Interview with Jillian Ann
by Jeremy Spencer
The following are edited excerpts from an interview with Jillian Ann- an artist in the most pure sense of the word. She lives in New York where she writes, draws, paints, models, and makes music among many other things. Her art graces this issue's cover and her solo debut album entitled "Neverland" was released at the end of this last summer. Musically she is an original, blazing a new trail. Her music is defined as Avant-Pop. I had the pleasure of showing her around Kansas City one day and we hit up all the places she could pimp her new CD. I have nothing but good things to say about Jillian, she is one of the most positive people I have met and she is very driven. As she told me that day, "My entire life is a creative process. Life is art, art is life."
Check out her web-site at www.JillianAnn.com and see what I mean- the amount of shit on her web-site is crazy. Download a song, get a taste of what she has to offer, buy the CD and enjoy the interview:
Who or what are some of your creative influences?
Jillian: People that inspire me, hmm, Beethoven, Percy Bysshe Shelley who is my favorite poet. Um, people that I actually know- David Kirby. He was the first dreamer I actually met, he was the first person I met who was like me. He inspires me because we are constantly challenging each other and he introduces me to all these new artists and new music. Another person who truly inspires me is Brian Surgitz. He was the first person in New York that I met who was another dreamer. At that time, I had thought all the dreamers were dead. Uh, as far as painters, Picasso, Matisse, you know there are so many. I don't know, I mean so many things inspire me. Inspiration comes from everywhere in my life.
When someone listens to your new CD, your music, is there a messageâ€∫
Jillian: There are lots of messages.
Ok, what is something that you want someone to get from you music?
Jillian: I think when I write music, its like I'm answering some of my own questions. When I look at the world, I tend to look at it and go- ok, so what could be done to help it be a better place? And I guess with my music, I'm trying to answer those questions. Its like we're not going to be able to stop all of the massive destruction and chaos that's going on. So, what can we do in our own daily personal lives to make things better? It's the simple, little things. And I guess the main message is I want people to listen to it and interpret it for themselves. Music is a language. One person might listen and hear some things slightly different than another person because when they hear it, it reminds them of their own experiences. I try to make my music universal and to deal with more soul-full issues. Because I feel like people spend so much time looking at each other's differences, opposed to looking at our similarities. When I create music, I'm just trying to cerate common ground.
Why do you call your music Avant-pop? What does that mean to you?
Jillian: I have one foot connected to what's going on in the pop world, and one foot in the avant-garde world. I love avant-garde music, I think how do they make these sounds. I listen to an Avant album every night. But also every night, I listen to a pop record. Something that's blues or jazz, you know popular music. Whether it's Miles Davis, DePeche Mode or The Cure. As an artist I feel like why do I have to choose a side? Everyone defines them self as pop or avant-garde. It's just another division. So I'm putting them together. I love both worlds.
Ok, two people dead or alive that you could have dinner with. Who would they be?
Jillian: I'd pick Beethoven. I'd like to pick his head. I really would. I also would like to invite Mr. David Bowie, and Bono too. See if you give me twenty, then I'd be cool.
What's wrong with mainstream music today?
Jillian: Artists are afraid to be artists. They are trying to conform to what they think will sell. Every two weeks, I go to Virgin, and listen to every Top 40 album through. And sometimes it kills me because I think this just sounds the exact same as the album from two weeks ago. I want something new and refreshing. The reason why this happens in the music industry is cause of greed. It's the greed that's destroying it. What bothers me is that musicians are idols for all of young teens and the problem is the record industry, instead of developing artists who are real people, they just make them all the same.
How do you want to be remembered?
Jillian: Umm, I want people to just read and observe the work and hopefully pick up the universal message in it. So I don't think it's about me, I don't really care how people remember me. I care about A, in my will which already exists, it says one thing- all of my work has to remain online. And when I die, everything that isn't online that I have, the art and journals, which I keep under my bed, will be put online. My will basically says if I have money it will go to the arts and all of my art has to stay online. I just want all the music and all the writing and all the art to be online forever. That or until the world blows up or whatever. That's what matters to me. I really don't care how I'm remembered.
Where do you see your self in 10 years?
Jillian: You're the second person to ask me that today.
Ok, make it 15 years then. Where do you see your self in 15 years?
Jillian: Ok, 15 years from now, I'm going to be 37. I'm going to have purple hair; I'm going to have a bunch of adopted artist children. And I'll have a big building in New York where everybody can go if you want to make art but you don't know anybody. You go to this building in New York and you find this crazy woman named Jillian and she'll help you find other artists so you don't end up getting your blood sucked out by vampires. In 15 years, I want this building to be a base. So if you want to be an artist and you don't want to sell your soul, go here. That and I want to walk cats.
Walk cats?!?
Jillian: Uh huh, down Avenue A on a leash.
Ok, how many at a time?
Jillian: Uh, four cats. Yea, that would be pretty funny, walking with four cats down Avenue A. They would call me cat woman.