Jars of Clay
Interviewed for Riffin' by Webjockey Heidi Patalano
Free Track Download: "Winter Skin"
Check out the Jars of Clay Rifflist:
Charlie Lowell's Best of 2007
Jars of Clay are widely recognized as the most popular Christian rock band to break into mainstream success. They have finally released a highly anticipated full-length Christmas album, aptly titled "Christmas Songs." Riffin' Webjockey Heidi Patalano caught up with the band's pianist, Charlie Lowell, to talk holiday memories, the commercialization of Christmas and the most annoying holiday song ever.
Riffin': Congratulations on the new album! Aside from the "Drummer Boy" EP, this is your first full-length Christmas album. What took you so long?
Lowell: It took a long time. We'd been talking about making a Christmas album since that EP, since fans were very responsive to it. Part of it was the timing with our label and the time we had to do it. The more we started finishing this deal with our record contract; it felt like an appropriate time. We had a blast. This was the best time to do it. We're in a good headspace to explore some new creative territory.
Riffin': The album features a mix of popular standards, new classics, Like Wonderful Christmastime, some original songs and some older folk songs. How did you choose the songs on the album?
Lowell: We had a bunch of conversations, sort of philosophical about Christmas records, which ones we like and why we like them. Is it mood music and do people really listen to the words in these songs? We all had different ideas about it. "Drummer Boy" we gave a new life to, but we also wanted a shot at writing a couple originals. We write best when there's no structure, so for Dan [Haseltine] in particular, it was tricky to stay within the Christmas boundaries.
We wanted to write about peace especially at this time of war. What does it mean when we say "good will towards men" - how that kind of rings hollow now, that we have the audacity to believe that Christmas brings those things. That ties in with "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day." We love what that song has to say to our society right now. It was a mix. When you change the arrangement around, like on "O, Little Town of Bethlehem" the songs can hit you a different way.
Riffin': How does one go about writing a Christmas song?
Lowell: We had a couple bullet points that we knew were good places to start. What we tried to do on the record was bring out a nostalgia in Christmas. As we talked about what Christmas means, we thought about when we were 7 or 8, the wonder of it. Dan grew up loving the John Denver and the Muppets Christmas album. I think it's keying into the memories, staying inside, being by the fire, maybe Christmas is the only time of the year that we can do that. When we were able to key off memories....
Riffin': Like when the Christmas tree fell on you when you were 4?
Lowell: It's funny what things we remember. It's either a tragic event or a magical event.
Riffin': How did you approach rearranging some of the classic songs you covered on the album? Obviously you want to make your own version distinctive - what is the decision process?
Lowell: It's hard. It's harder than writing a new song because you're messing with a song people love. Some people aren't going to like it. We had a blast with "Christmastime Is Here." It's kind of a sad, mopey song. It was fun to give it this sort of groovy lounge vibe. "Hibernation Day" was totally new territory for the band – just jazzier and more of a jazz standard. We do folk and straight up rock. It was a good challenge to go in and create a song like that. Dan's used to writing songs about joy and suffering and here's a song about staying in with your pajamas on. It was funny to hear him sing about pajamas - it was like, "Dan?"
Riffin': Your favorite Christmas song is "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel." What's your least favorite Christmas song?
Lowell: I'm sure I could come up with a worse one, but "I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In" doesn't do much for me. I'm sure there are others out there that are hollow and cheap sounding, about the superficial aspects of the season.
Riffin': Around this time of year there's always the debate about the commercialization of Christmas. Thoughts?
Lowell: It's no surprise to me that Christmas means business and in many ways, that's how we operate as a society. To capitalize on something - that has it's beautiful and it's ugly side. Personally, I struggle with December every year. It feels like one of the busiest times of the year but in the Christian calendar is about waiting and being still. It seems to me that I get this fight in me to slow down. I'm not going to let December eat me up.
Riffin': I noticed you haven't installed a permanent bass player or drummer in the band. If you could have any drummer to be the permanent drummer, from past or present, who would your dream drummer be?
Lowell: Our present drummer is an amazing player and guy in general. If I could have my way, we'd freeze frame our band as it is now. There's a great dynamic and freedom. There's a long creative leash. We spark each other and it goes to a good place.
Riffin': You've recently started releasing your music on your own label, Grey Matters - what has that transition been like?
Lowell: In many ways we're holding our breath to see how it goes. It's exciting and we have more say in what we're doing. We need creative freedom as a band. We need it and respond best to it. At the end of the day, it's up to us. There's more work involved. There's stuff that didn't occur to us and we're trying to save money while doing it, so it's going to be up to us to get it done. Dan's been spending a lot of time on the merchandise. There's a lot of stuff that doesn't feel like rock and roll. On some days, we're just business men and then we come on the road, we realize that this is the fabric of what we do. There's more at risk and so you care more. I'm going to give my whole self to it so I think it's healthy.
Riffin': Jars of Clay has been honored many times over with Grammys, BMI Awards and GMA Dove Awards. With all this success behind you, what are your next goals as a band?
Lowell: I think at the end of the day, the music is what we're most excited about, to push the boundaries of the past. We also have a book that came out with the Christmas album and that was off the map for us. I think there are opportunities like that around us to spread out a bit, to get involved in things that showcase Jars of Clay and some of our gifts. We're going to have an office built and studio for Grey Matters. I think we'll try to grow and branch out. The thing we're not eager to do is sign a bunch of bands. There's a tricky balance there because we took on more business.
Riffin': If you do eventually sign more bands - would you focus primarily on Christian rock bands?
Lowell: I think we really like that sort of in between: the bands that have a focus and a goal but not super-churchy and stuff. There are a lot of a band that get excited about this middle ground and that's where we found our purpose. It's more about a conversation or a dialogue than giving handouts and explanations of Christianity. I think we'll find more people that value that.
Riffin': Rudolph or Frosty?
Lowell: Frosty. I think since I have twin boys that are 7 now, it's so much more fun to experience Christmas. Rudolph's cool, but I think I connect with Frosty more.
Riffin': Christmas Eve or Christmas Day?
Lowell: Christmas day. I do like that feeling on Christmas eve that it's on the brink, so it's that kind of magical feeling. For Christmas day, I love the afternoon when the gifts have been opened, the dinner has been eaten, and you just curl up and relax.
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