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Name: Jesse Harris

Nationality: American

Occupation: Singer, songwriter, producer, guitarist
Current Release: Jesse Harris's Silver Balloon is out via Secret Sun.

If you enjoyed this interview with Jesse Harris and would like to know more about his work, visit his official website. He is also on Facebook, Instagram, and twitter.



Where does the impulse to create something come from for you? What role do often-quoted sources of inspiration like dreams, other forms of art, personal relationships, politics etc play?

For me, it’s a matter of practice — you have to get into the act of creating to hone your skills. Once the ball starts rolling, the inspiration can come.

But, for me, it’s never been about waiting around for an impulse to get to the act of creation, it’s about embarking on the act and putting yourself in position to be inspired by those higher-minded things.

For you to get started, do there need to be concrete ideas – or what some have called a 'visualisation' of the finished work? What does the balance between planning and chance look like for you?

It never starts with a visualization for me — it’s always a matter of discovery. While making a record, there are certain characteristics and ingredients that run through, but those are almost incidental.

When I’m working on my own record, I’m trying to chase creative whims and figure out how these songs are going to work. However, when I’m producing records for other artists, visualization happens much more easily — I’m able to see what I want to achieve in that collaboration.

Is there a preparation phase for your process? Do you require your tools to be laid out in a particular way, for example, do you need to do 'research' or create 'early versions'?

No.

Do you have certain rituals to get you into the right mindset for creating? What role do certain foods or stimulants like coffee, lighting, scents, exercise or reading poetry play?

No more than my daily routines — but I don’t associate these with creativity. The only ritual I have really is the act of working on something.

What do you start with? How difficult is that first line of text, the first note?

Depends on the situation. Usually I begin with the music and then add the words. Usually. Sometimes I’ll write music around a lyric idea. But when I collaborate with other people it always changes.

For example, with John Zorn I only write lyrics to his already finished music; whereas with Maya Hawke I write music and melody to lyrics that she sends me.



What makes lyrics good in your opinion? What are your own ambitions and challenges in this regard?

Good lyrics are mysterious — Neil Young writes lyrics that maybe don’t make a lot of sense but feel really good. Songs like “Tell Me Why” or “On The Way Home” are completely inscrutable yet beautiful and alluring.

All I can say is I’ve learned to dig deeper — find something vivid and original. Bad lyrics stick out like a sore thumb and ring hollow; good lyrics feel embedded into the melody, holistic with the music.

Once you've started, how does the work gradually emerge?

Usually quickly. Sometimes it’s a one or two sitting thing, but there are times where a lyric can take months. It depends on whether it’s for myself or writing for someone else. When I’m working with others I’m more decisive, because time is of the essence. But if it’s for me, I can luxuriate with a song and turn it over and over.

Many writers have claimed that as soon as they enter into the process, certain aspects of the narrative are out of their hands. Do you like to keep strict control over the process or is there a sense of following things where they lead you?

I simply follow where they lead.

Often, while writing, new ideas and alternative roads will open themselves up, pulling and pushing the creator in a different direction. Does this happen to you, too, and how do you deal with it? What do you do with these ideas?

I’m pretty good at staying on the ball and not going on tangents. I don’t like scrapping things. I’m always attempting to solve a song’s internal logic and figure out how to get it to work.

There are many descriptions of the creative state. How would you describe it for you personally? Is there an element of spirituality to what you do?

I see it much more practically than that. I’m always involved in some creative project — so it’s more a matter of movement and action, though for all I know there is a spiritual element or influence.

Especially in the digital age, the writing and production process tends towards the infinite. What marks the end of the process? How do you finish a work?

Make it as good as it can be and then accept it for all that it’s not.

Once a piece is finished, how important is it for you to let it lie and evaluate it later on? How much improvement and refinement do you personally allow until you're satisfied with a piece? What does this process look like in practise?

If the luxury of time is there then that’s always helpful, because you can revise. But sometimes a time limit can lead to more decisive action, particularly in collaborations. Every instance is different.

What's your take on the role and importance of production, including mixing and mastering for you personally? How involved do you get in this?

My new album Silver Balloon is the first I’ve ever fully recorded and mixed myself. My partner and co-producer in the project, Kenny Wollesen, and I loved the rough mixes and were afraid a better engineer than I would make it all sound too correct.

When we recorded "The Hanged Man," it sounded finished to us the first day.

After finishing a piece or album and releasing something into the world, there can be a sense of emptiness. Can you relate to this – and how do you return to the state of creativity after experiencing it?

Not really. Usually I end up wanting to do something new right away — maybe not songwriting, maybe photography or writing or producing. There’s always some new way to be creative, whether it’s a project for me or with someone else.

Creativity can reach many different corners of our lives. Do you personally feel as though writing a piece of music is inherently different from something like making a great cup of coffee? What do you express through music that you couldn't or wouldn't in more 'mundane' tasks?

It feels like a self-answering question. If you make a cup of coffee, it gets consumed right away and doesn't have much expression. A song always has the potential for permanence.

I mean I love a good cup of coffee but it just feels so different to me.