Jonah Matranga - onelinedrawing
Published 31 May 2012 09:30
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AMERICAN musician Jonah Matranga has embarked on his UK tour Harvesting & Visiting with the newly resurrected onelinedrawing.
The 42-year-old singer, songwriter and guitarist has his roots in full bands - such as Far, Gratitude and New End Original - but has also spent a number of years as a solo artist.
He spent a number of years as a solo artist but has once again formed onelinedrawing, to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Neil Young's 'Harvest' alongside the 10th anniversary of onelinedrawing's 'Visitor'.
He told the Advertiser that the decision to resurrect onelining was one of pure chance.
Jonah - who currently stays in San Francisco, California - has teamed up with fellow musician Dave McPherson for the tour which started in London on Tuesday 29 May and will finish in Newcastle on Thursday 7 June.
The Alloa Advertiser threw some questions his way about the tour, music and life in general.
ALLOA ADVERTISER: What made you resurrect onelinedrawing?
JONAH: Someone got excited when they saw a show mistakenly advertised as onelinedrawing, so I just went with it. Feels good. There's something about that name.
ALLOA ADVERTISER: Where did your interest in music have its roots?
JONAH: Listening to WBCN in Boston growing up. Playing really loud and
terribly in basements.
ALLOA ADVERTISER: What is your process for making music?
JONAH: I do my best to record or write down any little idea that comes to me. Then I'm very patient with it.
ALLOA ADVERTISER: What inspires you musically?
JONAH: Conversations often lead to songs, that's always fun.
ALLOA ADVERTISER: How would you describe your music to someone who hasn't heard it before?
JONAH: I generally mention Nick Drake, Simon & Garfunkel or Elliott Smith combined with U2 or Cheap Trick, with a little prince thrown in there. Just songwriter-y stuff but with big choruses and strange twists and turns.
ALLOA ADVERTISER: Where are you excited about touring to over the coming weeks?
JONAH: Well, the UK is always so great, so this tour is something I've been excited about for a while. I'm playing some really cool little festivals in various countries too. Nothing too big and famous, which is perfect for me.
ALLOA ADVERTISER: What can audiences expect from your gigs?
JONAH: Well, this time around, I'll be playing Visitor in its entirety, which I've never done. I'll also be playing a couple of Neil Young tunes, along with whatever other surprises we dream up in the moment. That's always my favorite.
ALLOA ADVERTISER: You're playing at the ABC in Glasgow this month - are you looking forward to it, and how do you find the Scottish crowds?
JONAH: Scots rock, for real. It's always a party, really friendly and warm. It's been a while since Glasgow, so it's great to play there again.
ALLOA ADVERTISER: How did the latest album 'You're All Those Things And Then You're None' come about?
JONAH: So funny, I just have no idea. The albums just arrive. All of a sudden I look around and have plenty of songs and they make sense together and I go for it.
ALLOA ADVERTISER: You put the tracks up for people to add ideas, and Voices & Dedication was crowd funded and created - do you like people to get involved with your music?
JONAH: Yeah, more and more, actually. I've always enjoyed making things interactive, really reminding people what a part of the music they are, and these days with the internet there are just so many fun ideas I'm trying.
ALLOA ADVERTISER: What do you think your next release will be like?
JONAH: It's gonna be pretty pretty diverse. I've got some really dance-y, poppy stuff, some really sad, atmospheric stuff, some really serious stuff, some really silly stuff. It's very much a onelinedrawing record.
ALLOA ADVERTISER: Have you been collaborating with any other artists recently?
JONAH: Tons. I'm writing songs with Jer and Bob from Gratitude, with Norman from New End, with Ian from Rival Schools, with J from Jawbox. I'm also guesting on some dance and hip-hop stuff, I love doing that. It's a really exciting time. So much to do.
ALLOA ADVERTISER: Who would you like to collaborate with in the future?
JONAH: Ah, so many daydreams. Ed Vedder, Neil Young, Sinead O'Connor... Daydreaming is fun.
ALLOA ADVERTISER: What do you do in your spare time when you're not making music?
JONAH: I love watching the Red Sox play, all the Boston teams, that's fun childhood nostalgia. I live near some really beautiful cliffs overlooking the Pacific, so I love walking over there for hours, just being quiet. I'm making some really great friends lately, too. Feels good.
ALLOA ADVERTISER: What can people expect from your over the next year or so?
JONAH: A whole lotta music. Possibly a pretty elaborate new website. I just finished a children's book to help kids deal with loss, I might publish that this year. Who knows what else.
This article appeared in Alloa & Hillfoots Advertiser 31 May 12
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