Interview: Jamestown Story [English below]

Le nouvel album de Jamestown Story "Jamestown Story & Friends" sort demain, le 9 septembre. Nous avons donc posé quelques questions à Dane Schmidt pour en savoir un peu plus sur la création de cet nouvel album.

Dans quelques jours sortira votre nouvel album "Jamestown Story & Friends". Pouvez-vous nous en dire un peu plus sur le processus d'écriture et d'enregistrement?

Dane Schmidt: J'ai commencé à écrire avec quelques uns de mes nouveaux amis (Chase Coy, Corey Wager, et Lisa Goe) quand j'ai déménagé à Nashville, et nous avions des chansons que je n'arrivais pas à chanter, mais qui faisait penser à du Jamestown Story. J'ai donc décidé de les sortir avec ma façon de jouer, mais avec une autre personne qui les chanterai. Je suis vraiment heureux d'avoir pu faire cela car je pense que ces chansons font parti des meilleurs que j'ai co-écrite, et elles ne sonneraient pas pareil si nous les avions écrite d'une autre manière.

Est-ce que cet album est une sorte de souvenir de chansons que vous avez écrit avec des amis que vous voulez partagez avec tout le monde?

Dane Schmidt: Absolument. Comme je l'ai dit, je suis vraiment fier de ces chansons and j'ai hâte que le monde les entende! Les personnes qui chantent ces chansons ont des voix incroyable (et sont aussi des auteurs extraordinaires) donc je suis vraiment fier de ce que sont devenu ces chansons!

Quel est la signification derrière chaque chanson?

Dane Schmidt: Il y a beaucoup de significations différentes mais pour la plupart, ce sont des chansons à propos de la perte d'une personne, ou le fait de tomber amoureux. On a joué sur les deux tableaux. :)

Quel est votre chanson favorite de cet album?

Dane Schmidt: Soit une chanson nommée Falling, ou celle nommée The Right Kind Of Crazy. Je pense qu'au niveau des paroles ce sont les meilleurs chansons sorti sous Jamestown Story et j'en suis vraiment fier.

Au départ, vous aviez prévu un album de 9 ou 10 chansons mais au final, seulement 7 seront sur Jamestown Story & Friends. Peut-on espérer entendre les 3 autres plus tard? 

Dane Schmidt: En fait, seulement 6 chansons seront dans cet EP. J'ai décidé d'attendre pour les autres, comme ça, j'aurai plus de temps pour travailler dessus et de sortir ensuite un autre EP qui serait fluide du début à la fin. Si j'ai vraiment hâte pour le EP Jamestown Story & Friends, je suis VRAIMENT VRAIMENT impatient de sortir le EP suivant!

Est-ce que Laser [un de ses chats, "lazy Laser"] vous a apporté son aide ou était-il trop "lazy" [fainéant] ?

Dane Schmidt: Il était trop fainéant pour aider. Et saoul. Apparemment, le chat ne tiens pas l'alcool. C'est dommage.

Et la dernière questions, qu'écoutez-vous en ce moment? 

Dane Schmidt: Les nouveaux CDs de The Civil Wars et de Ben Rector, le nouveau CD de John Mayer ainsi que le nouvel album de Patent Pending qui sortira à la fin du mois de Septembre: ça va être un album extraordinaire!

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ENGLISH

In a few days, your new album "Jamestown Story & Friends" is going to be released. Can you tell us more about the writing and recording process?

Dane Schmidt: I started writing with some of my new friends (Chase Coy, Corey Wager, and Lisa Goe) when I moved to Nashville and we had some music that wasn't suitable for me to sing, but had a JS feel to them, so I just decided to release them with my style of playing, but someone else singing them. I'm really happy we got to do this because I think the songs are some of the best songs I've been a part of writing, and they wouldn't sound the way they do if we did them any other way! Is this album a sort of keepsake of songs you have written with friends and now, you want to share it with everyone? Dane Schmidt: Absolutely - like I said I'm really proud of these songs and am excited for the world to hear them! The people who sang on them have incredible voices (and are also amazing writers) so I'm very proud of how they turned out! What is the meaning behind every song? 

Dane Schmidt: There are a lot of different meanings but mostly they are songs about losing someone, or falling in love. We hit both sides of the spectrum :) What is your favorite song from this record? Dane Schmidt: Either a song called Falling or a song called The Right Kind Of Crazy. I think lyrically these are some of the best JS songs to be released and I'm really proud of them. You said you had planned on putting 9-10 songs on this album, but it turned out that only 7 songs will make it on Jamestown Story & Friends. Can we expect to hear the 3 others in the future? Dane Schmidt: Actually only 6 songs are going on this EP. I decided to wait on the other ones so I could put more time into them and create another EP that flows really well from beginning to end. If I'm really excited about the JS & Friends EP, then I'm REALLY REALLY excited about the EP I'll be releasing after that! Did Laser help you out on this album or was he too "lazy"? Dane Schmidt: He was just too lazy to help out. And drunk. The cat can't seem to hold his liquor well. It's a shame. And last question, what are you listening to these days? Dane Schmidt:The Civil Wars and Ben Rector's new CD, the new John Mayer CD, as well as Patent Pending's new album that comes out at the end of Sept: that's gonna be an amazing record!

After months of thought, struggle, and prayer, it is official that I'm moving to Nashville, TN. I had been wrestling with the idea for a while and knew I had to make some drastic changes if I wanted to whole-heartedly pursue a musical career. I absolutely love the area and had such an amazing time while I was there a few weeks ago. After an unbelievable opportunity presented itself, I felt like I really had no choice. Sometimes we pray for God to open a door or nudge us towards one of them. Well, this time it feels like He's throwing me straight through it. 

Long story short...myself, Jordan Schmidt, Dane Schmidt, and Colin Kassekert are officially moving into a house AND studio just outside of Nashville.

Although the situation was an extraordinary and exciting opportunity, it still wasn't easy making the decision. Here in northeast Pennsylvania, I have built a home over the past 23 years. I have a close-knit family, a job I enjoy, a girlfriend I love, great friends, a growing and exciting church plant, soccer team, and all the comforts this American culture can dream of. The only thing missing in my life is a white picket fence. 

After prayer and some wisdom from people I love and respect, I realized one thing that made the answer very clear. God gave me musical ability and passion for a reason. I know He didn't put those in my heart to just sit and waste away. I refuse to stay home and choose comfort over what, I believe, is my life's calling. It may not be very easy, but I will have the opportunity to work with some incredibly talented musicians every day and push forward as an artist.

If you are a friend, family, or anyone who has helped and supported me through my crazy musical endeavors...thank you. You mean the world to me. But I'll still need your support, even though I'll be living in Tennessee! 

holy actual fuck.

I've never found SO MANY songs by one band that I can relate to SO well.