Recess Editor Jonas Blank caught up with Jets to Brazil frontman Blake Schwarzenbach at his home, where he was fending off interview queries from journalists around the nation in preparation for the band's upcoming tour. Jets to Brazil are appearing this Sunday at the Cat's Cradle with local acts White Octave and Three Stigmata.
What has everyone been asking you today?
Initially people were asking what the hell we thought we were doing. They've gotten a little friendlier now.
What did you do differently this time around? How is this different from your last record?
I see it as an evolution-more of a band feel. It's a more concentrated block of writing, all done in the two years since our last record...
A lot of these songs-well, almost all of your songs, really-tend to be pretty sad. Would you say you're a sad person?
I try not to be. But I think it's something I'll have to deal with. Writing about [sadness] is a way of coping. It's a way to salvage something from it.
Is there one specific relationship or incident that you're writing about?
This record is about one person that I was involved with, yeah.
How would you describe the difference in the actual sound of this record?
One interviewer said "baroque," and I think that's a pretty good term. There's a fair amount of flourish on it.
Are the keyboards part of the "what the hell are you doing" factor?
I think they scare some people. But I think our fans expect the unexpected from us... I wrote about half the songs on the piano.
What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever said or done to you?
Last time we were at the Cat's Cradle, we were pelted with underwear.
That's rock n' roll!
The worst thing is, though, it was like men's jockeys-it wasn't Tom Jones at all. It was like boot camp or something, or a frat raid.
If you could be one '70s rock star, who would you be?
What do you mean?
Like, if you could go back in a crazy time machine and become, like, Pete Townshend or something.
I think that'd be it actually. It looks like the most fun. He doesn't have to sing much, so he's pretty free to just rock. It's amazing to see how angry he was back then. I think they were a pretty punk rock band.
Does the term "punk" mean anything nowadays?
I think today it really has to mean really roots music. Punk began so long ago, if you're not true to its roots, you can't call yourself punk.
Did you consider Jawbreaker a punk band?
No, though a lot of people pegged us as that.
Where is the name Jets to Brazil from, anyway?
It's actually a poster in the movie Breakfast at Tiffany's. Our drummer Chris found it.
What would you say is the most ironic thing about being a rock musician?
The assumptions that people make about you versus the reality of who you are. Sometimes people think it's glamorous, that you're very social-and that's really not true. Some people think you go out and party and have a good time.
What do you guys do to wind down?
We jump on the beds at the motel-that's motel, not hotel-mostly.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.