"..elements of Indie Pop with "Club Music", Pysch Rock, Electronica, and general Social Discontent..If you survived (or are surviving) your teen years you may find something very bitter sweet about this.."
Jon Lemmon
Vexed Predilection Tronica
Jon Lemmon Bio:
From Jon:
I was born in the suburbs of Los Angeles, where I spent most of my time alone in an alien neighborhood. When I was 19, I moved to New Zealand. There I made friends and a life for myself. I currently work part-time and spend the rest of my time making music and trying to be nice to people.
Jon just released his debut album "Kindling", a rather impressive EP, for FREE via the artists site (where you can find even more free music -- for FeReEeEeEeE).
Hello, how are you?
Better than I’ve been in several months.
What are you currently listening to?
A self-help audio book, haha! And besides that... nothing really. I think I go through periods of listening to music and periods of creating music... and right now I’m in the creation phase. That said, a friend just showed me an old album by Beth Gibbons (the girl from Portishead) called "Out Of Season". I’m really liking it. It’s so dark and intimate. And I’m guessing I’m about to fall in love with the upcoming Deerhunter album.
You live in New Zealand right? How is the music scene there?
It’s awesome. Lots of good underground music. There’s a festival called Camp A Low Hum which goes on every year. It’s really small (500-1000 people attend), and it’s everything that most crappy massive festivals aren’t... it’s personal, there’s great vibes, lots of space, beautiful surroundings, lots of arts/crafts events, and no VIP area... the artists and audience all just hang out together. It’s such a great experience. 3 days of bliss. Here’s a highlights video of the first one I went to. Oh, and here’s a video of the most recent one which took place in an abandoned outdoor school campus in the middle of nowhere. It had lots of acts big acts from NZ (The Ruby Suns, The Shocking Pinks, etc.) and lots of international acts as well (Jens Lenkman, Dan Deacon, The Dodos). It was really really really good. I think my friend got to dance with Jens at the school ball at the end of everything. She was stoked, haha. But seriously, the guy who runs the whole event is doing an amazing thing for the New Zealand music scene. If you’ve got nothing to do this February, you should come down and join the fun**!
(**Editors note: You payin'?)
Can you please explain the type of “sound/mood” you were trying to achieve when you began writing music?
I didn’t really have one. I just wanted to make music. Then as I kept experimenting some themes started arising. Early on I started experimenting with lots of layered and manipulated vocals... I wasn’t entirely sure where it was all going at the time. Eventually those experiments evolved to incorporate themes of loneliness and isolation... and a vague sense of hope. Now I’m trying to not focus on “sound” as much. I think the majority of music these days is too focused on sonic and visual aesthetic, and not enough emphasis is put into the content of the music itself. What are all these washed out retro new age songs saying? I’m having a hard time finding significant meaning in a lot of them. Not that I think all songs need to have significant meaning... but I just feel like I’m being bombarded with a bunch of stuff that doesn’t really have any point... and it’s making it harder for me to find meaning... to make sense of the world around me.
What song are you most proud of so far?
"Steppenwolf, pg. 247", "Suspended" and a new track I made the other night called "Ascension". They aren’t my most accessible songs, but I that’s part of what I like about them. Their focus is elsewhere. "Steppenwolf" is an investigation into the digital world that is taking over our lives... can beautiful things still exist in such a cold and sterile environment? "Suspended" is a track I wrote in the middle of the night when I had a sudden attack of sadness. I was sleeping over at a friend’s house, and he went to sleep and all the sudden I felt this extreme sense of being stuck in between two worlds and not being able to connect with either of them. So I picked up my laptop and started recording while he was sleeping in the bed next to me. The experience of synthesizing my emotions into that song was very healing for me, and I think the song conveys the emotions that I was feeling at that exact moment. "Ascension" is another song I made in the middle of the night, and I think it’s an accurate description of where I’m at right now. The song is crazed, manic, and incomplete, haha.... but also hopeful. I wouldn’t want it to sound any other way.
I particularly love the track “The Inside Of A Corner”, what is the “theme/message” of this track?
