SGN Page 38

Jason Mraz dishes on his new album, touring with Alanis Morissette, posing for naked pictures and taking a piss outside the Rock Bottom Brewery

Jason Mraz dishes on his new album, touring with Alanis Morissette, posing for naked pictures and taking a piss outside
Exclusive Interview by Albert Rodriquez - SGN A&E Writer When it comes to being a straight ally, Jason Mraz gets an A+. Not too familiar with this guy? Let me miseducate you. First things first: Hes straight. But if he wanted a piece of Gay ass, he could get it. Easily. Next factoid: Every concert hes performed in Seattle has sold out. Including the Crocodile Café, Moore Theatre and 5th Avenue Theatre. And the three shows he opened for Dave Matthews at The Gorge last year, at the personal request of Matthews himself, sold out too. He also shared the Sasquatch Music Festival stage in the summer of 2003 with Coldplay, Modest Mouse, Death Cab for Cutie and Liz Phair. Heres more: Mraz appeared on VH1s I Love the 70s musical flashback series. His first album, Waiting for My Rocket to Come, was certified gold and produced three hit singles, Remedy (I Wont Worry), You and I Both and Curbside Prophet. His soon to be released follow-up, Mr. A to Z, is highly anticipated by his eclectic, swelling fan base, who log onto his website daily to read quirky diary entries, download snippets of new songs, exchange Mraz concert experiences and occasionally show off hand-painted portraits of him. Always in the mood for a fun conversation and always willing to flex his support for the Gay community, Mraz offered himself (mind, hot body and soul) to the Seattle Gay News for an exclusive interview in celebration of Seattle Gay Pride 2005. Mraz opens for Alanis Morissette at the Paramount Theatre on July 10. Mr. A to Z lands on record store shelves on July 26. As expected, this interview starts off nice and sweet, then heads directly to the gutter. Heres what Jason Mraz said, and did, when he stepped into The Music Lounge. Jason Mraz: Albert, how are you? Long time, brother. Albert Rodriguez: We havent talked since last summer. (We had beers after his show at the 5th Avenue Theatre) I wore that huge lei you gave me around my neck on the way home, and I was wasted. Mraz: Ahhhmemories. Rodriguez: On your website (www.jasonmraz.com), you have this school theme going on in connection with your new CD. Whats up with that? Mraz: The new CD is called Mr. A to Z. One of the characters we shot was a schoolteacher. But right in the middle of the shoot, I realized that Mraz on this record is still a student. So then we shot a series of pictures with Mraz as a student. And basically, thats what I am. All the artwork for this album takes place inside the hallways of a school. Because we are all students of this great education. Rodriguez: I think fans are wildly waiting for the new CD. Mraz: I think so too. Its been three years since we put out a new record. Rodriguez: Love the first song, Life is Wonderful. Great cut. Geek in the Pink. Great cut. I just got the CD, so I dont have the album notes and credits, but I know Steve Lillywhite (U2, Peter Gabriel, Siouxsie and the Banshees) produced it. Whats he like to work with? Mraz: Pretty awesome. That guy has such a huge reputation. His magic is that he basically becomes one of the band, one of the crew, one of the fellas, a member of the family. He becomes an experienced voice that you can trust when youre in the studio. He makes you sit in the studio for ten hours playing it over and over until you get it right. He doesnt put words in your mouth. He doesnt do the arrangements for you. He just says, Nope, nope, nope. Okay, now youre onto something. And he doesnt use any special mics. He doesnt have a special recording technique even. He just says, Whatever works for the band and whatever sounds good at the end of the day is how were going to do it. Rodriguez: Was the recording studio out in the boonies? Mraz: Way out in the boonies. In upstate New York. It was brilliant. We were there for a month, from mid-September to mid-October. When we were there, it was green. When we left, it was all these beautiful fall colors. We were secluded, so we couldnt be distracted at all. It was a fully functional studio where you could live, work, eat and sleep there. You never had to leave. You were focused on your project entirely. Rodriguez: Youre living on the West Coast, right? Mraz: Yup. Im living in San Diego. Rodriguez: Lets talk about your tour with Alanis Morissette because thats what brings you to Seattle very soon. How did you hook up with Miss Jagged Little Pill? Mraz: She just called and asked. And I said Hell yeah! I gave her the high-five instantly. I was a fan of her record. That was when I discovered her, when she came out with Jagged Little Pill ten years ago. She had hit after hit. Then she followed it up with amazing Grammy performances. And MTV Unplugged was huge for me. She mixed it up with different styles. She had a pop-rock feel, yet there was still something spiritual and quite captivating about her that I believed in. So I always had a special place in my heart for that. When I