Interview With The Jellybricks

The Interviewer: Ahmed Elmasry

Interview with the jellybricks

With the release of their fourth full-length album, Goodnight to Everyone, Harrisburg, PA-based rock ’n roll quartet The Jellybricks show that their brand of pop hasn’t lost its fizz after more than a decade. Continuing where 2004’s Power This left off, Goodnight to Everyone showcases The Jellybricks’ maturing songwriting skills and studio savvy, while capturing the vigor of their acclaimed live shows.

The Interview:

Ahmed Elmasry: How did you guys get together? and where did the name "The JellyBricks" come from?

The Jellybricks: Back in the mid-nineties, Garrick Chow (bass guitar and vocals), Bryce Connor (guitar and vocals) and Laine Wehler (drums and vocals) were 3/4 of a central-Pennsylvania band called The Morris Chair, while I (Larry Kennedy) was playing guitar and singing in a Northeast Ohio band called The Infidels.

When The Infidels parted ways, I accepted an invitation from my cousin to come to Harrisburg, PA to record some demos in a regional studio called The Green Room. I had a blast recording music at the Green Room, and a short time later, Garrick Chow, who was a recording engineer there, heard my music - which was still in need of some bass tracks. Garrick offered himself as a bassplayer for the tracks, which started a musical partnership which has continued to this day.

Garrick suggested that if I would move to Harrisburg, that he could complete a new band with Connor and Wehler, which is exactly where The Jellybricks were born.

About six months later, I relocated to central Pennsylvania, and about two months later The Jellybricks were onstage together for the first time. In 1999, immediately after the release of our second album, Soapopera, Laine Wehler departed the band on excellent friendship terms, and was soon after replaced by Tom Kristich, who has played drums and sang in the 'bricks ever since. You can in fact hear the drumming, singing and writing of Laine Wehler on each of our first two albums (Kinky Boot Beast and Soapopera), and hear the drumming, singing and writing of Tom Kristich on each of our second two albums (Power This and Goodnight To Everyone). In many ways it feels like two completely different bands, while at the same time, it's been myself, Garrick and Bryce for a solid 13 years now, and 9 of them with Tom. We are very lucky to have found one another, and to have stayed together for so long.

As for the name, I was looking for a name which would allow us a range of style and ambition. We never set out to be a "power pop" band, per se. We set out to be a band built upon all the music that we love, and at the time it seemed like many bands were being forced by major labels and radio to fit a certain repetitive sound with each of their singles. I wanted a band which would not be limited by a style description, even if we didn't try every single style of music, I wanted us to feel the freedom to do so if we wished. Thus, a friend donated to us the name "jellybricks," and we felt that if we were loud, harsh, edgy, or even (gasp) remotely offensive or controversial, it would be the "bricks" in action, and if we made music which was pretty, or soft, or sentimental, or very cute or fun, it would be the "jelly." Our other guitar player Bryce loves to say that our music is "sweet like jelly, but hits you like a brick." The name is a mixed personality, and I think our records reflect a certain amount of the same, even if it all sounds like The Jellybricks at the end of the day.

2. What are the challenges that faced you? and How did you get though it?

After we released our 2nd album, Soapopera, our drummer, Laine Wehler, developed problems with sleeping on the road. At one point he had not been able to sleep for many days, and upon our return from traveling, he went to see a doctor. In order to recover his ability to sleep properly, Laine was forced to take time off from work, and to take a substantial break from playing late night shows with The Jellybricks.

We'd had our new album out for only three months, and were receiving a great deal of attention from fans, media, and the music industry. We were caught between caring for our friend and bandmate, and trying to continue promoting a new album without our drummer. We played many shows with many guest drummers (including Tom Kristich), but we officially waited for Laine to return for many months before he finally told us he could not resume his position. Laine's life and health were eventually restored, thankfully, but Laine never felt it was the best move to return to a situation which might provoke a relapse of sleep problems.