There’s probably a few... but social isolation is a big one... and perhaps difficulty dealing with interpersonal relationships. When I wrote those lyrics I imagined myself at a party and people chattering and talking to me, and me being totally detached and just wanting to go home and be on my own... but at the same time, not wanting that at all.
Who is the most underrated artist out there that you know of?
Daft Punk, hahaha. Everyone thinks their just a cheezy French dance group, but they’re so much more! Seriously, their live show at Coachella 2006... I won’t go into it because I’d end up giving you an essay. But yeah, in terms of unknown artists... you’d probably know better than me. I have a hard time keeping up with all the music that’s produced these days. Oh, I know... Mount Pleasant. He’s a guy down in Christchurch (here in New Zealand), and he’s the most prolific artist I’ve ever met. He puts out like 200 songs a year or something. Sometimes the sound quality might suffer for it, like one of the instruments might be too loud or too quiet, but that’s what I love about it. He’s just got all these ideas flowing out of him, and he doesn’t waste a breath on the meaningless post-production that our current culture is so obsessed with. He’s doing lots of amazing stuff. Also, my friends Wet Wings (also from Christchurch). They’re really cool. They’ve got an upcoming EP which I’m sure is going to be gorgeous.
You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
That would be a sad situation... but probably "The Glow Pt. 2" by The Microphones. That album, with all it’s tortured prayers, speaks to my soul. Although if it’s for the rest of my life... perhaps in ten years I won’t be able to relate to that album in the same way I do now. It’s funny, Phil Elverum (of The Microphones), refuses to play any of those songs anymore. He had some sort of transformation and now he plays under the name Mount Eerie and not nearly as many people listen to his music anymore. I like to think that he’s on a different spiritual plane now and most of us just can’t relate with it, haha. What I’m trying to say is... if I ever have a spiritual transformation, maybe I’ll never want to listen to "The Glow Pt. 2" ever again... or my own current music for that matter.
Are you living your dream?
My dream is to wake up every morning with a smile on my face, and I’m not quite there yet. Once I get there I think my music will sound different... if I’m even making music at all.
Thanx Jon!
Jon Lemmon just released his debut album "Kindling", make sure to get that NOW. (Unless you have a reason for ignoring FREE/QUALITY MUSIC)
Jon Lemmon
Vexed Predilection Tronica
Jon Lemmon Bio:
From Jon:
I was born in the suburbs of Los Angeles, where I spent most of my time alone in an alien neighborhood. When I was 19, I moved to New Zealand. There I made friends and a life for myself. I currently work part-time and spend the rest of my time making music and trying to be nice to people.
Jon just released his debut album "Kindling", a rather impressive EP, for FREE via the artists site (where you can find even more free music -- for FeReEeEeEeE).
Hello, how are you?
Better than I’ve been in several months.
What are you currently listening to?
A self-help audio book, haha! And besides that... nothing really. I think I go through periods of listening to music and periods of creating music... and right now I’m in the creation phase. That said, a friend just showed me an old album by Beth Gibbons (the girl from Portishead) called "Out Of Season". I’m really liking it. It’s so dark and intimate. And I’m guessing I’m about to fall in love with the upcoming Deerhunter album.
You live in New Zealand right? How is the music scene there?
It’s awesome. Lots of good underground music. There’s a festival called Camp A Low Hum which goes on every year. It’s really small (500-1000 people attend), and it’s everything that most crappy massive festivals aren’t... it’s personal, there’s great vibes, lots of space, beautiful surroundings, lots of arts/crafts events, and no VIP area... the artists and audience all just hang out together. It’s such a great experience. 3 days of bliss. Here’s a highlights video of the first one I went to. Oh, and here’s a video of the most recent one which took place in an abandoned outdoor school campus in the middle of nowhere. It had lots of acts big acts from NZ (The Ruby Suns, The Shocking Pinks, etc.) and lots of international acts as well (Jens Lenkman, Dan Deacon, The Dodos). It was really really really good. I think my friend got to dance with Jens at the school ball at the end of everything. She was stoked, haha. But seriously, the guy who runs the whole event is doing an amazing thing for the New Zealand music scene. If you’ve got nothing to do this February, you should come down and join the fun**!
(**Editors note: You payin'?)
Can you please explain the type of “sound/mood” you were trying to achieve when you began writing music?
