Jim Sclavunos
Interview & Preface By: Ashlee Elfman
Jim Sclavunos has one of the best resumes a musician can have (according to us at any rate). Sclavunos was one of the forerunners of the no wave scene in New York in the 70’s and 80’s, having played with Lydia Lunch’s seminal bands Teenage Jesus and the Jerks and 8 Eyed Spy, Sclavunos went on to play with Tav Falco, Sonic Youth, The Cramps, and Alice Texas. Sclavunos has been a member of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds since 1994, and currently plays an integral role in Nick Cave’s latest uncompromising project, Grinderman. He also fronts the post-romantic, boundless New York band The Vanity Set. Somewhere between gentleman and desperado, Jim Sclavunos is a man of talent and integrity, involving himself only in the most worthy of projects, never selling his audience or himself short.
There’s an obvious frenetic garage quality to Grinderman. Was there a conscious effort to get back to some sort of primordial sound, and "defy evolution" so to speak?
Just before the Grinderman sessions began, Nick had bought a guitar and was teaching himself to play. He thought he could just whip up a few parts on guitar and then someone else would play on the actual recording. But we all dug Nick's approach: it was "primordial" in the sense of "back to basics", which gave even our most far out improvisations a solid simple grounding. It contrasted well with Grindeman's more flamboyant experimentation, brought things back to earth.
Getting Nick off the piano and onto an instrument he didn't know threw a real wild card into the game. It imbued the session with a more daring attitude and ensured that the music would on some level stay pretty raw.
I read somewhere that Nick Cave sees this album as portraying a world where men and women are alienated from one another. Is the Grinderman album powered entirely by testosterone?
Yes, we are powered mainly by testosterone...and a bit of fizzy water. There were no women in the studio during the making of this record, just a bunch of hairy men.
You’ve worked with Lydia Lunch, The Cramps, Sonic Youth and more recently Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, and your own project The Vanity Set. Do you feel like you’re able to bring your own renegade percussion style to Grinderman? Maybe some element more reminiscent to your time spent in the No Wave scene?
I have a hard time labeling my style as "renegade"; however, I've been assured I do pretty weird things with the drums. I always try to do what's right for whatever music I'm playing. Sometimes it's appropriate to just play something really straightforward; but if the musical context offers a chance for something unexpected from the drums, I'll unabashedly dive in. In Grinderman we all coax each other to go a bit further out on a limb than we might in other bands.
The Bad Seeds can almost be orchestral at times. Do you all have a different approach to musicianship when working with a smaller band?
In a smaller ensemble you can be more spontaneous. Ideas fly around the room a lot faster and can instantaneously be elaborated upon. With more room for each instrument, wordless dialogues take place which lead to linear structures that can evolve into rudimentary song ideas. That's how a lot of the Grindeman material was born.
You’ve been called an "infamous elegant degenerate”, do you feel like this phrase defines you well?
"Degenerate,” definitely. "Elegant,” sometimes. "Infamous"-- if only! These are all positive values as far as I'm concerned and I modestly endeavor to live up to them.
Or do you denounce any attempt to try to label what you create or who you are?
In my opinion, labels rarely illuminate; more often they provide a platform for erroneous presumptions. But I suppose it must be terribly trying for the masses to grapple with the intricacies of a fabulous creature such as I. So labels are inevitable, sigh.
In The Vanity Set you sing, which seems a rare thing for a drummer to do.
Not rare enough, they are usually abominable. Karen Carpenter was very, very good though.
What made you want to start your own project?
I had a few songs kicking around in my head and a little spare cash for studio time. I just thought it would be fun to go into the studio with some of my pals and see what we came up with, but it turned out a lot better than anyone expected!
The band is based in New York. As you can imagine, it's not so easy to keep the momentum going while I dash off every couple of months to work with Nick. But we're halfway through our third album, so we must be doing something right.
Photo By Steve Gullick
What, outside of music, inspires you as an artist?
Birds, bees, the stars, great poetry, and my fellow musicians. And of course my girlfriend. But mainly the ticking of the clock.
In the documentary "Kill Your Idols" about the no-wave scene in New York directed by Scott Crary, you state, "we weren’t trying to make music, we were trying to be monsters."
Monsters prefer to live underground or hide in dark places. In the past one would usually have to go look for them. Nowadays it's harder and harder to even conceive of an underground scene because everything gets exposed so rapidly and rapaciously on the internet.
Do you feel like the "beast" is subdued far too much in current music? Or has primal authenticity in music always been available for those willing to look for it?
The pursuit of "primal authenticity" in music is far too romantic or purist a notion for me to stomach. There's a lot more to making interesting music than banging rocks together to accompany a blues progression.
Grinderman are not just some unrestrained collective musical id; a modicum of deliberation and discipline goes into the process as well. We're very refined brutes once you get to know us.
We’ve heard that you’ve produced some newer bands like The Bellmer Dolls and The Horrors. What drew you to these bands?
They are all very skinny, so I figured I could get away with booking them into small studios and save money. The Bellmer Dolls and The Horrors are both amazing on stage: they ooze style and sex and filth and danger. Anyone who's seen either band live know the reckless abandon with which they throw themselves into performances. The attitude's great and that's more than half the battle.
Are there any plans for a Grinderman tour?
We can't wait to tour with Grinderman, but touring is not an option for the moment . Right now we want to record a Bad Seeds album and release it as soon as possible.
I know you guys have played a few shows, what was the reception like?
Very supportive crowds, very inspiring. We were a bit nervous at All Tomorrow's Parties. Although we've played together as a four piece for several years now, doing Nick Cave "solo" shows, our first show as Grinderman really felt like a genuine debut, a fresh start. I wasn't sure Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds fans would embrace Grinderman, but the reaction to the live shows has been absolutely ebullient!
Photo By Steve Gullick
What can we expect from Grinderman in the future? At this point it seems like expectations are futile.
We're doing a one-off concert in London at The Forum on June 20th. As soon as we get a chance, we'll do more shows and another album. I feel like we can never do enough because Grinderman is my fave new band.
Out of curiosity, what’s your favorite track on the Grinderman LP?
I have a fond spot in my heart for "Depth Charge Ethel". It was a real last minute surprise and just the sort of thing the album needed. We had tried out a few different ideas by that title, but could never get it off the ground. The final day of the session, "Depth Charge Ethel" suddenly came together and burst out fully grown and shouting, like Athena leaping out of Zeus' head.
Thank you for your questions,
Sincerely,
Jim Sclavunos
No, thank you Jim!
http://vanityset.com/
http://myspace.com/thevanityset
http://grinderman.com/
http://nickcaveandthebadseeds.com/
Phil Shoenfelt Myspace
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