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Recently Aftertheshow.info had a chance to sit down with Matt Bivens the multitalented musician of the group Jump Little Children. He is known for his on stage antics, and variety of roles in the band. Below is the interview. Also, you can watch clips of some answers from the interview.
ATS: How did you get started?
MB: We met in the North Carolina school of the arts, a small school.
ATS: Did you have classes together?
MB: Well I knew everyone even before college in regular school. My old room mate was from Ireland, and wanted to play Irish music and Ward and Jay were playing and we just merged in time.
ATS: In the early music it was folk Irish sounding. Its gone away from that. Why have you changed?
ATS: Where do you want jump to go in the next five years?
ATS: Your latest album got the best reviews from the critics. Why do you think this is true?
ATS: What is your favorite album?
MB: This last album is my favorite. That’s a good sign. It was easy to make, fun to make. We liked our producer. It was a great experience all around. The making of Vertigo was not fun. We didn’t like the producer. We did like the album, but we didn’t like the experience. Between the Dim and the Dark just felt good. In fact we are about to finish some EP’s based on the B side of the Dim and the Dark. I’m excited about that.
ATS: Between the Dim and the Dark had more consistency through the album than previous releases. Why is that?
MB: I think it is because we are releasing through our solo works. In magazine we would have a loud song, a soft song, an artsy song. But now that Jay has a certain place for his type of songs, and the others have release for there styles in there own bands: Now we get to know what the Jump Little Children sound is. So we can come together and make a song for this band. It features everything, but is better.
ATS: Do you care what the critics say? Or are you in it just to do what you want to do?
MB: I would lie if I said I didn’t care completely.
ATS: Does what critics say change your music?
MB: No. People have always wanted us to play our old stuff. When we came out with Vertigo people wanted us to sound like Magazine. Now they want us to sound like Vertigo. If people except something from you get in trouble
ATS: What’s your most requested song?
MB: Cathedrals Certainly. Then Higher energy songs: My Guitar
ATS: Do you hate request?
MB: No. In the end we have to decide what is best for us to play. Within reason we’ll play earlier stuff. But we want to play our new stuff.
ATS: Does touring become tiring?
MB: Yes it does. It would be nice to be at a point so we don’t have to tour as much. That’s where most our income is from. Many bands don’t do tours as much as us anymore. Things have changed. It makes more sense to … It’s just how we have been. I could see changes in the future though.
ATS: Who would you open for if you could open for anyone?
MB: REM, U2
ATS: Who are you listening to lately?
MB: U2, I like what the Postal Service did. Rilo Kily. I’ve been listening to Love and Rockets, INXS, the Cure. I think music is starting to get good again. Music is finally turning around and getting good again.
ATS: So you mentioned you were writing a rock opera. Is there something that inspired that? A certain rock opera?
MB: Yes! Hedwig and the Angry Inch. It’s a great movie you have to see it. John Cameron Mitchell did it. It’s a movie and it was an off Broadway play.
ATS: What part of the country do you enjoy playing in?
MB: New York, Chicago, Atlanta, Athens. Why I like these areas is because people are more open. They will let you play anything. They are willing to hear anything new and different. But we get surprised other places too. I love the west coast. My favorite part of the world: We got to play in Paris. That was just an incredible time.
ATS: You seem to have a lot of energy on stage what creates that in you?
ATS: Well if you decrease in touring wouldn’t that hurt you?
MB: Well yes in music but I could be in more plays, last year I was in a ballet. It was a rendition of Alice in Wonderland. It was really fun.
ATS: Are you jealous of Jonathan’s mustache?
MB: NO! Because it would look so stupid on me.
ATS: So for being from the south you don’t have much a southern accent.
MB: I was raised in North Carolina but my mother was an actress so that influenced it. But when I lived in Boston and New York, people would be like; you have such a southern accent. I love the southern accent. I’ll always live in the south. I’m proud to be a southerner. I feel the south is where it’s at. The most exciting arts, the most passionate people: I’m definitely proud of that.
ATS: What else have you done besides the ballet and rock opera you are working on?
MB: Also, my friend made a folk play. It was part of a thesis. But it turned out really cool I just want to do a whole bunch of different things.
ATS: Have you always wanted to be a performer?
MB: Yes since 5, my mom put us on stage. And its always been in me since then.
ATS: Have you ever thought there was a time when Jump would be no more?
MB: Yes. A couple of years ago we were dropped from our label. Well not just dropped. Lots of people are dropped, but the label was destroyed. Yet we were still stuck, because we still owed them lots of money and they owned Vertigo. Everything was depressing and dealing with money. It was not good. We wondered if that would be a good time to stop. There were a lot of bands that stopped that year, and they had every right, Antheaeum, and some crazy band, 2 Skinny J’s. They all had the same story. It was sad. We had all worked hard… and. Even now it’s not a great time to be a band.
ATS: Has the internet helped or hurt you?
MB: Oh its helped enormously! It has helped so many to hear about us. We’ve always had websites. I have a moblog I try to keep up. It has all been enormous.
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