heard she was doing the re-release (of Jagged Little Pill), I thought cool. But when she invited us to go on tour with her, I was like whoa! Rodriguez: Blown away. Mraz: Yeah, blown away. Because I get to be a super fan. I get to wait in the wings every night and watch her, and even better, hopefully we get to become better friends through it. Rodriguez: And get drunk. Mraz: Jump in the van next door, be part of the controversy, write a song about it. Rodriguez: Youll have your rockin disco bus on the tour, wont ya? Mraz: Itll just be Toca (his guitarist) and I opening for Alanis. Rodriguez: Youre doing an acoustic set? Mraz: Yeah. Shes acoustic. Were acoustic. But, well still have the rockin disco bus. Rodriguez: Well have to hop on that baby. Mraz: Yup. Rodriguez: Waiting for My Rocket to Come put you on the map. With the success of that record and everything that came with it sold out shows, TV appearances, magazine spreads - did you feel the pressure going into the studio to make a follow-up CD that was comparable or better than the first one? Mraz: Absolutely. I wanted it to be better and I wanted it to be comparable. I want all those things. And I want it to be new for me. I want it to be funnier and stronger and louder. I want it to have everything. So I put tons of pressure on myself. By the time we got to the studio I was confident at where it was going. And I knew Steve would take what had already existed and record it the best way it could. I spent a good eight months to a year focused on those songs, about forty random tunes. Once I brought them to the band, we narrowed them down to twenty. Then they got to Steve and we narrowed them down to twelve. Its a good variety. They showcase the best of what I did last year. Rodriguez: The arrangements sound more diverse. Mraz: I agree with you there. Steve allowed us to get weirder, to get darker. He allowed us to rock out more. He also allowed us to get quiet and really respect silence from the record as well. So you get a little bit of everything. When I listen to the record I can actually hear my influences now, everything from Zero 7 to Radiohead to Bebel Gilberto to Bjork even. I love all kinds of music, from country to rap. Theres bits of that on this record. I think we succeeded in having a record that represents Jason Mraz for the first time. Rodriguez: Theres more singing on Mr. A to Z than on the previous album. Mraz: Steve said he wanted to showcase that there would be more singing. Showcase that I was a better singer than what the first album showcased. I thought the first album showcased great songwriting and my voice was one of many interesting instruments on that record, but the vocals are definitely the foundation of the songs on this album. He puts me on hold because he has to answer a phone call from a friend. And then he tells me hes at a Starbucks in downtown San Diego asking to use the bathroom. Rodriguez: How cool is it to have a Gay fan base? Mraz: I never really set out to win over any demographic, or be at the top of the charts, or be on the best radio stations. Ive never done that. Ive never put myself in a position to say Please listen to me. Ive always just tried to be more inviting. Like Hey, come on in! All ages, all shapes and sizes, races and genders are welcome. Thats just the way its always been with me. My audience comes from all parts of the world, all corners of the neighborhood. Rodriguez: All sexual flavors too. Mraz: Im excited that theres a Gay audience because its the whole reason why I sing Geek in the Pink. Because I love any little bit of controversy that I can lean into without being someone whos controversial. I havent yet found my own strength to stand up and try to change the world. But I can at least be positive and be nice and supportive to those I come across. Rodriguez: Youve obviously been exposed to the Gay culture and community. Mraz: Oh yeah. Every roommate Ive ever had has been Gay. Rodriguez: Have you been getting drunk at those Gay bars in San Diego? Mraz: I have. One too many times. He pauses to ask the Starbucks barista for a bathroom token. He isnt having an easy time with it either. Rodriguez: Do they know who you are? Mraz: No. Nobody does. Rodriguez: Im sure they do. (He laughs) He walks towards the bathroom. He puts the token where it needs to go, and I can hear him opening the door. Now were inside the bathroom with Jason Mraz! Mraz: Ive had like 20,000 cups of Starbucks today. You know, youre the first person Ive ever done an interview with while Ive actually been comfortable enough to go pee. Rodriguez: It feels so good when you really have to go. Mraz: Sometimes its better than an orgasm. (He pees) Ahhh...it just goes and goes. (Still peeing) Rodriguez: Thats like the night of your show, when we had beers afterwards. I forgot to use the restroom before I got on the bus. Mraz: Wasnt it like the Rock Bottom Brewery, or something like that? Rodriguez: Good memory. I got off that fucking bus and found the nearest car wheel. Mraz: I remember going in the bushes, right when we came out of the place. Rodriguez: Serious? Mraz: Im serious. In front of the Rock