http://www.bad-pages.dk the stephen jones & babybird neighbourhood Sun, 04 Apr 2010 17:22:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 2006-2007 mail@bad-pages.dk (the bad pages - the stephen jones & babybird neighbourhood) mail@bad-pages.dk (the bad pages - the stephen jones & babybird neighbourhood) posts 1440 the stephen jones babybird reference site the bad pages - the stephen jones & babybird neighbourhood the bad pages - the stephen jones & babybird neighbourhood mail@bad-pages.dk No no http://www.bad-pages.dk/wp-content/plugins/podpress/images/powered_by_podpress.jpg http://www.bad-pages.dk 144 144 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=905 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=905#comments Fri, 02 Apr 2010 12:45:55 +0000 bad-pages.dk http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=905 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?feed=rss2&p=905 6 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=903 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=903#comments Thu, 11 Mar 2010 21:31:45 +0000 bad-pages.dk http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=903 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?feed=rss2&p=903 2 2:54 Interview: Just how personal is Drug Time and whatrsquo;s the story behind Failed Suicide Club? Stephen Jones talks about hownbsp;Ex-Maniac feels like a new startnbsp;nbsp;in ... Interview: Just how personal is Drug Time and whatrsquo;s the story behind Failed Suicide Club? Stephen Jones talks about hownbsp;Ex-Maniac feels like a new startnbsp;nbsp;in a conservative sex-obsessed industry.nbsp; This interview was kindly donated to the babybird fanbase by French music and cultural news site Fluctuat.net (let's hear a collective thanks everyone). So if your French is as good as your taste in music, you can find the French interviewnbsp;right here.nbsp; All about Ex-Maniac here Watch the Unloveable video How do you feel about Ex-maniac? [singlepic id=117 w=320 h=240 float=right]ldquo;Naturally I'm proud of it. Lyrically especially. And production-wise itrsquo;s the best sounding one so far. I'm still extremely lucky to be releasing records. Ex-Maniac feels like itrsquo;s a new start, made by people who also won't judge it on sales, and will make a second and a third, because its actually a label who will offer longevity.rdquo; Tell us about the time in the studio ldquo;A lot of time was spent on the couch listening, drinking ice coffee and vitamin water. Bruce Witkin, the producer, replayed all my parts from the demos part for part so that he could control exactly how each sound would appear in the mix. I played new parts, so it was interesting to re-educate my brain as I lazed through my jetlag. The art of effects is to make it invisible. We used four great drummers and also and horns on the last track, a guy off Jay Leno's show. It was also mixed by Ryan Dorn who knows his tweaks inside out.rdquo; You have said that airplay will be difficult for Unloveable. Why is that? [singlepic id=118 w=320 h=240 float=right]ldquo;We've had reports back from our pluggers, from radio etcnbsp;that Unloveable is 'too edgy' but also that itrsquo;s strong. Thatrsquo;s sends a very confusing and weird message. But I can see that music is trend-led and that infants with comb-over hair and wearing girls no ass tight jeans are the thing middle-age media types perv over. Then how can I argue with their impeccable taste radars?rdquo; The album has a destinctive live sound. How did that come about? rdquo;All the songs come from me and my four track or computer. We recorded in America, so the band was basically me and Bruce and some drummers. New friends. The band is still me, the wonderful Luke on guitar and fabulous Rob on drums plus Bruce (guitar) and Danny Lowe, another great man and bass player. The band sounds really raw and big like on the record. Deliberately no keyboards, so songs like Bad Old Man and The Way You Are sound fresh and more organic and heartfelt.rdquo; Tell us about Like Them [singlepic id=443 w=320 h=240 float=right]ldquo;It came simply from watching my daughter in her local pool. I took a picture and was told I couldn't. A lot of my songs deal with society. That a lot of rules are invented because of the minority. The burglars, the paedophiles, the murders, the bad parkers...it goes on. So I'm asked not to use my camera, inferring that Imrsquo; like some pervert that should never have been born. Ha ha. I'm angry and it volcanos out in the lyrics. On top of a nice tune though.rdquo; Just how personal is Drug Time? ldquo;I'm an addictive person. I like drink but Irsquo;m better at drinking water now. Every good junkie keeps the shit to himself. My bad times were stopped by having a child. You grow up then. I've never been the whiskey on cornflakes kind. I know usually when to stop. There's no story in that at all. Itrsquo;s boring and most people I know have been there. My addiction fascination is more in the habitual things we do. Same job, stuck with habits and being unable to change. Change is the greatest power I have, and one day I'll use it properly. I hope.rdquo; Black Flowers (live) ...And Failed Suicide Club? [singlepic id=107 w=320 h=240 float=right]ldquo;Its about not wanting to die, to get on and change. Be happy with the little things that day by day are being eroded... Update mail@bad-pages.dk no No http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=901 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=901#comments Fri, 05 Mar 2010 21:14:21 +0000 bad-pages.dk http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=901 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?feed=rss2&p=901 2 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=897 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=897#comments Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:04:28 +0000 bad-pages.dk http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=897 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?feed=rss2&p=897 6 4:10 Exclusive interview: Stephen Jones is nervous before the release of Babybird's first album in four years. But therersquo;s a safety net when a movie star ... Exclusive interview: Stephen Jones is nervous before the release of Babybird's first album in four years. But therersquo;s a safety net when a movie star is involved. Learn what Stephen likes best about Ex-maniac, how he finds life on the road with a group of middle-aged men. What's Ex-Maniac about? ldquo;Itrsquo;s about trying to abandon demons, whilst not losing edge. 