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Joan Gets Warped
from: portfolioweekly.com
by Jerome Spencer
JOAN JETT is a figurehead for generations of female rockers. Jett and her longtime band, The BLACKHEARTS, have been playing stripped down, loud rock-n-roll with glam and punk elements since the early ’80s, producing a classic rock hit ("I Love Rock-n-Roll") along the way.
Unlike other ’80s acts, JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS are still making records (their latest offering, SINNER, was released early this year) and you can catch them live this Thursday, August 9, on the Vans Warped Tour. A childhood dream of mine finally came true recently when JOAN JETT called me to say hello. The following is our conversation:
Unlike most "rock icons" of your generation, you’ve managed to stay relevant rather than become a nostalgia act. What makes you different from your peers?
I hope because I stay busy. I feel really blessed that people feel that way. I tour all the time, I never take a year off. Even though we haven’t always had a record out and stayed in everyone’s face all the time, people are still aware of it, to some degree. I didn’t go off and retire somewhere and this is not a comeback.
SINNER takes an active approach to current political matters. Was that the desired outcome when you went into the studio?
It was just in response to things going on in our country. I’ve wanted to write about political and spiritual issues for years. It’s a tough thing to write about because you don’t want to come off as preachy or contrite. It’s something that I didn’t grow up doing, I wrote songs about relationships, love, sex — that kind of thing.
With everything that’s been going on in the world and our country I see it and I wonder if other people see it. That’s what motivates a song like "Riddles" or "Change the World," which are political and spiritual in a way. It has to do with paying attention. Does anybody recognize these things or am I alone? I know I’m not, I know people see it, but it’s very frustrating. We gotta take some power within this situation.
With "Riddles," every line is about something happening today. Whether you’re talking about the economy, lack of jobs, outsourcing, tax cuts, hurricane Katrina response and the war, certainly. There are a million things. And every line reflects some of that. And it’s all worth questioning.
Our government doesn’t speak too clearly. This administration makes a policy of speaking funny to the general public. The Clean Air Act is putting more pollutants in the air, the Healthy Forest Act promotes drilling, No Child Left Behind... everything is convoluted. Black is white, up is down. It needs to be changed and that’s something people can relate to and understand. And if they don’t, then I hope they can get their rocks off because it’s catchy.
You have a lot of protégés, one of which is Bikini Kill/ Le Tigre’s Kathleen Hanna whom you’ve worked with a lot on this record. How did that partnership come together?
I met Bikini Kill either in Seattle or Washington, DC. I may have met them through the whole Discord family. I was a big fan of Bikini Kill and they asked me to produce a Bikini Kill record. So I did a few tracks and we were working together so it was natural to try and write some songs together, which we did.
On SINNER you cover The Replacements’ "Androgynous" — stylistic departure for you. Why did you pick that song?
I love the song. It’s a very sweet song, very moving and non-threatening. For me, I know I’m a woman and I love being a woman. I’m fine with it. But I’m not always fine with this whole role that was created for what a woman is, how she dresses and all that. I’m not always comfortable with that so I’m blurring the lines a little bit. I feel more comfortable down the middle and I know I’m not the only one out there.
There’s plenty of people that feel this way, even if you’re just talking about clothes. I think that song makes a statement to embrace both sides of yourself — we’re all male and female. I’m not comfortable with what roles women are put in as far as what to do and what to be and what to look like. I don’t do that. I don’t wear dresses or wear pink, it’s just not me. That’s why I picked that song, kind of.
Being that you’re the veteran on the predominately teeny Warped Tour, how has the audience response been? Are you winning over a new generation of fans?
I sure hope so. We’re getting a great response. Big crowds are coming. Everyone seems to be really enjoying it. I see a lot of people singing along to the new stuff. I guess they’re buying it, I don’t know but they’re singing along and that’s really great to see. I spend a lot of time after the show signing autographs and talking to the kids. The interaction has been great. They’re into it. They’re no different than any other fans we’ve played for. They’re kids who love punk rock.
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