Bottom Brewery. Rodriguez: Ill have to go by there. Maybe that sprouted a new tree. Mraz: Maybe it did. (Laughs) Rodriguez: What are you spinning in your iPOD or on your personal CD player right now? Mraz: (Hes still inside the bathroom) Im a big fan of hip-hop. So I picked up this record called Same Shit Different Day by Lyrics Born. Hes like a Mexican-Japanese rapper. Hes brilliant. He doesnt sing about thugs and drugs. Hes more of a spoken word guy. Hes got more internal rhymes than Ive ever heard in my life. And Belle and Sebastian. They just released an EP called Books. They have a bazillion EPs. Theyre one band that I buy everything they put out. The new EP Books is more disco and funk than Ive ever heard them release. Rodriguez: Youre looking pretty darn good these days. Mraz: Thanks. Ive been surfing and exercising more. Things that Ive never done before in my life. Rodriguez: Do you have any tats? Mraz: I dont have any visible tats. Ive got one on my backbone and Ive got one on my chest, below my shoulder, on my right pec, that reads Rest Area. Its one word, so its like rest area. So if anyone needs a place to rest, they can put their head on my shoulder. Rodriguez: The line starts here. Mraz: Hey, I just shot a thing for Jane magazine. I was fully nude. Rodriguez: Serious? Mraz: Serious. All Im using is my guitar. So that rest area tattoo can probably be seen when it comes out. Rodriguez: But were just going to see your guitar? Mraz: Youre going to see so much guitar. Youre going to be like, Damn, hes got a big guitar! Rodriguez: Is it a whole spread or just one shot? Mraz: Its probably going to be one pic. They shot like twelve different actors, writers and musicians. Rodriguez: All nude? Mraz: Yeah, all nude. Its an issue about vulnerability and being naked. Rodriguez: Were you all naked together? Mraz: No, it was individual. Its funny because we did two different shoots. One was sitting on the front steps of a house, reading a book in the buff with my glasses on, which looks like some of the photos that my roommates keep around for good measure. I definitely look like one of those cover boys on really soft core, barely legal kind of stuff. Rodriguez: The Gay boys will love it. Mraz: I know. And the second shot was me with the guitar, looking more tough and more musical. Rodriguez: Well look for it. Do you still have an obsession with cocks (roosters)? (He used to collect anything with cocks/roosters on it) Mraz: I did, until I was bombarded with them. (His first album had a rooster on the cover, and people then found out about his cock worship) Once that record became a success, everyone gave me something that had a rooster on it. It was chicken this, chicken that. Chicken stuffed animals, paintings, t-shirts. And I swore I was going to have to build a wing onto my house for all of it and call it The Coop. Rodriguez: If we happen to be in San Diego, well stop by and check it out. Mraz: Come to Jasons House of Cock. Rodriguez: Thats a great porn title. Mraz: It is. Rodriguez: Do you have a new obsession? Mraz: Because of Geek in the Pink, everywhere I go I buy whatever there is thats pink in the store. In one of my journal entries on my website, Im going to take a picture of myself in my closet and let you see how much pink Ive actually got. It looks like the Barbie aisle. Because its one thing to have a song called Geek in the Pink and sing about wearing pink, but when Im actually wearing it and singing it, it really helps get its point across. Im wearing a pink polo right now. Rodriguez: Wow. And you have a pink Rick Springfield t-shirt that you wear a lot. Mraz: That shirt has kind of been retired. Rodriguez: Ahhh Mraz: Its been photographed so many times (he wore it on the VH1 photo shoot and on tour) You know what Id be happy to do, if you want it, you could do a giveaway for your readers. Or, you could just horde it and put it in your closet of kinky collectives. Rodriguez: I really do have a kinky closet of collectives. Mraz: Honestly, its just been sitting in my closet and Ive been waiting for a place to send it to. Rodriguez: Ill take it. Thanks. He writes down my address and promises to send it over. I got it last week, with the cutest little note in the world. Rodriguez: Where are you now? Still at Starbucks? Mraz: Im embarking on a cruise. Im playing a show with my percussionist-friend Toca on the Adventure Hornblower. Thats the name of the boat. The boat leaves at 7:00 and Im rocking from 7:30 to 8:30. Its a booze cruise. The boat returns at 9:00 and then Im going to go home and...um Rodriguez: Make guacamole. Mraz: And make guacamole. Rodriguez: Jason, thanks for doing this. Youve made our Gay Pride so much sweeter. Mraz: Ive never peed during an interview before. Remember that. Rodriguez: Youre a great friend to the Gay boys and girls. Well see you in Seattle next month, with Alanis Morissette, and well remember to bring something pink. We exchange mushy good-byes, but Ill spare you. In conclusion, know that Jason Mraz is the real deal. I hope you check him out at the Paramount Theatre and I hope your Gay Pride is colorful. And remember, dorks rule.