With Her Brights On
Promising Dallas singer Sarah Jaffe talks about embarrassment and bluebonnets.
19.April.2007

The Dd Sarah Jaffe mega-feature will have to wait. And that's not just because the local singer's debut record isn't yet ready for release...it's also because her story is only beginning.

Easily my favorite local discovery of the past 12 months, Jaffe's been kicking around Dallas for much longer than even I give her credit for. From her burgeoning solo career that kicked off at age 16 to her stint as singer and guitarist for Tomahawk Molly, this 21-year-old already already has her fair share of experiences at the bottom of Dallas' musical rosters, an undernoticed singing phenom who I've already praised far too much as it is. But this girl's only getting started; as she explained to me, the rest of Tomahawk Molly's members are busy with other projects, leaving her more than enough time to focus on a solo career that is far too good for being this, well, new.

Tonight's a big night for her, as she'll open for Austin songwriting powerhouse Bill Callahan (better known to many as Smog, (smog), or some other alias with parentheses) at my favorite venue in Dallas, Sons of Hermann Hall. To celebrate the occasion, I called her up yesterday to whip up a quick, casual chat, complete with some questions that are stupider than she deserves. Thankfully, the charming, friendly Jaffe played along for one of my favorite Dd interviews yet.



Sarah Jaffe

Dd: How are things going?

That is a very general question...right now, things are good musically. I just hired two managers, Kris Yeomans and Amanda Newman, They're booking some great shows for me. Show-wise, everything's really great. Record-wise...that's a really semi-long story that kinda wears me out. I went to California in September...2007?

September 2007 would be in the future.

That's right. That's...yeah. Thank you, Sam. I went in September 2006...and recorded a record. Right now it's...pending. I'm not crazy insane about the record pretty much. I'm in the process with Jonathan Hart, lead singer of Comrade, of re-recording some songs I'm not stoked about.

Was it because of the songs or how it was recorded?

I've had some time to think about it. Once I got back from California, I was kinda green; I was married to the record. I was more excited about having my first record recorded and ignored the fact that maybe it wasn't exactly what I wanted. It was a free record, so I thought, definitely some things will be compromised, such as sound-wise. After a while, I realized I wasn't 100% satisfied with it. The things that gnawed at me cancelled out the things that I love about it. I'd rather wait and get a really raw, good record than get this record out that I have right now.

What's the single biggest thing you hate the most about the current record?

It's too contrived. Too forced. Lyrically, I wrote all of the songs, so I wouldn't record them if I had a problem lyrically...but instrumentation-wise, I'd have it be more minimal. Each song features a different instrument part. Like, now it's time for the piano solo, and now it's time for the electric guitar solo. It's just too predictable. Not bashing at all the people who played on the record, but it was just time--we recorded it in a week.

I just wanted to make sure you didn't rhyme the words shirt and hurt.

Actually, I did do that in one song. Thanks a lot. I mean....I thought it was good, you know? [laughs] It's about how you sing it. It's about the delivery.

I know you're pretty young, 21--have you already decided this is your full-time concern? Do you have a dayjob or go to school?

I do have a dayjob. I work at a law firm [since June 2006]. It pays for the passion.

Is the staff there weird about your music career?

They're really supportive of what I do. But if we ever have events or parties, they always assume that I want to sing at them [laugh]. I also get the "Did you ever want to perform on American Idol" question a lot. I usually pause and do the "ummmm...no, no", but I always cover it up with "I watch American Idol, though" so they don't feel stupid.

I'm imagining a big lawyer-filled picnic, where you get on a stage and sing "Not Like You Did Me" while everyone's enjoying a summer BBQ. Has that kind of thing happened?

[laugh] No, no. Thankfully, I work with really cool people, so there haven't been any situations like that yet. And I hope there aren't any to come.

I've seen at least one person cry at a Sarah Jaffe concert. Not to insinuate that you draw a crowd of sobbers--

Someone...have I made someone cry? I haven't seen anyone cry yet.

I saw at least one person cry at a show once.

Really. Hmm. When I wrote "Not Like You Did Me," I actually cried a little when I wrote it. I guess, in a twisted and maybe warped way, I probably get a little pleasure when people cry [laughs] because that means the lyrics mean as much to them as they meant to me when I wrote it. So I guess that's good that they're crying, that they're little babies [laughs].

What is the worst song you've ever written?

Oh, Jesus.

Was it titled "Jesus"?

I have an embarrassing story for you. I graduated a year early in 2003, and the first song I ever wrote was the song I wrote for graduation. I would be way too embarrassed to tell you the lyrics. It's embarrassing enough that I sang a song on graduation day in front of 500 high school students.

Was this in the Green Day "Time of Your Life" vein?

[laughs] Maybe. It's probably on par with that song, actually.

I'm sure you remember the lyrics by heart. You have to give me something.

ARGH... Okay. NO! Okay [long pause] ... it was called "The Show Must Go On." I'm not even kidding. "The Show Must Go On." That's it. That's the title, and that's all I can give you to save me some honor.

