG DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE GOING TO. I GOT SOME FREE TIME TODAY. I WORKED ALL WEEK AND I’M NOT TIRED. I’M NOT ACHIN’. I WANNA BE DOING SOMETHING. I WISH I HAD THE ANTENNA SOME OF THESE ARTISTS’ DID. ONCE YOU GET A VISION IN YOUR HEAD OR A PERSON OR CHARACTER THEN YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO GO ON. SOMEONE WAS ASKING TOM WAITS HOW TO WRITE A SONG AND HE SAID “WELL, IF YOU WRITE A SONG IT’S GOTTA BE ABOUT SOMEBODY. AND THERE GONNA BE IN SOME DIFFERENT TOWN. AND THERE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO GET SOMETHING TO EAT WHILE YOU’RE THERE. SO THERE GONNA HAVE TO GO TO SOME PLACE TO GET THAT. THERE GONNA HAVE TO BUY IT FROM SOMEBODY. THEN SOMETHINGS GONNA HAPPEN IN THE PARKING LOT. A FIGHT OR SOMETHIN.” YOU GET A LITTLE NUTTY.

TWIST: DOES THE 4-TRACK HELP YOU EXPLORE THOSE CHARACTERS? A LOT OF YOUR RECORDINGS ARE MADE AT HOME. SORT OF STORY BOARD.

OBLIVIAN: IF YOU JUST HAVE THAT CASSETTE PLAYER, YOU JUST HAVE THAT ONE GUITAR AND LYRICS. THAT’S THE MAIN PART YOU REALLY NEED. WHEN IT GETS TO RECORDING MULTIPLE TRACKS IF YOU DON’T HAVE THE SONG READY, I JUMP AHEAD OF MYSELF AND IT ALL GOES AWAY BECAUSE YOU GOTTA HOOK ALL THESE CABLES UP AND GET MIC LEVELS OR FIND THE MIC. IT’S GOTTA ALREADY BE A STRONG IDEA. IF NOT YOU GET ALL THE MICS HOOKED UP AND THE LEVELS RIGHT. THEN YOU STRUM THE CHORD AND SAY “WHAT WAS I THINKING AGAIN?” BUT THERE’S REALLY NO ONE WAY.

TWIST: DO YOU FIND IT HARD TO BE REAL AND NOT CORNY IN A LOVE SONG?

OBLIVIAN: I HAVE COME UP WITH A COUPLE OF THINGS I THINK WERE TOO EMOTIONAL OR LOVEY-DOVEY TOO WHERE IT’S TOO CORNY. YOU DON’T FEEL RIGHT SINGING IT. JUST BECAUSE YOU WROTE IT DOESN’T MEAN YOU HAVE TO PLAY IT. AND IF THE BAND LIKES IT THEIR ALWAYS TRYING TO GET YOU TO DO IT. “DO THAT SONG! DO THAT LOVE SONG!” BUT SOMETIMES YOU DON’T FEEL LIKE PLAYING IT.

TWIST: THE TEARJERKERS SEEM TO BE BOTH TIGHT AND LOOSE AT THE SAME TIME. HOW DO YOU MANAGE THAT?

OBLIVIAN: I THINK MY GUITAR STYLE IS MORE LOOSE AND JOHN WHITTEMORE IS TIGHTER. IT PROBABLY WORKS BETTER THAT WAY. WHEN IF PLAY WITH RON FRANKLIN WHO PLAYS MORE LIKE ME, I THINK OUR STYLES ARE TOO CLOSE. I’M SORT OF OUT OF THE LINES AND JOHN’S RIGHT IN THE GROOVE. A COUPLE OF SONGS WE’RE PLAYING SEPARATE THINGS AND THEY BOTH BECOME THIS ONE THING. IT ACTUALLY WORKS.

TWIST: WHAT ARE JACK O’ AND TEARJERKERS PLANS? ANY RECORDING OR TOURING ANYTIME SOON?

OBLIVIAN: A COUPLE OF PEOPLE ARE MAKING SOME OFFERS TO RECORD. I GOT SOME WRITE-UPS IN THE COMMERCIAL APPEAL AT THE END OF THE YEAR. SO I GOT SOME PEOPLE WANTING TO RECORD. WE’RE PLAYING SXSW AT SCOTT WINLAND’S BLACKOUT BOOKING SHOW. I MAY GO BACK TO EUROPE WITH THE LAST LINE-UP WE HAD. HARLAN T. BOBO, ADAM WOODARD, AND PAUL BUCHIGNANI. I’D LIKE TO TOUR MORE IN THE STATES. PEOPLE SEND ME MYSPACE OR EMAILS ALL THE TIME. THEY CAN SEE YOU’RE GOING TO EUROPE BUT THEY CAN’T GET YOU IN OKLAHOMA CITY. THE WAY THE MONEY IS IT MIGHT BE EASIER IF THEY CAME TO MEMPHIS. BE CHEAPER. NOTHING WORSE THAN HAVING A BAD FEW WEEKS ON THE ROAD AND THE BAND GETS MAD AT YOU. YOU’RE THE ONE WHO SAID “LET’S GET OUT OF TOWN.” AND YOU COME BACK BROKE.

TWIST: SOMETIMES PEOPLE FORGET THEY DON’T LIKE TOURING, AND THEY GET OUT THERE ON THE ROAD AND THINK “I FORGOT.”

OBLIVIAN: “I FORGOT HOW MUCH IT SUCKED.”

TWIST: WELL THANKS A LOT.

OBLIVIAN: YOU'RE WELCOME.