[From the Ithaca Times] Not many people can boast that they are skilled at writing songs and drawing comics, and NYC-based musician and artist Jeffrey Lewis is talented at both. Although he is best known as a successful New York ‘anti-folk’ singer-songwriter — he counts among his many friends Diane Cluck, Dufus, The Moldy Peaches, Major Matt Mason USA, Lach, and others — Lewis is also an accomplished artist, with drawings and comics that have appeared as the liner notes of other musicians’ albums (The Mountain Goats, Dufus), newspapers (the New York Times’ online Op-Ed page “Measure For Measure,” where he contributed four essays regarding the topic of songwriting), and, of course, his own albums (not to mention his elaborate drawings that frequently make appearances in handheld ’slideshows’ that accompany his songs at live shows, including one titled “The Complete History of Communism”). His most recent comic book series, Fuff, is currently up to issue No. 7.
After becoming a open mic mainstay at offbeat Manhattan venue The Sidewalk Café (which is frequently credited the birthplace of anti-folk), Lewis then went on to release a number of well-received albums on British record label Rough Trade (The Last Time I Did Acid I Went Insane, 2001; It’s the Ones Who’ve Cracked That the Light Shines Through, 2003; and Jeffrey & Jack Lewis: City & Eastern Songs, 2006), including an album of vigorously reworked songs by legendary British anarchist punk band Crass titled Jeffrey Lewis: 12 Crass Songs (2007).
His most recent album, ‘Em Are I, due for release later on May 19, perhaps his most cohesive, endearing effort yet, has been in the works since 2007. Mostly tracked on analogue tape at Brooklyn’s Emandee Studios with engineer and co-producer Mark Ospovat, Lewis’ band of Dave Beauchamp (drums) and brother Jack (bass) is joined by a variety of friends, including French indie rock band Herman Dune, American banjo troubadour Emily Lacy, and even a lead guitar cameo from Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis. From the progressive jazz inflections of “The Upside-Down Cross” to the folky mandolin clatter of “Whistle Past The Graveyard,” ‘Em Are I is a brisk collection of idiosyncratic, smart and deceptively simple psychedelic-pop songs.Lewis’ trademark winsome humor and self-deprecation is used to sweet effect.
“I started recording [‘Em Are I] before the Crass album in early 2007, but once I became absorbed in that, and with all the touring we did last year, [moments to record] were few and far between… We kept coming back and recording more songs, and in the end it took a long time to sift through everything.” explained Lewis, who spoke with us shortly after returning home from recording with Kimya Dawson at K Studios in Olympia, WA, During his trip, Lewis also delivered a lecture in Portland, OR regarding the iconic graphic novels Watchmen.
Lewis’ quirky, plaintive aesthetic and varied cultural interests have elicited comparisons to cult musician and artist Daniel Johnston, and the analogy seems apt — with one important distinction. While Johnston was an ‘Outsider’ musician, existing on the fringes of society, in the past 10 years Lewis has come to be a key figure in a musical world that emphasizes community and collaboration.
Lewis will perform in Ithaca for the first time this Friday, March 13 at the closing party for local music shop and concert venue No Radio Records, which has been a crucial space in providing a friendly, all-ages space to see experimental and obscure music.
For the March 13 concert, Lewis will be performing a special solo set, with possible live collaborations with opener and friends Dufus. “This will be Mr. Lewis’s first show in Ithaca and I’m pretty proud it’s going to be here,” No Radio owner Bob Proehl wrote in a recent email. “He’s one of the most interesting and original folk songwriters out there.”
And the rest of the world has taken notice: 2008 was a busy year for Lewis, including tours opening for The Mountain Goats, The Cribs, British Sea Power, Los Campesinos, Herman Dune, Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks, The Wave Pictures, and headlining tours of his own — and this was all before September.
Lewis spent the rest of his year finalizing the recording of ‘Em Are I, and now he’s gearing up for a long spring with extensive tours in the U.K. and Australia. “I met the Australian musician Darren Hanlon in Norway, and we did some shows together and enjoyed each other’s music,” says Lewis. “I couldn’t refuse the offer because if I did it on my own it would be a massive amount of effort; to have an exciting and exotic tour just drop into my lap — I couldn’t turn it down.”
Despite the incredible volume of shows, every concert, from night to night, can vary greatly, drawing upon his extensive repertoire. “We’re a very unprofessional band, which is part of what gives us part of our appeal, whatever that may be,” Lewis laughs. “We never play the same set, we just try to muster up in a ramshackle way whatever is fun or workable in the environment we’re in. The band [lineup] is flexible in terms of who is available for which trips. So the material differs there quite a bit, too, depending on whether it’s solo, duo, trio and so on.” For Lewis’ show on Friday, he will be performing a solo set.
“It really keeps it all from becoming monotonous,” Lewis continues. “We’re always trying to one-up each other on songs in terms of live performance, trying to figure out what we can do that we haven’t done before, improve or tweak numbers. Sure, in a number of situations we shoot each in the foot trying to figure out how to do that, but it’s so great when it does works out.”
Typically, Lewis prefers to try out songs in a live setting before committing it to tape. “Songs are constantly evolving through the live performances. The Crass album was mostly recorded as a home recording before I played them live, for example. So when I toured it I figured out a better way to play and record almost all of them,” Lewis laughs. “It was definitely a learning experience in terms of realizing how important live performance is for letting a song evolve, or finding the most comfortable way to sing or phrase things, or conceive of musical arrangements. Of course, there’s also the charm of the first take of something raw.”
There’s no question that Lewis has a thriving career as a musician, but his real passion may rest within his comic books. “I wish I was able to work more on comic books, but it is simultaneously the most time consuming and requires the most focus and alone time, and brings the least pay off, in terms of making a living and audience reaction,” explains Lewis. “Music is so much more immediate for me, in terms of immediate gratification… If I had 10 minutes or half an hour, I can write a song, and it becomes a part of my repertoire to play at shows.”
Lewis works on his comic books in a small cabin in the woods of Maine that he built with his father a number of years ago. “I have a drawing desk up there, and I work on my comics from nine to five — going to sleep when the sun sets and waking up in the morning and working for a few weeks or a few months at a time,” says Lewis.
“If I had more focus on tour, I could be like, ‘Leave me alone for four hours, I am going to work!’ but it never works out that way. I’m too absorbed in the traveling and the social element, being out with a band and the logistics of the day-to-day,” says Lewis. “So it can be really hard to throw yourself into that mental space for a few hours. It’s just too hectic. For me, making an album is a much more social process. It’s definitely a challenge to do both.”
For Lewis, the creative process behind crafting a comic book and a music record are very different processes. “Comics are much more of a whittling away, step-by-step process, like breaking it down what will happen panel to panel, whereas a song is much more intuitive and it seems to happen… all at once,” Lewis explains.
No matter the media, Lewis excels at depicting both the ordinary and the extreme. It’s hard to imagine a more fitting musician to sing the final notes for No Radio, a venue that has been instrumental in fostering Ithaca’s own alternative music scene.
Jeffrey Lewis will perform at No Radio Records this Friday, March 13. Paul’s Grandfather and Dufus will open. The show begins at 8pm.