Interview: Jad Fair Discusses Upcoming Collaborations and Previous Projects

Afterglow spoke with eclectic visual artist and musician Jad Fair to discuss his ongoing collaborations, future goals, and recent releases. 

Written by Rachel Joy Thomas

Photo courtesy of Joyful noise recordings

Jad Fair has been a naturalistic musician for the majority of his life. Known for his work with Half Japanese, the 70-year-old Austin native has developed an interesting, twisting portfolio of work over the course of his career. From collaborating with local legend Daniel Johnston to producing an album with Yo La Tengo, Samuel Locke Ward, R. Stevie Moore, and other artists, Fair has never limited his relentless sonic drive. 

Afterglow: How are you doing? 

Jad Fair: I’m doing fine, thanks. 

One of the first things I want to know is, how would you describe the music you create to other people if you had to elevator pitch yourself? 

Jad Fair: Boy, I've gone in so many different directions. I've had collaborations with many different bands, and each time, it has its own identity. I recorded an album with Yo La Tengo, and that's very different from an album I recorded with Daniel Johnston. So, it depends on the people who I've worked with how the music ends up. 

That makes sense. It's something that I've noticed as I've listened to your music. Even the early stuff you've done; your solo work, moving from the Daniel Johnston collaboration to Half Japanese to your work with your brother [David Fair]. I feel like it definitely takes different shapes and forms.

Jad Fair: I'm glad that you're familiar with all those different things. Because quite often, when I have interviews, they'll know Half Japanese. And that's pretty much it. 

I've definitely been a fan for a bit. I learned about you through Daniel Johnston. So, a rather typical avenue perhaps. 

Jad Fair: Well, I was such a huge fan of Daniel and I was so lucky to have had the opportunity to work with him. We recorded two albums and one EP together.

Yeah. One of those albums, It's Spooky, was definitely really interesting. And it's one of the things that I wanted to ask you about specifically. You named in a previous interview, his Hi, How Are You album, as one of your top five albums. And you definitely had an interesting professional and personal relationship with Johnston. What were some of the ways that he impacted your life creatively or just through his presence?

Jad Fair: Oh, Daniel, I mean, there's so many musicians that are talented, but a lyricist is something special, I think. Because there's …. boy, I can think of hundreds, perhaps thousands of great musicians. But as far as someone who's a good lyricist, Daniel was really something special. I mean, I loved him as a performer as well. But I think, as a lyricist, he really shined. 

Do you have a favorite track from It's Spooky that you recorded with Daniel? 

Jad Fair: Not off the top of my head … I can’t really think.  I love so many songs off that album, but to narrow it down to one song would be difficult. 

I read in other interviews that you described Daniel as kind of an intense person to work with. What were some of the things that you noticed about him during the time that you were making that album? 

Jad Fair: Perhaps this was something that I noticed during the recording of It's Spooky, which perhaps something that happens all the time with Daniel, but when he would get up in the morning, he'd be just so easy to work with. And, then as the day progressed, he would get kinda moody and then it would be evening. He would just …  it was clear that he didn't want to do any more recording. So he would say, well let's go get some pizza. It was one thing about Daniel. And, I [also] saw he just didn't want to do more than a couple takes of a song. So I felt a need to get the song in just two takes, which was kind of a task, but we made it work.

Photo courtesy of Apple Music

In your personal work, are you usually the type of person to do more than one take? Or did you take from your experience with Daniel, maybe taking less takes than normal? 

Jad Fair: Oh no, I usually do like one or two takes. But, the thing that I found kind of a challenge was … I wasn't just playing [the] songs. I was also recording it. So I was setting up microphones and watching the levels and making certain that all the mic placements were correct. It was like multitasking, which made it more of a challenge.

Oh yeah. I would imagine that that would be a little bit more difficult because you were kind of trying to do everything at once and just getting that take and that flow to get together. I suppose that gets into your songwriting. I'm very drawn to the free flowing nature of your lyrics and the stream of conscious methodology behind some of your work. So, what is the creative process like for you on a day-to-day basis? 

Jad Fair: With the songwriting, with the lyrics … I won't have anything written down ahead of time, or I'll perhaps have a title of a song, and then so much of it is ad libbed as I'm doing it. I'd say 70% of it is just off the top of my head, which I think gives it a nice feel. 

Yeah. You also have albums like the recent album, Film Music that has a varying sound depending on the track, [with] little to no lyrics. It seemingly switches from science fiction universes in “Fish” to more interesting energy on tracks like “August.” With that in mind, I wanted to ask, what was the ultimate goal when you were working on Film Music? 

