Hey everyone,
Hope all’s good wherever you are.
A few weeks ago, we were pleased to discover a particularly lovely piece of writing via Kevin Morby’s ‘Fam Club’ newsletter, detailing first-hand the time Kevin discovered Magnolia Electric Co’s ‘Hammer Down’ and the profound effect it had upon him in that moment and the days that followed; prompting repeat listens and even the recording of a spontaneous cover.
“When I finally listened to Hammer Down, laying there in our guest bed, my ear pressed against the speaker of my iPhone, I was happy to find that the music and Molina’s singing only enhanced the already brilliant lyrics. I listened to it on repeat as I let the songs imagery run wild through my imagination, considering, for the first time ever, that the stars outside might actually be neon lights beaming down from heavens dance floor.”
You can read the full piece and sign up to the newsletter here, while paid subscribers to Kevin’s Fam Club can also hear his interpretation of the song.
Those already familiar with Kevin’s excellent work will perhaps be aware he has spoken positively of Jason’s musical influence in past interviews (as in the below recent podcast with The Secretly Society), and along with his partner and musical collaborator Katie Crutchfield (Waxahatchee) has previously covered Jason’s songs.
On the back of reading his newsletter, we reached out to him to see if he’d be up for answering a few questions, and he kindly obliged - a huge thank you to Kevin for the taking the time.
You can read our interview below:
Hey Kevin! Thanks for taking some time out to speak to Static & Distance.
Thanks for having me!
It’s safe to say here at S&D we’re already big fans of your music, but for anyone that might be unfamiliar with you and your work, could you please give us a quick introduction? If you could introduce just one of your songs to the Molina heads, what would it be?I'm a songwriter and musician living in Kansas City. I just put out my seventh solo record with Dead Oceans in 2022. I'm really not sure what song I'd pick to point Molina heads towards, in my mind our music is so different. Maybe something off of my album Singing Saw, like my song "Water".
We loved your recent piece on ‘Hammer Down’ and how quickly it resonated with you in that specific moment. It was a beautiful thing to read your account of this; it somehow felt like being part of your discovery process in a sense. What is it about that song specifically that keeps you returning to it?
I think that song in particular nails something that every songwriter is always chasing but so rarely can capture, which is the ability to say something so simple yet so profound. The lyrics are water tight. That along with his delivery makes it such a devastating song. So simple, so pure.
Can you recall where and when you first heard Jason’s music? Did it instantly strike a chord with you in the same way as this recent encounter with ‘Hammer Down'?I can't recall the first time I heard him. Molina is one of those people, like a few other of my favorite artists, that was sort of an acquired taste. People would play him for me from time to time but I never felt drawn in by it until one fateful drive in 2016 through Wales on tour. It was a long dreary drive and my tour manager put on Magnolia Electric Company and it was just one of those moments where time seemed to stop and everyone hung on every moment of every song until the album was over, and then we put it on again. I've been pretty devoted ever since.
Your 2022 record ’This Is A Photograph’ explored some fairly big and heavy themes at times. On listening I’ve noticed the use of quite specific and striking imagery, and it also feels somewhat rooted in a sense of place - there are certainly some parallels to be found with Jason’s writing. If any, how much of his influence do you hear in your music? Has that been a conscious decision at any point?
In my mind Jason Molina yields powers that I don't. His singing, guitar playing and songwriting style...it's all very different from how I operate. So I feel his influence comes over me more in trying to capture a similar feeling in a similar way. When I listen to Molina I feel the air in the room change, and it makes me want my music to do the same.Given the quality of his output over the years, it’s not surprising to us to see Molina’s cross-generational appeal and it’s really great to hear new bands coming through talking about discovering those Magnolia Electric Co. and Songs: Ohia records for themselves. In your opinion, who are the new artists and bands coming through at the moment that feel like they’re carrying the torch?
There's been a few moments in recent history where, from a distance, I literally thought I was hearing Molina while listening to younger artists like MJ Lenderman and Greg Freeman. This is a great thing. I think about influence and the paths it carves out of our culture all the time. I think about how the Pixies influenced Built to Spill and Built to Spill influenced Modest Mouse and so on. I think Molinas influence was a time bomb that took a while to go off, but now it's exploded and I see it everywhere I look and it's just gonna keep growing. I think of him like Townes Van Zandt or the Velvet Underground - artists before their time that slowly but surely changed the way people approach making music.
Lastly, can you leave us with a favourite song of Jason's? Any particular reason why?I think if I could only listen to one Molina song for the rest of my life I'd have to go with Hold On Magnolia. I don't even think it's his best song, but it's certainly my favorite. Talk about changing the temperature in a room - any time that song comes on the air becomes sticky and suddenly I'm riding down some lonely highway lined with magnolia trees.
You can follow Kevin’s updates here:
Until next time,
S&D x