TAP Exclusive Interview: Manchester Orchestra’s Jonathan Corley

Interviews

TAP Exclusive Interview: Manchester Orchestra’s Jonathan Corley

By drainu182 ⋅ February 2, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

Manchester Orchestra had a pretty epic year in 2009. Their album Mean Everything To Nothing not only helped the band gain massive amounts of fans but also was a favorite amongst critics. We recently had a chance to send over some questions to bassist Jonathan Corley. Check out his responses as he talks about how he unwinds after a show, the band’s label Favorite Gentlemen, their upcoming tour and Lady Gaga. Check it all out below and go to www.themanchesterorchestra.com.

Mean Everything To Nothing

iTunes

Amazon MP3

VINYL

The Audio Perv: After a show, how do you relax?

Jonathan Corley: In order to stay healthy and sane on the road, I find time to read books and work on video projects. It’s also nice to step away from the venue and grab a drink or meal somewhere closeby. All of us are a little too addicted to television, and there are absolutely shows that we look forward to each week (Lost). Relaxing is difficult in a vehicle that is constantly moving.

The Audio Perv: There’s a video for each song on your album Mean Everything To Nothing. Which was your favorite?

Jonathan Corley: I look at the entire project as more of an accomplishment. Clay and Jason did a fantastic job in a short amount of time to put all of those together. It’s the same team that put together a video for “I Can Barely Breathe” on ILAVLAC. After the impression they left with a single video on the last record, they pieced together videos for this entire record. “The Only One” set the bar for the entire project. I think that either “The Only One” or “In My Teeth” have to be the two that I connect with the most.

The Audio Perv: You recently announced a pretty extensive spring tour. You have some really solid openers with The Features, Chris Staples, Biffy Clyro and O’Brother (some on different dates). Did you get to pick all of them and why’d you choose those bands?

Jonathan Corley: This has the potential to be an incredible tour. I’m honestly excited by the opportunity to see each band play every night. I remember seeing a Features show at Variety Playhouse (Little Five, Atlanta) when they toured in support of “The Beginning EP”. They recently signed to an imprint of KOL, and I’m excited about their new stuff. Chris Staples played in TwoThirtyEight, which I’ve listened to entirely too many times. His solo stuff is unbelievably captivating. We just spent a month with the weird Scotts who call themselves Biffy Clyro. I expect to battle over Fifa 2010 and how to pronounce the word “soccer”. They were a blast to tour with. The O’Bros are some of the greatest people that I know. We’ll see what happens.

The Audio Perv: The band’s from Atlanta. Would you say that you’re influenced at all by any of the following: REM, Cartel, Copeland, Outkast, T.I.?

Jonathan Corley: It’s tough for anyone to avoid the influence of Outkast. They have taken some huge musical strides and I really can’t wait to hear what they have up the sleeves of their fur coats. The last thing that I remember them doing was that whole “Idlewild” project. I never watched it. REM and the entire cast of Athens bands have definitely been a huge inspiration. Bands like Neutral Milk Hotel, Of Montreal, The Olivia Tremor Control, and Elf Power set a pretty high standard that bands like the Whigs and Dead Confederate have followed.

The Audio Perv: Your album is out on your own label, Favorite Gentlemen Recordings, distributed by Sony Music. How’d you end up starting your label and how do you determine which bands to sign?

Jonathan Corley: Favorite Gentlemen is more than just a label, it’s a community. From the beginning, Jeremiah Edmond has talked of starting a label. Over the years we’ve been blessed with the connections to start putting out records. Jeremiah and Andy run the day to day on FG. Our newest addition to the FG Roster is Death on Two Wheels. I just saw Trae Vedder and Harrison Hudson for lunch in Nashville on this drive out to Salt Lake. Harry Hud was busy screenprinting shirts for his upcoming tour. The bands on FG are all amazing people who are constantly creating great music that we’ve met along the way.

The Audio Perv: You draw a lot of comparisons to 90s rock bands. Would you be comfortable crowning yourselves the princes of alternative rock?

Jonathan Corley: Absolutely not, and honestly the question makes me a bit uncomfortable. We would prefer to be called The Princes of Christmas Past.

The Audio Perv: Last month, the band celebrated their own 12 days of Christmas by releasing each song from Mean Everything To Nothing acoustic from KBZT and on the 12th day, a cover of the classic “O Holy Night.” Any plans to release the songs and/or cover, maybe as a benefit CD?

Jonathan Corley: This Past Christmas we gave away the songs from the in-store at Park Avenue CDs. Are you asking me to try to sell you our Christmas present again? It might be the complete opposite of returning useless presents for day-after-Christmas-giftcards. Park Avenue CDs (Orlando, FL) has been really great to us in the past. It’s one of my favorite stores in the country to walk into.

The Audio Perv: What was the last job you had before the band?

Jonathan Corley: Throughout the first couple years of touring I worked several jobs while in the band. You have to write a rent check somehow, right? Jobs ranged from Stage Production to Telemarketing (for a carpet cleaning company) to Disc Revolt. Disc Revolt is a company that prints plastic cards with Download codes for Artists. They host server space that allows the consumer to easily access and download the album that they purchased on card. We brought in card presses from France and set up a print shop. At the time, most of the office was filled with musicians (working alongside members of TJ Edmond and the Beggars Guild, Elevation, Winston Audio). I’ve worked on miscellaneous video projects

The Audio Perv: Last week, your album beat Lady Gaga for #1 on Amazon MP3. It’s ok to admit it. Are you secretly a Lady Gaga fan and what’s your favorite song of hers?

Jonathan Corley: I watched some performance she did on the VMAs, and it scared the shit out of me. I’m not sure what she’s trying to accomplish, but I don’t mind it. Honestly, I’m blown away that her records have connected with so many people. It isn’t as blatantly polished and packaged as a lot of bands she competes for airtime with. The exact same day we battled over the Amazon MP3 Sale, she was announced as the new “Face of Polaroid”. That seems to beg the question, Who was the old face that polished and packaged Polaroid?