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Arts & Music

Gimme Five! Jess Edison of Once and Future Kings

Drifting int he ether between psychedelic pop and indie rock, Once and Future Kings first drummed to life in a basement in East Nashville. Now stationed in Raleigh, lead singer/guitarist Jess Edison has seen the band’s evolution through more than a few line-ups, all the while striving to maintain the core sound. He’s certainly got a knack for resilience, but can Edison survive the five hardest questions in faux business? See for yourself after the jump.

1. If your band were a monarch, which would it be?
I think we would be John, the English king that signed the Magna Carta. That act metaphorically describes where we’re at as a band right now. When I first moved here, I came with a lot of finished, some recorded, songs. Those songs dictated parts to my bandmates. But the reign of those songs is coming to a close, and our current sets include mostly new songs that were created in a more organic, collaborative and democratic way.

2. When did you decide it was time to share this music?
We played our first show within three weeks of being a trio. The caveat is I knew the songs and had lots of experience performing them, and Rush and Matt were very fast learners. We added Matt (we call him “Bearded” to avoid confusion) on bass a few weeks later and then booked a very aggressive show schedule. Since then we have been alternating between songwriting “seasons” and show “seasons.”

3. Describe your typical band practice.
Our practice lasts about three hours. If we have a show coming up, we make a set list and play it through once. If one of the songs was off par the first time, we play it again. I usually direct the practice since I have the microphone. We work hard, but we allow ourselves to get distracted by spontaneous jams. For that reason we try to keep some kind of recording device handy to capture a serendipitous song segment.

4. Who/what might be a few inspirations or influences that would really surprise people? Framing matters when you listen to music. When people ask what we sound like, the quickest way to respond is: Radiohead. It has an element of truth, but when we tell people “Radiohead” they likely think we have a huge ego or we’re derivative. Few have picked up on the Bright Eyes influence. “I’m Wide Awake, It’s Morning” came to me at a pivotal time in my development of an artistic point of view. I like to use lyrics in a similarly evocative manner, and I like how words can take on new meanings if they are delivered in a certain way. If people listened to our albums with a Bright Eyes frame, they would have a new experience. Then again a whole lot of people haven’t heard Bright Eyes.

5. What did you dream of being when you were a kid? (How ’d that turn out?)
When I was a kid I wanted to be Luke Skywalker. My father was a musician and professional jingle-writer, and he succumbed to the “Dark Side” (alcoholism, drug abuse). Growing up with a single mother, I always had a fantasy that I would be reunited with him and that I could rescue him. To overuse the metaphor, music was the “Force” that we shared. Since I learned that my father was missing and likely dead, I can’t fulfill that fantasy. But in some sense I see my expression of thoughts and feelings in music as an extension of his life.

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Head down to the Local 506 next Wednesday, October 12 to hear Once and Future Kings live. And, by all means, give Jess a high five when you see him!