Jad Fair: When I first started working on it, I set a goal for myself. It's kind of like a New Year's resolution. I said I wanted to record 100 albums in a year's time. At the end of the year, I was able to record and release 150 albums, and then after I had all those albums recorded, I wanted to narrow it down to have enough instrumentals for a CD and enough one minute songs for a double album. 100 songs and Film Music were all taken from those 150 songs I recorded. 

And I would imagine as you were going through that process, you were maybe recording at least a couple of songs on a day-to-day basis. What was it like making each of the songs for 100 songs (A Masterclass In Songwriting) and Film Music throughout that year? 

Jad Fair: Oh, you don't want very fast, very fast. Well, part of it, too, is with COVID. I just wasn't getting out, so it's not like I was doing much away from the house. I wanted to have something to do while I was cooped in. Which, that kind of kept me focused. So, that had a lot to do with it. 

Yeah, on Film Music, you have tracks that can work in varying media. There were a couple of tracks that reminded me of soundscapes for a game. It could be [for an] arcade, it could be a track for any movie or film production. And it kind of reminded me of varying media. I wanted to ask, did you have any inspirations in mind when [working on] that album? 

Jad Fair: Boy, it's hard to think about inspiration because when I do things, I just never really feel that I need inspiration. I just do stuff. I'm sure there's some thought process, but it's not anything I'm aware of. It all has a natural flow. It just comes out of you in a way. It's kind of like if you went over to the sink and turned the water on and the water came out. Well, you're really not thinking about how the water comes out. It’s just there. And, that's kind of how I am with music and lyrics and pretty much everything. 

Yeah. In a similar sense, you have so many different genres. I almost noticed a little bit of free jazz, some interesting percussive motifs on 100 Songs (A Masterclass In Songwriting). You have spoken word trickling onto that album. Originally, I was going to ask what drew you to all of those genres, but that's kind of just the faucet: you're just naturally flowing through all sorts of different music genres on that album. 

Jad Fair: I'm a big music fan, so I've listened to so many different types of music. So, it's not like I feel a need to go in one direction or another. I’m just open to whatever comes out. I just love music. So, I think I have a wide range. 

A lot of different musicians feel constricted by genre. I know some musicians feel as though once they enter a box, they can't really break out of it. Many mainstream artists have difficulties being able to break away from molds that they've crafted for themselves. So, what you've really done is a really unique thing. When you were with Half Japanese, there were people who described you as Proto-punk, and then you've moved into more of an experimental fold in a lot of your solo work, and have so many different influences going for you. How did it feel to kind of break out of the box of music itself and the boxes of genre? 

Jad Fair: I think part of that is I don't [work with] record companies that aren’t supportive. Record companies that aren’t kind of pushing me in one direction or another. With a lot of artists, the record companies know what is going to make the most money for them. As with a lot of things, people will try to follow the money. And that's the same with music. They see what's going to be the most beneficial and that's the correction they'll take. 

Yeah, that's definitely something that I noticed and what drew me originally toward your work. I wanted to ask [about] your labeling. A lot of people refer to your music as outsider music under the lens of Irwin Chusid, who made one of the first books [and made] contemporary media about [the topic]. A lot of people [also] refer to your music as American Primitive. Do you label yourself with any specific genre, and if so, what label do you use for your music? 

Jad Fair: No, I don't label it at all. I think that the main thing with me is … I just try to be natural. I do what comes the most natural to me. Some people have said, “well, it's experimental.” But it's actually just the opposite of that because I'm not trying to do anything other than what comes naturally to me. So I think being natural is the main focus that I've had. 

Before a lot of your solo albums came out and when you were working more heavily with Half Japanese, [your music] was described as almost Proto-punk. The punk world has irrevocably changed just like Half Japanese has changed and your solo work did over time. Do you feel like in some ways your work still kind of keeps the spirit of punk alive today, in terms of that naturalistic flow? 

Jad Fair: With Half Japanese, certainly we still have the spirit there. It's a little bit difficult with Half Japanese now, because we're all living in different cities. Well, different countries too. Gilles Reider, our drummer, lives in Switzerland. Mick Hobbs, the guitar player, is in London, another guitarist [is] in Asheville, [a] bass player in Baltimore, and I'm just outside of Austin, but the spirit certainly is still there. 

With regard to the current music scene, how do you look at the music world today? And how do you feel your music fits into this current landscape for the industry? 

Jad Fair: I don't really keep up on things. Most of the music I listen to around the house [is] from the ‘30s and ‘40s. And, some music from the ‘50s. I'm certain that there's great music out there, but it's just not something I really keep up on. One of my favorite bands now, I mean, they've been around for such a long time. NRBQ is my favorite band, and they have been [here] for years. 