Tom joined the band shortly thereafter, which essentially saved us. We really didn't know if we even wanted to continue without Laine, although we hoped we could save the ship somehow, and Tom turned out to be a fantastic fit as a person, creative force, and as a musician. However, even with Tom on board, it took us several years to attain the level of chemistry and purpose which we'd had prior to Laine's leaving, and thus it took us from 1999 to 2004 to finally complete and release our 3rd album, Power This. Luckily, since that time, we have found ourselves continuing to flourish and grow as a band, and with an ever-changing music industry, our ever-changing band has survived when so many others have vanished. I repeat myself, but we are lucky.

3. What is the most memorable concert for you? why?

We've played many - for many reasons, but a great memory for me is the time we were opening for The Barenaked Ladies in Virginia. We were all fans, so we were excited to be on a bill with them (and Jeffrey Gaines, who is our friend from central PA), and they could not have been more exceptionally gracious.

As I recall, they mostly introduced themselves to us, instead of the other way around, and as we were playing a show very close to Christmas, they asked us if we'd like to join them at the end of their show to sing "Do They Know It's Cristmas?" with them.

What a fantastic rush, in front of an arena full of people, to be reintroduced on stage by the Barenaked Ladies, and as I recall, getting to share a microphone with both Steven Page and Ed Robertson at various points in the performance. It was incredible.

What is most amazing, is that this is just one of many interesting times we've shared as a band. We've had kind encounters with the likes of Bill Wyman, Dave Davies, Gary Brooker, Live, Fountains of Wayne, Switchfoot, Goo Goo Dolls, 10,000 Maniacs, Vertical Horizon, and The Smithereens . . . and I know I'm forgetting about something cool in there for sure.

From an entirely different angle, some of our most memorable concerts have been ones where nobody famous was involved, but we just played an incredible show together. Some of those have been at various International Pop Overthrow appearances, as I can recall killer Jellybricks sets from Los Angeles, New York, and an all-time favorite show at Cedars in Youngstown, Ohio (my hometown), where we played in a room smaller than CBGB's to a wildly enthusiastic crowd.

We've now played nearing 700 shows together, so you can imagine there have been some great ones, and plenty of lousy ones too! It's all part of the adventure.

4. What is your music philosophy?

Speaking personally, I try to make music that I like, which can mean all sorts of things, 'cause I love all sorts of music.

I try not to think too much about any of the work, even though I wind up laboring over plenty of it, 'cause it is an artistic venture, afterall, and I take it all too seriously, while trying to take none of it too seriously. We are a collaborative band, but we do what we want individually, and fight it out in the rehearsal room. We do try to make sure that we like whatever we're playing for our audience, but we don't take responsibility for whether anyone else likes it or not.

It's thrilling when people like our music, and somewhat disappointing when they don't. We can't seem to stop doing it, regardless . . . which I figure is a good thing.

Also - music can be whatever anyone wants it to be, and then everyone is welcome to love or hate it. It doesn't even matter, but for people like me, it's one of the purist, most wonderful things there is to experience as a human being.

Music snobs of various colors overlook that point the same way that people overlook our collective similarity in being living creatures on the same planet. People are hung up on categorizing everything, but just like cuisine, or cars - to each his or her own.

5. What is the truth you know now that you wish you'd known years ago?

Showbiz really is embarassingly showbiz. There is art to be found in showbiz, but you must be actively seeking it to find it, and often the audience isn't interested in art anymore anyway, so perhaps I wish I'd known that the kind of musical expression I love was on its way out as a viable form of showbiz, but yet I seriously doubt that it would have stopped me from wanting to make music and be in a band.

6. How do you see "The JellyBricks" heading in the next 10 years?

I continue to be amazed that The Jellybricks continue to exist, and to make new musical creations, and memories together. It seems that every time we get back together to work, we come up with new things which excite us, so as long as that continues, I suppose there will always be a new Jellybricks album on its way. Often I think it will take longer than people think it should, but we always worry more about the quality of what we're sharing than we do about getting it to people's ears quickly. If we can't still like a song after 3-4 years of performing it, then it won't likely wind up meeting our own standards.

10 years? Well many might say that 10 years from now we should have moved on in life, or at least become financially successful making music, but since we've made it this far, I could easily see us still making music, hopefully ever-better music, whether we're making money doing it or not.

At least that's been the plan so far, and so far, so good.