'Drugtime' blatantly deals with this. It's a mixture of personal and people I knowrdquo;. Are you an ex-maniac? ldquo;Yes. Though to my knowledge I've never gone mental and killed people with a macheterdquo;. [singlepic id=464 w=320 h=240 float=right]What do you like best about the album? ldquo;The Mariachi trumpets on the last song of the album has always been a dream of mine. I've probably again made it difficult for songs to get radio play ndash; after all the first line of the album is lsquo;I will kill you, said the 5 year old...'. I make it difficult for myself as the true nature of popular music is to fabricate feeling into lovely little packets. Like Bad Old Man entering the top 40, it's a satisfying achievement. On the next album, I'm going to change the lyrical flow and deal with stuff, but temper the language. In a good satisfying way.rdquo; How was recording in L.A. with Bruce Witkin? [singlepic id=113 w=320 h=240 float=right]"Itrsquo;s very hard not to like 'Hell A' and La La Land: Sunshine, Mulholland, ridiculously blue skies. The studio was again like any in the world with no windows, dark and air conditioned. But when you step out, it's full-on Americana which I love to bits. I actually spent a lot of my time sat on a black leather couch sitting back and listening while Bruce re-played the parts on my demos, which is great as my playing is simple. We'd alter the drumloops and replace them with four drummers. I play most things but drums to me are alien. So they amaze with being able to bang stuff in time, with feet and hands all going off at once. Bruce and his wife made great steak and fried salmon. Even though I was sharing a room with a black widow and ants.rdquo; Would you record with Witkin in the US again? ldquo;I hope so! This whole thing is different because even though a label ndash; and Depp ndash; is involved, they love the music, and itrsquo;s not dependent on success. Of course we want Ex-Maniac to be heard by as many people as possible, but therersquo;s a safety net. I hope. Also, I have over 400 pieces of music ready to be sung on and un-demoed so to speak. With huge horns and strings ndash; big like Sigur Ros and M83.rdquo; How do you feel right now about the release? ldquo;Nervous. Radio-play will be hard and that breaks a record. But all the ingredients are there: Movie star on guitar, monster build-up, big climax, video of Unloveable. Weird if it goes wrong. But 'You're Gorgeous' is a powerful millstone, and sometimes, though I don't mind the song, itrsquo;s 20 years old, and I'm being ground up under it. One day I'll wear that millstone like a fucking king.rdquo; All about Ex-Maniac How was it being back in a band again? [singlepic id=443 w=320 h=240 float=right]ldquo;Fantastic... All the members (ooh err) I know as friends. The four dates in November were truly terrific. A glass of ladies rose wine and just seemed to sink under a warm river of pleasure.rdquo; Why did you decide to leave out the keyboards? ldquo;On the next tour we'll have piano. We just tried the songs and it worked without it. I guess most of my demos were guitar led.rdquo; Why is Yoursquo;re Gorgeous still in the setlist? ldquo;People want it. And I like the different versions and which there are three or four of. The slow version was used on a TV comedy drama pilot called The Abbey and was touching and beautiful. The song kind of gave me enough money to be able to do the music I want to do. Not be too commercial, or at least fight what some people want to turn you into ... So far anyway.rdquo; You're ... 2010 mail@bad-pages.dk no No http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=895 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=895#comments Sat, 30 Jan 2010 15:10:35 +0000 bad-pages.dk http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=895 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?feed=rss2&p=895 0 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=852 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=852#comments Sat, 05 Dec 2009 17:32:38 +0000 bad-pages.dk http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=852 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?feed=rss2&p=852 1 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=834 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=834#comments Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:42:17 +0000 bad-pages.dk http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=834 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?feed=rss2&p=834 0 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=827 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=827#comments Sat, 07 Nov 2009 14:33:40 +0000 bad-pages.dk http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=827 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?feed=rss2&p=827 2 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=883 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=883#comments Fri, 06 Nov 2009 22:11:54 +0000 bad-pages.dk http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=883 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?feed=rss2&p=883 0 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=823 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=823#comments Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:09:51 +0000 bad-pages.dk http://www.bad-pages.dk/?p=823 http://www.bad-pages.dk/?feed=rss2&p=823 0