Shotgun Jimmie has been called Canada’s answer to Pavement. (At least, I called him that right now.) In any case, the songs of Shotgun Jimmie and those of Pavement have lots of things in common: passion, wit and playfulness, to name a few.
Shotgun Jimmie agreed to sit down with the Sheaf to hash out the connections between his music and Pavement’s and to talk about his love for the iconic ’90s indie rock band.
The Sheaf: When did you first hear Pavement?
Shotgun Jimmie: Grade 9.
I think I heard Sonic Youth first. My friend Mike introduced me to Pavement. He said, “If you like this stuff, then you’d probably like this.”
I thought, “This is something that I could get into.”
Sheaf: How does a musician manage to be silly and serious at the same time? That seems to be a common denominator between your music and Pavement’s.
Jimmie: I think that is a great question. It’s why they made such an impression on me. They do get really into it and play passionately but, at the same time, it’s kind of ridiculous. I think you really nailed it right there: (Pavement is) silly and also awesome. It is emotional and heartfelt music.
I guess (with music) it just depends on how you take yourself. If you take yourself too seriously, you will take your music too seriously. But if you take yourself lightheartedly—
I just think being super serious is boring, and I also think it is kind of cheesy. It’s nice to admit that playing music is fun and not trying to heal the world. Not that healing the world is stupid, but doing it with indie rock songs is impossible.
Sheaf: Who has more fun playing music, you or Stephen Malkmus?
Jimmie: I have no idea. I don’t know. I know I have fun, and I imagine he does. He does come off as if he has a nonchalant approach, I think.
Sheaf: What was your favourite Pavement album?
Jimmie: Wowee Zowee. Because it’s really long, it’s good for car rides, it has nice variety and I like the sounds from the studio. They made it at a pretty sweet time in their career or sound, or whatever; I mean, bands change so quickly. (Wowee Zowee captured) a great part of their sound as a band, as a group of dudes. It was also something to do with what was happening in my life: I was a teenager.
Sheaf: Are you excited about Pavement’s reunion tour and are you going to see them on this tour?
Jimmie: No. The thing is, I get emails from fans, saying, “A bunch of us are going from P.E.I to Toronto,” and I’m not interested at all. I think it’s funny that everyone thinks I would be in the front row or something. I got other stuff to do, and I’ve seen them many times before. But I would (travel) for other bands. I would do that to see Yo La Tengo, for instance.
This is a reunion show, so I’m not that excited. I mean, they don’t have any new material — not that I know of anyway. There isn’t the allure that I thought would be there. It’s kind of annoying how excited fans are. They come up to me and they’re like “What do you think!?” and I’m like, “About what!?”
Sheaf: Is there any upcoming Shotgun Jimmie record?
Jimmie: I just wrote a song this morning. I am going to make another record, but probably not ’til this summer.
I have made an album since the last time I was in Saskatoon but I only made one copy. It’s called The Organ Donor. It’s all on this organ I had kicking around. I did a performance playing them on an organ and then I auctioned off the one copy of The Organ Donor. I got Sappy Records to put it out, but only one skid in New Brunswick has it. Although, I was at a show in Winnipeg and this girl said her friend had it and sent it to her, so it’s moving around in an old fashioned way. It was an exercise in being a weird art guy. Also, it was a genuine fundraiser for these guys in Sackville, and an exercise in song writing because I wrote it in a week.
The Paint it Pink EP I wrote in a week too. Then I tried to write songs a week ago and — writer’s block! Son of a bitch! But I am back on the horse now.
Sheaf: You’re heading on a European tour. Have you ever done that before?
Jimmie: I’ve been there for vacation but not to play. I am pretty excited about it, almost nervous. I’m going to some weird place or different places like Serbia — places I didn’t really picture myself going. It’s amazing and exciting and scary. It’s not like Paris or anything, but who knows what (Serbia is) like. You don’t see it a lot on people’s tour dates.
Sheaf: On which tours have you seen Pavement?
Jimmie: I saw them on Brighten the Corners and Terror Twilight — the last two records. And maybe Wowee Zowee, I’m not sure.
I wasn’t so into the live show, that’s probably why (I’m not interested in the reunion tour). The bass player looked like he was having a good time and Bob Nastanovich, the auxiliary percussionist, but everyone else wasn’t into it. I saw what you would call a bad show. But I saw a CBC live show that was amazing.
Actually, the most exciting moment (I experienced seeing Pavement) was at the Phoenix in Toronto. There were these big, velvet, red curtains and these curtains opened up at the beginning of the show just for a second. I saw Bob Nastanovich with a cowbell and said to my friend, “They are going to play the first song off Crocked Rain!” You know, the one that goes da na na da na na da na na na na na na na na na. And then they did! So I called it, or I willed it — not at all. But I really wanted them to play that song. These curtains were huge! They were 20 feet high and slowly moving across the stage — like the tops start moving and the bottoms hadn’t even started, with this tiny rock band on stage.
Bob Dylan played a week of shows at the Pheonix once. It’s maybe a little bigger than Amigos but definitely not as cool as Amigos.
Sheaf: What should fans expect from your upcoming Amigos shows?
Jimmie: Fans can look forward to a life changing and, uh, mind altering experience. I’m going to start off strong and then I’ll pretend like I’m not into it for the rest of the show.
Also, expect a different guy. It’s a hired replacement Shotgun Jimmie. I’m actually talking to you from Florida. I’m like the Dread Pirate Roberts. And I’m working on a new album called Aaaas Yooooouu Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiish!!!!!!!!
Shotgun Jimmie is playing at Amigos Cantina on Feb. 19 with Jeanette Stewart and the Brodeo
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images: Aimee Power / Wikimedia Commons