Pepper Jane as a touring recording artist is some kind of perpetually-in-motion, but not-necessarily-going-very-far thing.
In Kansas one minute, then in Tassie, now releasing an EP, ‘Raw And Lightly Salted In Tasmania’, and playing her first international festival in Norway. Is the coyote after her? Is she Road Runner incarnate? No, not that smart. Or slender.
Is she just some kind of a human fidget spinner? Let's find out.
How is our local 'Tumbleweed' going?
Define local. And then check the weather report for today’s wind direction. That’s how. Just keepin’ rollin’, rollin’, rollin’ – (winces) what?
Generally in my 2002 Toyota Hiace, if you must know, though I prefer a Boeing 747, with a kangaroo on it. Low-key: you could really work on your questions.
Wow… so hostility is part of your game plan?
I figure when I meet John Mayer I better have a good story about how the press have had it in for me since forever too, so yes, I think so. Besides, I hear nice guys finish last, when you are in Outkast. See, I used to listen to Green Day. You can defs [sic] add ‘punk’ to the tags for this article now.
Last year you released your debut single, ‘Keys’, with a video clip. How have you found the response?
When I find one I’ll let you know; otherwise I’m still looking. Occasionally for my keys too, though they’ve just been locked in my car in the ignition mostly.
Once, while I waited for RACQ, I had to sit beside the van in Mooloolaba and couldn’t skip to the good songs in my playlist cos my phone was in the car, plugged in, and Siri couldn’t hear me from outside.
I was stuck listening to Christopher Coleman and Jason Mraz in between John Mayer tunes. I mean, I love those guys when I’m in the mood, but not sandwiched between John Mayer when I’m sitting, cold, in the gutter.
PS: Have you read my review of his Brisbane show? He apologised in Melbourne for not playing ‘Gravity’ and said he’d play it every night for the rest of the tour.
Last year you mentioned something about finishing an album?
Only because you asked. Generally, I’m too busy on Instagram to do much music these days.
I mean, I extricate myself to play shows and did have a day in Ian Haug’s Airlock Studios with engineer Steve Kempnich and some fine jazz musicians, so we’ll see what comes out of that. It’s probably not related to the album, though.
Have you turned jazz now? Do we need to put this article in another section of the mag?
I actually am getting a few jazz-flavoured band gigs. This July, after I play at Egersund Visefestival (the oldest contemporary folk festival in Norway) and Huon Valley Mid Winter Fest in Tassie with a band, I play a couple of shows supporting Lisa Richards – world-wide folk, jazz, blues chanteuse – in Lismore and Brisbane.
In August I have a full band show at Doo-Bop Bar, for which I have been harvesting young jazz students from the [QLD] Con and JMI. I haven’t briefed them on what they’re really in for yet. I’m excited about the fresh meat though.
Pepper Jane’s EP ‘Raw And Lightly Salted In Tasmania’ is out now.
Pepper Jane 2019 Tour Dates
12-14 Jul - Huon Valley Mid Winter Festival (TAS)Thu 18 Jul - Wrest Point Casino (Hobart)
Fri 19 Jul - Dusty Attic Music Lounge (Lismore)
Sun 21 Jul - Junk Bar (Brisbane)
Fri 9 Aug - Doo-Bop Bar (Brisbane)