You've been writing songs since you were how old?

My mother got me my first guitar when I was nine. Once I got the guitar...I was always dancing and singing when I was 3 or 4--you just make up songs when you're that young. But as far as playing chords on guitar, from there, I'm running on 12 years now.

Why was it that you were given a guitar?

At 3 or 4, my parents picked up on the fact that I was musically inclined. I would always make my own instruments--I made a guitar out of a pencil box, rubber bands and a plastic back. They picked up on it...at a pretty young age, I really liked different kind of music. I remember listening to the Cranberries a lot. So I'd always ask for a real guitar. My first guitar, my mom came home from a garage sale one day with one of those really shitty classical guitar with the nylon strings. I flipped my shit, locked myself in my room for a while until I learned how to play.

Well, your parents could've seen you creating a guitar and put you on an engineering path instead.

[laughs] That would've been a disaster. Anything with precision, I'm not good at. Or making things.

So from the get-go, you were more about writing your own songs than covering them?

Yeah! I was having this conversation with my father the other day. I'm just not a fan of covering songs. Occasionally, I'll do a tribute show, which is fun because it's a theme. But I almost feel bad about covering songs. They're the lyricists' temple and I just don't want to touch it.

Is there any dream cover song that's proved elusive for any reason?

Yeah, I always talk myself out of doing it: "Chelsea Hotel" by Leonard Cohen. One of my absolute favorite songs, but I just can't do it. I can't touch it.

If you were forced to cover a theme song, what would you pick?

Can it be silly?

Well the question is pretty dumb, so sure.

I'd cover the Dawson's Creek song.

The one by Paula Cole?

Yes, Paula Cole. The one who doesn't shave her underarms.

Would you get into character?

Yes--no. NO!

I was driving down I-35 yesterday and saw my first bluebonnets of the year. For whatever reason, I did an Internet search about them, since I always thought it was illegal to pick bluebonnets in Texas...turns out that's not true.

Serious? I've resisted all of my life. I wanted so many times just to pick some beautiful bluebonnets.

Yeah, I looked it up at the Texas Department of Public Safety site.

Oh! So you looked it up on a legit site. Not just any...right on! I'm gonna pick me some bluebonnets, then.

You never have?

Never! I can honestly say, swear on my life, I've never picked bluebonnets. I've seen people pick them and have noted it...

Did you yell at them?

I probably scolded them harshly, tattled on them...

Were you a tattletale as a kid?

Um, you know what? I was a mixture of the tattletale and the one who was tattled on a lot. I remember kids going "ummmm!" a lot to me.

As you may know, Bill Callahan is known for some high profile songwriting girlfriends--his current squeeze Joanna Newsom and his ex Chan Marshall. If those two got into a fight, who do you think would win and why?

Chan Marshall, for sure. For sure. First off, I love her music a lot more than Joanna Newsom--nothing personal, I'm just not a fan. Chan seems like she'd really battle it out. She's got girth. The woman's got girth.

What if Joanna brandished that harp?

I was just about to say that. That's a good question, though; I still think Chan would win.

I'm glad you think that's a good question, because I certainly don't.

[laughs]

Who's your favorite local act right now?

Doug Burr.

You guys have a kinship, not just that you gig together on occasion, but also in the way you write songs and your vocal delivery...have you heard his new record yet?

Yeah, he gave me an early copy. It's in my CD player often. I think that lyrically...for some reason it's hard for me to listen to music locally--I always wind up thinking "good for a local band." Nothing against those bands, but it's just the fact that it's from here. But for Doug Burr, he's really good for no category involved, no shelving. He's a good lyricist, he's a good person...I respect him a lot.

What's the last memorable show you saw, either local or national?

A couple, actually. I saw Lucinda Williams a while back. Her stage presence is really raw, and she's funny, she's just a funny woman. And I saw Yo La Tengo last weekend, unbelievable. I didn't really know what to expect--they're one of those bands that you can't define. They blew me away, especially Georgia on drums. She's an amazing drummer. I was very impressed. Live, they're...I know they've been together forever and you can tell.

Did she inspire you to rig up a drum set?

I've been wanting to buy a drum set for a long time now. I'm jealous of people who play drums, actually. I can hold a beat, can do a drum roll and probably play with a really shitty band and be good. It's something I'm just gonna save up and buy a drum set. Lock myself in my room for a while and go at it.

You could be an all-in-one solo act...

and then produce and arrange my album? It's possible.

That certainly would be minimalist...

[laughs] That'd be interesting. I'm always over-impressed with [people who can do that].

For this Callahan show, is there a band?

Kris Yeomans will play cello for almost the entire set, and Doug Burr will sit in on about three or four songs. We're gonna keep it minimal since the bill is a solo bill. I'm really excited, I admire Bill a lot.

Have you heard Bill's new record?

No, I haven't, but I just read on Pitchfork that he released it a week early in Texas, which is great. I'll buy it tomorrow.  



Sarah Jaffe opens for Bill Callahan at Sons of Hermann Hall on Thursday, April 19. Show starts at 9 p.m.