‘An abundance of faded glamour‘ an interview with Clearlake’s Jason Pegg
‘An abundance of faded glamour‘: an interview with Clearlake’s Jason Pegg
This Machine Kills Wasps returns to Brighton next Wednesday, headlined by Jason Pegg out of Clearlake. Pegg is a big influence on how I approach songwriting, especially in terms of overall mood. It’s a massive honour that he’s performing his songs at our show - come along!
Hi Jason! How are you feeling about performing some of your old Clearlake and solo tunes?
I’m feeling nervous and excited! I’ve really enjoyed relearning the songs, especially some of them on the Accordion.
I think one of the reasons I’ve had such a long break is not being able to really hear them anymore and realise their value but I’ve been moved by their quality and reminded of who I used to be.
What got you into performing music in the first place?
Just an obsession with music - listening to a million records.
Who were your musical influences? Preferably stated like an advert stuck up in your local music shop.
Musicians wanted for new ‘originals’ symphonic black metal band. Seeking drums, guitar, bass, singer, banjolele, pipe organ, Cor Anglais.
Influences - Peter Gabriel, Beatles, Elvis Costello, Cardiacs, Neil Young. Talk Talk, Kevin Shields. No time wasters!
How does the songwriting process work for you? Are you a lyrics first kind of guy, or do those emerge from the mood and the melody?
More the latter, or….. there are musical ideas, there are lyrical ideas and the moment of magical nuclear fusion is when two the come together and have some sort of resonant relationship.
I think I first saw you perform at Reading 2000 at the Radio One Evening Session stage, opening your set with Jumble Sailing. Any fond festival memories?
I think my fondest memories are of seeing other people and not playing myself. I’ve seen a lot of brilliant music at Glastonbury - Portishead twice were both amazing gigs and one was in the rain. I saw Sparks last year (last year?) and they were stunning.
Clearlake Lido is set in an imaginary town that may or may not be Brighton. How has the city shaped your songwriting?
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An abundance of faded glamour. Less so these days.
Any particular highlights or strange moments from your pop career? I still recall the Cedars Pitchfork review with fondness.
Later with Jools Holland was a terrifying highlight.
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How did Clearlake end? Was it a sense of having achieved everything you’d set out to do, or a massive punch up in a car park outside Dunstable?
For me it was more about fatigue. I remember phoning everyone up and using the word ‘hiatus’. That was 16 years ago I think.
What inspired you to go solo? Are there any more songs out there (or in there) that might see the light of day?
I’ve tried to get away from music a number of times but it won’t seem to let me. There are quite a few songs floating around. I’m currently finishing a feature film and its soundtrack.
I have plans for a couple of solo albums but I’m afraid, at this time, I can neither confirm nor deny that there is an unfinished Clearlake album.
Finally, what advice would you give to aspiring musicians today? It’s obviously a much harder environment for touring or actually making any money. Do you worry about a resultant poshening of the arts?
I don’t know if it’s harder to tour or make money from touring as I’m not doing that at the moment. Digital technology has made it possible to make and distribute music much easier without labels, which is a good thing from my point of view.
As for ‘the poshening’(slasher sequel to Saltburn??).... I’m not sure. There’s always going to be someone who’s better, richer, better educated, more well connected etc. Don’t let that stop you from doing your thing. The arts have always been difficult but they are essential.
My advice would be to read Steve Albini’s excellent essay called ‘The Problem With Music’. Then I would suggest that someone look at everything in their life from the point of view of learning.
If you ask yourself ‘what did I learn today?’, ‘what can I learn tomorrow?’ it gets harder and harder to fail. ‘I learned nothing’ may not actually be true if you look at it closely and if it is true, it’s only a small failure that can easily be remedied.