Fine young Texan-based troubadour JEFF KLEIN has already let us into his intense inner sanctum with the fabulously wracked "Everybody Loves A Winner" album on One Little Indian. Not content with just delivering one of the year's best albums, he's back with a new single "Another Breakdown" and a brace of UK and European shows. Whisperin' & Hollerin' took great pleasure in tracking Jeff down at his Austin, Texas homebase for a chat to celebrate.
Jeff Klein originally hails from the American East Coast, but since settling in Austin in 1999 he's suffered the slings and arrows of making a home in the Lone Star state where "the careers of unsuccesful major label bands are strewn along the highway like road kill." Nonetheless, his debut album "You'll Never Get To Heaven If You Break My Heart" (2000) and now the superb "Everybody Loves A Winner" have gradually been establishing him as an original, highly personal singer/ songwriter talent. He has something of a repution for being fiery, so we're pleasantly surprised to be conversing with a softly-spoken, all-round lovely guy.
Jeff, "Everybody Loves A Winner" has received loads of great press in the UK and Europe. Has it been opening doors for you since its' release in January?
"Yeah, it's kinda helped in a lotta ways," Jeff considers.
"Previously, I was only well known in certain regions in the US, so it's certainly opened doors in that my touring isn't now confined to just New York, Chicago and Texas. I get to travel loads and get in front of audiences in other places which I love to do given any opportunity."
I know that the recording process with "ELAW" was a liberating and spontaneous experience, with you and producer (and now tour support) Matthew Ryan bouncing ideas off each other. You played most of the guitars yourself. Did you improve as a musician as a result?
"Definitely," replies Jeff. "It kinda made playing the guitar make more sense to me and taught me that it can be easier to realise the sounds I hear in my head."
"Recording processes can be scary," he considers after a pause.
"When Matthew and I sat down, the whole attitude was "fuck it, let's just make a record" rather than try to over-analyse it. That was very liberating in itself. There was a real feel of "Cool! I've made this without any outside help!" which boosted my confidence no end. It's certainly a way I'd like to work again in the future."
Indeed, one of the attractive things about "ELAW" is that unlikely sonic devices set up ideas for many of the best songs. For example, opening track "Everything Is Alright" is based on a little toy piano loop. How did that come about?
"Well, I was putting down songs for Matt to listen to and at the time my guitar had a broken string," Jeff explains.
"I'm kinda lazy, so instead of fixing it, I turned to this little toy piano that was to hand. I just put down the first idea in my head, but it turned out to be inspired, as it's exactly as you hear it in the finished version."
"So part of it was me being a smart ass, sending him this complete song with this cheesy little keyboard loop, but it was an inspired accident as it ended up working so well that way," Jeff finishes, laughing heartily.
Meanwhile, Jeff, your lyrics are very personal and intense. Songs like "Another Breakdown" and "Goodbye" (e.g: "I don't feel safe and sound just being left alone") are almost unbearably sad. How autobiographical is your writing?
"Well, every record I do is autobiographical," says Jeff, matter-of-factly.
"The whole story of the record is a diary of the previous year, so it's all autobiographical in that even if they don't relate directly to me, the songs relate to friends and people around me. The thing is, I can't write any other way because it doesn't come off as sincere. You can't be honest otherwise. I mean, it probably comes over as very selfish or egotistical, but everything I write is from the heart. Because everyone shares similar experiences in their own lives, I think people can easily relate to me."
On a day-to-day basis, how are you getting on with Austin itself these days? You once described it as "the graveyard of broken dreams". Are you viewed with more respect there these days?
"Oh it's hard," says Jeff wearily. "Y'know, it's a town with local heroes and it's very much in that Texas troubadour mould. I think I'm seen like the talented, black sheep bastard son. I mean, I say "Fuck" a lot more than most performers out here."
Perhaps not too surprisingly, talk turns to the Texan songwriting troubadours of yore. I bring up the subject of Townes Van Zandt, one of my all-time heroes...
"Yeah, Townes is a good example of the whole Texan attitude," Jeff muses.
"There's a lot of real talented train wrecks out here. With Townes he drank himself into oblivion, and that's quite normal. I suppose you could say there's a lot of renegades and both Austin and Lubbock (Buddy Holly's home town - lest we forget) have a whole lotta history. I've certainly not shied away from that lifestyle myself in the past," Jeff finishes, slightly darkly.
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Of course, you tend to get viewed (broadly) as an "Alt.Country" artist, Jeff. How easily does the term sit with you? I hear a lot of other influences in your music...things as varied as Dinosaur Jr through to the Red House Painters...
"Hmm, yeah, I don't really mind the Alt.Country thing, although I don't look at myself that way," Jeff replies evenly.
"In an ideal world, I'd obviously like to see myself as unique and crazy, though of course I'm not," he laughs.
"I will concede there is a rootsy vibe to my music, although it's often more from a rock'n'roll standpoint. Having said that, there are worse things out there to be labelled with."
Right. But just to push the point a little further, would you say you're drawn naturally to the more introspective performers out there? I know you're a huge Leonard Cohen fan, for example?
"Oh yeah, I am a huge fan, sure," says Jeff.
"But you see, to me the lyrics are the most important thing, and sometimes mine are not entirely 100% serious and I also like other writers who work in a similar way. I do think Leonard Cohen is just amazing and also Mark Kozelek from the Red House Painters. He's so vivid, he creates a mood you can just wallow in. He's a really fantastic writer, definitely one of my favourites."
Of course, since the album's release, you've played a number of shows with Jesse Malin (One Little Indian labelmate) in Europe and the UK. What was Jesse like to tour with and how did the audiences this side of the pond take to you?
"They were great, really receptive. For a guy going out on his own with just an acoustic guitar, they were very open," says Jeff, with some enthusiasm.
" I mean, believe me, I know how easy it is to be a solo artist and ruin your own show. I know the recipe for a good train wreck. But with those shows I just kinda forced it on people and I've gained lots of fans as a result."
"Being out on the road with Jesse was great, too," he continues.
"He's so kind-hearted and very into community, plus we share the same management, so it's like an extended family situation and it was very valuable because when you're out on the road for a protracted period you need to be there with someone you can get along with."
OK, so we've got the new single, "Another Breakdown" and a brace of UK shows due, but what's the plan for the next record? Do you have a large backlog of new tunes after being on the road a lot?
"Yeah, I've enough songs for a few albums," Jeff admits, disarmingly.
"At the moment I hope to spend October or therabouts sifting through 'em all. Then a week before recording them I'll probably think they're all terrible, but end up using them anyway," he laughs.
"But I guess it's inevitable that you lose persepctive with your own songs when you've lived with them for so long."
Of course, one of the other attractive features of "Everybody Loves A Winner" is Patty Griffin's voice, which works as a lovely counterpoint to Jeff's sleepy drawl. Jeff shared a house with Patty in Austin for a time, but could he imagine writing songs especially for her?
"I was living in a tiny apartment in Patty's house for a while," recalls Jeff.
"But I moved out a few months ago. She's one of the best US female singer/ songwriters around, so I couldn't imagine her needing my help writing songs. She does just fine on her own. In fact, I'm more likely to end up recording her songs!"
Finally, Jeff, could you imagine doing anything else other than music with your life?
"Oh God,no," says Jeff, a little taken aback.
"I really don't know how to do anything else. Really. Maybe I could be a barber (laughs)!! No, seriously, I'm not trained to do anything else at all. I've really put all my eggs in the one basket. I guess you're stuck with me for the duration!"
I truly hope so. On the basis of the two Jeff Klein albums to date, that'll be a total pleasure rather than a burden.
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