What's some of the things that you like about NRBQ? 

Jad Fair: Well, I've seen so many bands and they're by far the best live band that I've seen. And they're able to do pretty much any type of music you would think of. They're able to do it and do it well. Another band that's like that would be Yo La Tengo. It seems like there's nothing they can't do. I've had a couple of tours with Yo La Tengo and it's amazing that each night, it's different; they won't repeat their setlist at all. Every night it'll be different songs. And that's something very few bands can do. And that's something NRBQ could do. But it would be difficult for most bands to do anything like that. 

So that's something that you highly value and kind of have high esteem for. I wanted to ask you specifically about Yo La Tengo because you've worked with them quite a bit. What has that experience been like for you? 

Jad Fair: Before Tengo started as a band, I was friends with Ira [Kaplan], Georgia [Hubley], and James [McNew]. I knew them before they started the band. I knew them as friends. I was so pleased that it would be so successful with their music. I think the very first cover that they did, if not the first one, was a tour they did with Half Japanese. So yeah, I've known them for years and years. 

And have you felt like that relationship with them has evolved over time? Or is it pretty consistent in terms of the work that you kind of try to [do], the naturalistic flow with them? 

Jad Fair: Oh, I'd say it's pretty consistent. I've always been friends with those people.

And how would making an album with them be different? Is the process different making an album with them versus Samuel Locke Ward or, your brother, David [Fair], or even Daniel? 

Jad Fair: I'd say my role in it is pretty much the same. I just go in and just do what comes natural to me. So I'd say there's not that much difference in what I bring to it. It's more of what they [do that] makes the difference. 

What were some specific ways different artists that you've worked with have brought different avenues for creating music to the table? 

Jad Fair: Well, I recorded an album with Teenage Fanclub, and they were able to do things more in a pop-vein than I'd usually go. That really appealed to me 'cause I do like pop music. That was a fresh thing to me. And then again with Teenage Fanclub, I was friends with [them] for a couple of years prior to recording with them. 

Do you have any collaborations that you're hoping to produce in the future? 

Jad Fair: As I said, NRBQ's my favorite band, so I would love to be able to do some recording with [them]. I did some recording with Terry Adams and Tom Artemino of that band. And Conrad [Choucroun], who is no longer in the band, but he was the drummer of NRBQ for a while; I did some recording with him. So, I would love to be able to record with the full band. 

Do you have any upcoming [solo] projects that you're planning to release? For instance, maybe unreleased tracks from the 150 albums that you were recording? 

Jad Fair: Well, there's going to be another album with Samuel Locke Ward, which will be coming out sometime this year. We've started work on another album beyond that. And then there's going to be another Half Japanese album that we've got recorded. So now it's just in the process of being mixed. I'm pleased about that. And I'm wanting to record another album with my brother David. But I don't know when we'll have time to do that. 

It sounds like you have an exciting amount of collaborations coming up in the future. What do you feel is the future for artists who kind of make music and visual art similar to yours? 

Jad Fair: Well, in a way it's easier, because [you have] Bandcamp [and] GarageBand and [so many] different ways to record. It makes it so much easier to record and so much easier to get it out there. What does make it more difficult though, is [that] there are just thousands of people doing that same thing to get any kind of audience. [It] can be a challenge, because there's just so much competition… Or, I shouldn't say competition because that's not really quite what it is, but there's just so many different people. It's difficult to get noticed. 

Do you think that the difficulty to get noticed in the music industry might push people to not try unconventional methods for making different music? 

Jad Fair: I don't know. Everyone's different. So I'm sure it would be daunting for some people and not so for others. For myself, I never saw it as being any kind of obstacle. 

You're constantly playing with all sorts of methods of creating music, and it's really inspiring in a way to see somebody take that approach. [I have] a last question, and it's a little bit of a big one. What would you want people to remember you for or remember you as? 

Jad Fair: I've done so much with music and also so much with art cause I do a lot of paper cuttings. So I'd say, If they're a bigger fan of music, then I'd like them to kind of remember me as a music artist. But, other people might be more drawn to my visual artwork. So, you know, whatever thing you find is more appealing to you.  That's what I think you should aim for. 

Yeah. Thank you for talking to me. I really appreciate you taking your time out of your day to have this discussion about your recent work, future collaborations, and everything in between.

Jad Fair: Well, it's very good to talk to you.

This interview has been minimally edited for clarity and length.

This interview has been updated typographically.