Artist Interview: Jon Itkin

Jon Itkin contacted me a couple of months ago, saying he had recently moved back to Rochester and was looking to get plugged into the music scene, describing his music as “raw, old-school Americana.” I checked out his MySpace page and liked his songs, so I invited him to open a show at Abilene. I’ve seen him play out a couple of times now. He’s a friendly, down-to-earth guy and he really puts his whole heart into his performances. He’s going to be teaching a songwriting workshop in Rochester, check his MySpace for details. His self-released albums Big Gold Guitar In The Sky and Oregon are available from iTunes, CD Baby, and at shows.

Do you come from a musical family? What were your experiences with music as a kid?

My parents aren’t very musical at all, though my dad has a great collection of old records which he keeps in perfect shape. One of my earliest recollections of listening to music was my dad playing “Johnny 99″ off Bruce Springsteen’s Nebraska record. I thought the song was about me. I forgot about that record for a long time, then it came back to me somehow. Now it’s one of my major musical touchstones.

Though my parents we’re musical, they always encouraged my sister and I to play. She played violin and I started on cell in the 2nd grade. I hated it. Eventually, I wound up playing clarinet in 5th grade or so (sax was taken), and I wound up hating that too. About the end of middle school I got an acoustic guitar and started learning to play. My sister continued with violin, then switched to voice and got her BA in music.

I understand you recently moved here from Portland. How did you end up in Rochester? In your experience, how are the music scenes different?

Truth be told I moved here from NYC, where I spent about a year and a half. I wound up back here through a long set of circumstances, but basically my fiancee got a once-in-a-lifetime job offer, and we were over New York living, so we decided to give Rochester a try. Which is a little hilarious because I used to shake my fist and swear I’d never come back here.

I did live in Portland for about five years, so I can comment about that. Though honestly, I’ve been so busy since getting back to Rochester that I haven’t fully experienced the scene here yet. Music in Portland is very happening, but it really helps to fall within a certain stylistic flavor. There’s a big crowd and tons of places to play, but also tons of bands and competition. It’s a double edged sword. I had some experiences there that were unforgettable and some that were very frustrating.

All told, it’s a great place to live and be a musician, and I like to visit when I can.

Compared to Rochester, I’d say the Portland music scene is much, much bigger and more diverse. There’s literally everything and anything there. For its size, Rochester has plenty of interesting and cool bands, but the sheer scope of it is quite a bit smaller. Portland’s culture might also be a bit more attuned and open to different musical styles, but it’s also way more self-conscious and hung up on the hipness factor.

You’ve mentioned that you’d like to put together a band. What do you like about playing with a band as opposed to performing solo?

I’ve always loved having bands, and I’ve loved playing solo. A band can carry that “Saturday Night” energy, and allow me to play some leads on electric guitar, have harmony vocals, the fullness of instrumentation, etc. I love it. When I go to record, I always put other instruments on the songs because I that’s the sound I hear in my head.

However, my music is really focused on lyrics. In the studio I have control and can keep my voice front-and-center in a mix. Live, it’s hard to do that with a loud band in a bar with bad acoustics and a mediocre PA.

I have a better experience connecting with audiences as a solo performer. My songs get across more fully, and I can really build a give-and-take with an audience. My best performing experiences are usually solo. I’m looser and can usually banter better. And I sell more CDs, too.

A lot of your lyrics seem to tell stories, and you describe your music as cinematic. How do you come up with your stories? How many of your stories are based on true-life events?

The stories in my music are almost always fantastical. But I use my own life experiences and emotions to color them in. A lot of the imagery and feeling comes straight from my life, but the characters and situations can come from anywhere, really. Usually some convoluted blip in my imagination.

Will you continue to record music into the future, even if nobody pays for recorded music anymore?

I’ve already spent a lot of money to record music, and haven’t received much of a return on my investment. I’ve got a new album in the mix phase that’s totally stalled out due to lack of funds…It’s really frustrating.

What I’m thinking about doing at this point is trying to make enough money somehow to buy a house and put a studio in it, which would help. I love making a good recording more than just about anything, and I don’t think I can give it up no matter how financially useless it may be.

What are your plans for 2009?

I’m getting married this summer and really trying to grow my business [as a copywriter], so that’s eating up a lot of time and energy. I do want to play locally, down in NYC and possibly a bit on the west coast this year. Maybe a few tours. I’d love to get my record done…but I can’t say when that will happen.

Listen to “Fool to Wander” from Big Gold Guitar In The Sky: