Gene Loves Jezebel Loves Music as Well

MUSIC: Gene Loves Jezebel, Friday, Nov. 16 at the Starlight Bowl, Balboa Park, 7p.m. With the Social Beat.

When recording the latest Gene Loves Jezebel album Kiss of Life in San Francisco in October of the last year. Jay Aston, the band’s founder, guitarist and vocalist, in the words of Carole King, felt the earth move. 

“I was in the studio,” Aston, 29, said. “It was a hot day. I was on my own, ‘cause the rest of the band was out and about, setting up the guitar for “Why Can’t I.” We were just about to start recording when there was this sort of tremble, and everyone just ran. Snare drums and the mike went flying, and speakers flew all over the place. I just ran for my life.” 

Naturally, Aston is referring to San Francisco’s devastating Oct. 17 earthquake. Though the band resumed recording in London, the tremor surprisingly didn’t leave a bad taste in his mouth. 

I’d love to live in San Francisco,” said Aston. “I think it’s a terrific city. You don’t have the bullshit of Los Angeles.” Expanding on “bullshit,” Aston added. “I’m not keen on it (Los Angeles). There are a lot of creative people there, but there are a lot of dark, useless people too.” 

As if an earthquake weren’t enough, Aston faced another problem while recording Kiss of Life. For the first time, Gene Loves Jezebel recorded without Aston’s twin brother and band co-founder Michael, who departed from the band, leaving behind Aston, guitarist James Stevenson, bassist Peter Rizzo and drummer Chris Bell. Though his brother left early this year, Aston said there were problems between them from early on. 

“As far as creatively, he (Michael) left a long time ago,” he said. 

According to Aston, “Michael left for a lot of reasons. The only band we’d been in is Gene Loves Jezebel, so we were both limited in that way. I think both of us wanted a change and a rest. We’d both been through different things in our relationships.” 

“On stage we had different ideas. We were not complementing each other. A song like ‘Steven’ (from the band’s second album Immigrant), for instance, which needs tension in the air. Sometimes Mike would detract from it. 

“It was very difficult to decide who would sing a song. Sometimes Mike would sing a song of mine, which I didn’t like. So I’d say ‘Fuck it’ and sing one of his, and that’s bad.” 

Despite what Aston called “rivalry onstage for the spotlight,” he feels that “there was no better group than when we were working together.” 

Despite all that’s happened between them, the brothers are on good terms. “We get on great now,” said Aston. “We don’t drag on each other’s coattails. We see each other in L.A., and I talk to him every four or five sort of days.” 

The brothers grew up in a poor family of nine, in Porthcawl, South of Wales, which Aston describes as “a curious place, a curious mix of rural and industrial. It was a big heavy metal scene. Obviously, we had our heads in different caskets.” 

Aston developed his love for music at the age of 11. Stricken ill with glandular fever, he had to stay in bed for months. 

“I didn’t go to school, so music was my world. I created my own world,” he said. “I still feel the same as I did then. I’m still a huge romantic.” 

His romance obviously extends through many different musical genres, because Aston’s early musical influences is large and varied. 

“Don’t forget, I’m from a huge family, so I heard everything,” he said. Aston recalls buying his first album, Led Zepplin II, when he was 11, and cites Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, early Roxy Music and Janis Joplin as childhood favorites. 

“I like people with individuality of their own,” said Aston, who denies being inspired by the ever influential David Bowie. “I was never like Danial Ash (from early 80s black-clad band Bauhaus, and now part of Love and Rockets), who was obviously a Bowie fan, or Peter Murphy (a soloist also formerly of Bauhaus), but I definitely listened to some of his albums.” 

Aston wrote every song on Kiss of Life, the band’s most commercial album to date, and takes most of his influence from his personal relationships, which can make live performances emotionally difficult. 

“It’s the thespian – not lesbian – element,” Aston said. “My head goes into that space it was in when I wrote the song. Luckily, that’s only five or six minutes. That’s the secret of making live shows work.” 

“Whether it’s an audience of 20 or 60,000. It’s the same. If you’re loved somewhere, it’s pretty much the same. They’re very noisy in America, and in Europe too.” 

High-energy live shows and five albums to date have established Gene Loves Jezebel as a major act, and Aston, who now lives in London, has his share of overzealous fans. 

“I tried to create a boys-next-door image for us, which I failed miserably at,” he said. “People used to find out where I live and sleep on my doorstep. I can’t afford to hide away behind bars in Beverly Hills, nor do I want to. I’ll just try to find the most unfashionable things to wear and hope that works.” 

Much to Aston’s liking. “No one’s recognized me for ages, cause I’ve got black hair, or blonde hair, or I put it up. As long as I don’t have red hair, I don’t get recognized.” Hard to believe, with the huge MTV hit “Jealous” overpowering the radio waves. 

“I don’t particularly like it,” Aston said, referring to the song, “James and Chris love it. Pete and I don’t. I’d have made it much longer, much slower and tension-filled. Or a hard rock dance song. The way it is, it’s a mix. It’s suppose to be much more about seduction.” 

With all his talk about seduction, it’s obvious that Aston is not married. 

“No way!” He blasted. “Romantics don’t get married. Cynics get married. That’s……. 

Previous Article

Home

Next Article