I didn’t really have one. I just wanted to make music. Then as I kept experimenting some themes started arising. Early on I started experimenting with lots of layered and manipulated vocals... I wasn’t entirely sure where it was all going at the time. Eventually those experiments evolved to incorporate themes of loneliness and isolation... and a vague sense of hope. Now I’m trying to not focus on “sound” as much. I think the majority of music these days is too focused on sonic and visual aesthetic, and not enough emphasis is put into the content of the music itself. What are all these washed out retro new age songs saying? I’m having a hard time finding significant meaning in a lot of them. Not that I think all songs need to have significant meaning... but I just feel like I’m being bombarded with a bunch of stuff that doesn’t really have any point... and it’s making it harder for me to find meaning... to make sense of the world around me.
What song are you most proud of so far?
"Steppenwolf, pg. 247", "Suspended" and a new track I made the other night called "Ascension". They aren’t my most accessible songs, but I that’s part of what I like about them. Their focus is elsewhere. "Steppenwolf" is an investigation into the digital world that is taking over our lives... can beautiful things still exist in such a cold and sterile environment? "Suspended" is a track I wrote in the middle of the night when I had a sudden attack of sadness. I was sleeping over at a friend’s house, and he went to sleep and all the sudden I felt this extreme sense of being stuck in between two worlds and not being able to connect with either of them. So I picked up my laptop and started recording while he was sleeping in the bed next to me. The experience of synthesizing my emotions into that song was very healing for me, and I think the song conveys the emotions that I was feeling at that exact moment. "Ascension" is another song I made in the middle of the night, and I think it’s an accurate description of where I’m at right now. The song is crazed, manic, and incomplete, haha.... but also hopeful. I wouldn’t want it to sound any other way.
I particularly love the track “The Inside Of A Corner”, what is the “theme/message” of this track?
There’s probably a few... but social isolation is a big one... and perhaps difficulty dealing with interpersonal relationships. When I wrote those lyrics I imagined myself at a party and people chattering and talking to me, and me being totally detached and just wanting to go home and be on my own... but at the same time, not wanting that at all.
Who is the most underrated artist out there that you know of?
Daft Punk, hahaha. Everyone thinks their just a cheezy French dance group, but they’re so much more! Seriously, their live show at Coachella 2006... I won’t go into it because I’d end up giving you an essay. But yeah, in terms of unknown artists... you’d probably know better than me. I have a hard time keeping up with all the music that’s produced these days. Oh, I know... Mount Pleasant. He’s a guy down in Christchurch (here in New Zealand), and he’s the most prolific artist I’ve ever met. He puts out like 200 songs a year or something. Sometimes the sound quality might suffer for it, like one of the instruments might be too loud or too quiet, but that’s what I love about it. He’s just got all these ideas flowing out of him, and he doesn’t waste a breath on the meaningless post-production that our current culture is so obsessed with. He’s doing lots of amazing stuff. Also, my friends Wet Wings (also from Christchurch). They’re really cool. They’ve got an upcoming EP which I’m sure is going to be gorgeous.
You can only keep/listen to ONE album for the rest of your life ..which album would it be?
That would be a sad situation... but probably "The Glow Pt. 2" by The Microphones. That album, with all it’s tortured prayers, speaks to my soul. Although if it’s for the rest of my life... perhaps in ten years I won’t be able to relate to that album in the same way I do now. It’s funny, Phil Elverum (of The Microphones), refuses to play any of those songs anymore. He had some sort of transformation and now he plays under the name Mount Eerie and not nearly as many people listen to his music anymore. I like to think that he’s on a different spiritual plane now and most of us just can’t relate with it, haha. What I’m trying to say is... if I ever have a spiritual transformation, maybe I’ll never want to listen to "The Glow Pt. 2" ever again... or my own current music for that matter.
Are you living your dream?
My dream is to wake up every morning with a smile on my face, and I’m not quite there yet. Once I get there I think my music will sound different... if I’m even making music at all.
Thanx Jon!
Jon Lemmon just released his debut album "Kindling", make sure to get that NOW. (Unless you have a reason for ignoring FREE/QUALITY MUSIC)
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