I’ve known writer Jeff Jackson for quite a while now, and one of the pleasures of that has been seeing his creative endeavors expand. To wit: the work that he and his collaborators in the band Julian Calendar have released in recent years: haunting post-punk with an expansive set of influences and a penchant for deconstruction. I spoke with Jackson about the group’s new album Speaking a Dead Language and their evolution since 2020.
Julian Calendar has released a significant amount of music since 2020. How would you describe the band’s sonic evolution between then and now?
During Covid we couldn’t be in the same room, so Jeremy Fisher and I started collaborating using MIDI software. We experimented with samples, loops, and electronics—alongside traditional rock instruments. It forced us to approach songwriting differently because the recording and writing process was happening at the same time.
We challenged ourselves to tackle sounds that don’t fit in a typical rock configuration: Drum n Bass, IDM, industrial, trip hop, minimalism, etc. It’s been exciting to widen our sonic palette so dramatically. The EPs we’ve released since 2020 are the fruit of these experiments and we’re proud of the results. There are more of these songs in the pipeline, some of which feature the viola player from the Charlotte Symphony.
Then there’s the “rock” version of Julian Calendar, represented by our debut album Speaking a Dead Language. This more traditional line-up arranges the songs collaboratively and plays them live. It continues to evolve sonically as well. We recently added Nathan Mathews, an incredible drummer, and Sean Robinson, who plays second guitar, saxophone, and samples. It’s the most aggressive version of the band, channeling elements of Sonic Youth, Fela Kuti, and DNA.
What prompted you to work with John Agnello on this one?
A friend introduced us. John’s worked with many of our favorite artists—Sonic Youth, Breeders, Alvvays, Dinosaur Jr., Waxahatchee, Mary Timony, etc. We initially thought he’d be out of our league and were thrilled when he liked our material and agreed to work with us.
It was a dream creative collaboration. John heard possibilities in the songs for Speaking A Dead Languagethat we hadn’t been able to realize and brought them to surface. He helped us reshape tunes and add fresh textures. His process is an ideal mix of trying different creative approaches while having a definite point of view. And of course he has impeccable taste.
Maybe I’m speaking out of turn, but it seems like Speaking a Dead Language does a lot with having multiple vocalists in the band. How do you all approach writing lyrics? Is there a sense of each vocalist writing their own, or is it more of a collaborative process?
We spend a lot of time working on the vocal arrangements. Hannah Hundley and I try out lots of different patterns, harmonies, grunts and shouts, overlapping sections, etc. as the songs take shape. That part is super collaborative and often continues into the editing phase after the songs have been recorded.
The lyrics are mostly written by me. The challenge is to come up with words that leave space for two different voices and perspectives. I never write with assigned parts in mind. It’s often surprising who ends up singing what phrases—and that can change the meaning of the lyrics as well. It’s fun to see it take shape.
I feel like this came up a bit when you and Meghan Lamb conversed a few years ago, but I’m curious how — if at all — playing in the band has affected your work as a writer.
It’s made me itch to work with many types of writing. I have a trilogy of novels out on submission now, each one written in a different genre. The Night Erased is a novel, The Empty Mirror is a memoir, and The Third Exit is a diary. I think being in the band has made me more curious, and fearless, about exploring narrative forms.
Both the band photo and the cover art for this album feature the band members’ faces obscured, and the one-sheet for the album refers to Julian Calendar as a singular artist rather than a collective of musicians. How do you view identity and individuality within the group?
The artist named Julian Calendar is the invisible prime mover behind the band and she thought it might be interesting to offer a peek at her role, but so far you’re the only person to remark on this! At its best, a band’s identity is singular. It’s a unique sonic space that exists apart from any one member. Individuality should matter to the band members, but not to the listener. That’s our ideal, at least.
The third song on the new album is a very distinctive cover of a very familiar Green Day song. The band’s previous EP featured a left-field cover of “Pump Up the Jam.” Where do decisions about covers enter into the proceedings?
Playing covers feels like taking part of a larger musical conversation. That’s why we’ve always included a cover in our live set. Currently: Sonic Youth’s “Youth Against Fascism,” for obvious reasons. Some previous covers: Felt’s “Sunlight Bathed the Golden Glow,” Donovan’s “Season of the Witch,” Grant Hart’s “You’re the Reflection of the Moon on the Water,” The Velvet Underground’s “After Hours.” We haven’t radically rearranged those songs to play them live.
For a cover to be worth recording, our version needs to bring something new to the original. We aspire to covers like The Raincoats’ “Lola” and Cat Power’s “Satisfaction” that recontextualize those iconic tunes. We also love tackling songs that people wouldn’t normally associate with us.
Does this mean we could see an all-cover Julian Calendar album in the future?
I like that idea, but I wouldn’t hold your breath. Paradoxically, a great cover demands more inspiration than writing an original song. I do have sporadic daydreams of Drum n Bass versions of Bob Dylan tunes, but it’s probably best if that remains a fantasy.
We have recorded a shoegaze cover of the Willie Dixon/Doors tune “Back Door Man” that inverts the machismo of the song. We still need to put that out.