Recently, we asked Jupiter One, who we’ve written about a number of times, some questions. Zac Colwell chats about their name, touring with Regina Spektor, some of the records they listened to while recording their recent effort Sunshower, and where they like to go drinking around here.
EV2BK: I read online that your band’s name is derived from the spaceship in the ’60s TV show Lost in Space. And your album is titled Sunshower. Do you guys study outer space in your spare time or something? What’s the significance of the TV show to your band?
J1: K came up with the name of the band. He claims it came to him one day as a compelling set of words. I’ve never seen Lost In Space and I don’t think K has either. It is handy to say that’s where the name comes from though. As far as our album title, we just love the experience of the Sunshower. We tour all around the country in a van and those little natural wonders can take on a sort of mystical air sometimes when you’re living the gypsy lifestyle. The title’s a tribute to our bittersweet lives, maybe.
EV2BK: Yours comments about the van’s natural wonders taking on a mystical air really reminds me of that pretty hilarious new video you guys released earlier this month called “Van Pilates.” If we didn’t already have a few videos in this post, I’d just link to it directly here.
EV2BK: I also love the concept of the video for “Made in a Day” that you posted on your site, which could have been, well, made in a day I guess. Do you guys hang out a lot and shoot videos when you’re not on tour? Speaking of which, touring with Regina Spektor must be pretty rad.
J1: Thanks! Dave Heilman (our drummer) directed that. We made it in one day to specifically reflect one typical day in our touring lives. One hotel room, pilates [see above], booze, showers (separate), girls (if we’re lucky), and lots of dorkyness. The tour [was] incredibly interesting and quite a blessing from the lovely-magical-beautiful Regina Spektor. We’re VERY grateful she brought us along and that her fans have been extremely receptive to us.
EV2BK: Not sure if you’ve had a chance to check out Pitchfork’s Top 200 Albums of the 2000s at all, but I was wondering if you guys wouldn’t mind putting together your own top 10? Top 5? Or at least the top 5 records you listened to while recording Sunshower?
J1: Hm… Well, I hate to speak for the other guys, but we definitely listened a lot while putting together Sunshower:
1. Tom Petty – Full Moon Fever and Wildflowers
2. Beatles – All of ’em
3. LCD Soundsystem – Sound of Silver
4. Spoon – All of ’em
5. Apes and Androids – Blood Moon
EV2BK: What’s your favorite venue to watch a show (or play a show) in Brooklyn? In Manhattan?
J1: I think Music Hall of Williamsburg sounds real good. Webster Hall in Manhattan, I guess.
EV2BK: What are a few fun places where you like to hang out when you’re back in BK and/or the city?
J1: The Levee in BK and No Malice in the East Village are popular ones with Pat, our bass player. I just go wherever there’s cheap booze. My house is really fun to hang out at.
As an added bonus, right before Thanksgiving I walked over to the Mercury Lounge for their so-called “homecoming” show after their multi-city North American tour. They sounded pretty fantastic live: clear, balanced, tight, really comfortable. I think this video of an extended version of their song “Unglued,” which closed the night, really served as en exclamation point for Jupiter One.
Jupiter One – Unglued:
You can also check out a couple other live tracks from their Mercury Lounge show on our YouTube Channel:
-Drew
East Village to Brooklyn 