Okay, so spring is basically here. The time is coming when we won’t need our jackets anymore and we’ll ride our bikes to the beach with frisbees in our bags and sunglasses over our squinting eyes (squinting due to sun kissed smiles, of course). Are you ready for the soundtrack for this summer? I will definitely have a lot more to say about this band later, but let’s all meet Jason Brewer, front-man of The Explorer’s Club. Now I know a lot of bands sound like the Beach Boys nowadays, but seriously, you have no idea until you’ve heard these guys. (highly recommended)
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Dylan: Hi Jason, welcome to the Releblog! First question: what’s your favorite album right now?
Jason:It’s a Tie!
Burt Bacharach – Reach Out – I love bacharach’s chord progressions and his disc really showcases the music and less the solo performers that performed all of Burt’s hits.
and Larry Norman – Upon This Rock – I love how Larry had boldness in his Lyrics and a great rock and roll spirit in the music. Such an incredible record. His music always gets me thinking and realizing how easy it is to share your views on faith and spirituality to those around you.
Dylan: Have you seen any good shows lately?
Jason: Best group I have seen lately is our friends Dr. Dog. Seriously intense rock and roll extravaganza. When you see a Dr Dog Show you are in for one heck of a rock and roll party. The band has so much energy and they really bring the house down with their top notch vocals and guitar attack. Great band all around. Catch them whenever they come through your area.
Dylan: Yeah, I’ll get behind that. I saw them open for Architecture in Helsinki a while ago, they do the running man while they play their guitars. It’s pretty great. Would you like to share a favorite tour memory?
Jason: The best memory I had was when I urged Jim (our guitarist extraordinaire) and Stefan (Captain Keyboards) to go meet Michael Stipe. We had just finished our SXSW set at our Label (dead oceans/Secretly Canadian) Showcase and I walked to the upper patio to rest after rocking and rolling and low and behold I see michael stipe 2 tables back from ours. I am a big REM fan and got a little (a lot) nervous so I said “Hey Jim, Stefan! Its Stipe from REM! Grab and Explorers Club CD and introduce your self! ” They balked at first but then got pumped about meeting a member of the rock and roll hall of fame so they grabbed a disc and went to say hello. They were greeted with a handshake and a thank you upon reaching out with the CD. A very interesting and fun meeting for those guys. I was glad I could witness that.
Dylan: Awesome. Do you have a philosophical/theological thought you’d like to share with the ReleBlog?
Jason: I was singing a song at Church the other night called “Mighty To Save” and it reminded me how God is bigger and mightier than all the problems in my life or anyone else’s life. For some reason that really stuck in my head. It helped me think about all the tasks I had coming up that week and made me realize that I can tackle what I had ahead of me with some prayer and faith in the notion I had gathered from the song at church.
Dylan: That’s so encouraging, thanks for sharing that. Are you reading anything good right now?
Jason: I was recently reading a book called Heart Of The Artist and there is a great chapter in it about the emotions artists deal with. There was a great quote in that chapter by Songwriter Jimmy Webb that talks about how Artists deal with melancholy and mood shifts. Webb’s quote mentioned how the temptation to self medicate when those moods arise is a difficult beast to deal with. That quote gave me a greater understanding of how others in my field must deal with their problems through various distractions. I am not one to self medicate in any chemical or consumption related ways but i do notice that when I have those shifts there are different ways that I deal with those things, that quote and the book as a whole really struck a chord with me on several levels. Its great to get an understanding of how the mind and heart of an artistically driven person operates. Good perspective to have.
Dylan: Hey Jason, what are you wearing right now?
Jason: A blue and white striped t shirt, navy blue greek fishermans cap, dark blue jeans from old navy, and barefeet.
Dylan: I’m not sure if you can “wear” bare feet, but that’s okay. Why do you make music?
Jason: I want to entertain people and bring good vibes and harmonies to as many ears as possible. I want to share my musical abilities with others.
Dylan: You’re a cool guy Jason, I hope people will really get down to Explorer’s Club in 2008!
Jason: Our record comes out May 20! FREEDOM WIND is the title! www.myspace.com/explorersclub. Let that freedom wind blow your mind!
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So check out the Brian-Wilsonesque vibes and be amazed!
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I wish the summer sun would last the whole year long
