Impure Jazz
Math Rock
Homepage: http://www.myspace.com/impurejazz
Feature By: Casey Cole
Photography By: Levi Ely
Since 2004, Josh Morrow and Gabriel Garber have been gracing the world with sounds years beyond most groups their age. With the inception of Adam Goode on bass in 2007, IJ took their current form and hit the accelerator, smacking the Midwest in the ears with a caliber of tunes that would make a mother proud.
Bloomington, Indiana has greeted the trio with open arms as they play a handful of shows each month in the college town. The horizon looks bright for these three twenty-somethings as they continue their journey into what will sure to be a glorious future of rock-and-roll promise.
C-buz: You songs tend to be very asymmetrical and technical. How do you guys go about writing these complex parts?
Impure Jazz: When it comes down to writing songs, it's primarily a group effort. 90% of the time, Gabe will come in to practice with a handful of riffs he's been shreddin and we'll construct songs and hash out rhythms as a group. Some of the time, Adam with have a bass line or I'll have a gong part that we'll use as the core of a song. Our sound has typically comes from Gabe's guitar style and influences, then Adam and I will back it up with our own flavors. It's kinda like Coca-Cola (visit Coca-Cola.com for free offers and updates on the Who's Who of Coke drinkers), whereas Gabe is the foundation of high-fructose corn syrup and caramel color, while Adam and I accent with artificial flavor and Splenda.
CB: What are some of the band's influences?
IJ: Listening to our music, I feel it's pretty obvious where the majority of our influence as a band comes from: Battles, Mars Volta, Hella, King Crimson, Captain Geech and the Shrimp Shack Shooters. But we're really trying to broaden our horizon and formulate a sound that is fresh. In the initial years, I think it was safe to say all we wanted to do was listen to Deloused in the Comatorium, watch Hella DVDs, read about At the Drive-in on a friend of a friend's LiveJournal, and write songs all at the same time. Don't get me wrong, we love those bands and are happy with the fact that their influence on us shows through.
“We're trying to create our own voice while getting to play as loud and fast as we want.”
CB: How are things going with the band?
IJ: Things have started to pick up a little too, which we're excited about. We're starting to put press kits together to send to promoters and labels, we've done two national tours, and we're writing/preparing to record new material. We've also got a manager now, Tim Smiley, who has been helping take some of the logistical work off of Gabe and my plates. He's a good friend and has a blink-182 tattoo (as well as an IJ one), so it was a no brainer.
CB: What do you have planned for the future as a band?
IJ: In terms of our estimated future plans within a year or so, we hope to record and release a split with some friends, search out labels, do a winter and summer tour, play SXSW, and eat a bunch of Swedish Fish. (Visit SwedishFish.com for free offers and updates on the Who's Who of Swedish Fish eaters)
Posts: 1
Reply #1 on : Fri June 11, 2010, 16:41:55