Austin Sound Check

Though they’re no stranger to SXSW, Memphis band Jump Back Jake will be performing at their first official SXSW showcase this year. Founded by Williamsburg refugee, Jake Rabinach, Jump Back Jake performs a solid mix of rock and soul that is evidently catching a few ears.

Read on after the jump for my Q & A with Jake Rabinach. You can see Jump Back Jake’s SXSW performance at Mother Egan’s on Friday March 20th at 7pm. Visit Jump Back Jake’s SXSW page for a free download of their song The Flood from the new album Brooklyn Hustle / Memphis Muscle.

Ana Wolken : How would you describe Jump Back Jake?

Jake Rabinach : The tag line is generally “modern rock and soul music” but I would expand on that and say that it’s more that we try to emulate the approach that old house bands and rhythm sections like Booker T. and the MGs, Hi Rhythm section and The Swampers in Muscle Shoals would use towards building an arrangement for a song. We’ve tried to simplify the formula by starting with a song and then finding a groove that makes it come to life. In that way maybe we are a soul band, but the music takes on a lot of shapes and sounds within that structure. And of course vocally I’ve always been influenced by Memphis and New Orleans Soul singers like Otis Redding, OV Wright, Lee Dorsey, and James Carr.

AW : What prompted you to leave NYC for Memphis?

JR : I had the idea to do this kind of music for a very long time but I couldn’t articulate it and I couldn’t find anyone in New York who understood what I was trying to do. The music up there has a really different feel. I don’t wanna sound down on the New York—I mean I’m still an active member of Francis and the Lights, a New York band, but in order to find this particular soul influenced sound—my sound, I needed to go to the place where it was invented. After reading a lot about the history of Memphis soul music (particularly in Peter Guralnick’s “Sweet Soul Music”) it seemed that the city hadn’t really changed that much and that vibe that gave way to the old records I loved was still there, but also that there were young musicians who would be more open to a more modern take on this music. When I went to visit, I met folks like Greg Faison (drummer in JBJ) who got what I was doing immediately so I decided to move down and we formed the band shortly after.

AW : Like Austin, Memphis has a world class music scene. What are your impressions of the scene there?

JR : I don’t think people realize how similar the scene is now to what it was in the 60s and 70s in terms of quality and community. Sure there’s competition and politics like any big music town, but I really believe that that is outweighed by a sincere respect and sense of support among the musicians who all range in genres and styles. Everyone in Jump Back Jake came out of the indie-rock world and each of us play in other bands that are totally different from Jump Back Jake. I don’t think that’s uncommon here. I think in general musicians in Memphis don’t think see that much risk in trying a lot of different things and doing what’s artistically satisfying, because the emphasis here is not on “making it.”

AW : Will this be your first performance at SXSW?

JR : We played the 6 degrees of Memphis day party the last two years, but this is our first year playing an official showcase and promoting a record.

AW : What does this showcase mean to the band?

JR : We’ve been touring around the south quite a bit this year and we’re all very happy with where the band is right now. We are looking forward to bringing this show, on which we’ve worked very hard, to a more national stage.

AW: Are there any other bands playing SXSW that you are looking forward to?

JR : Without being too much of a cheerleader for Memphis, I’ll say that I always look forward to seeing all the other Memphis bands play to people who’ve never seen them before or don’t get to see them all the time. Jack Oblivian and Harlan T. Bobo are some of the best acts working today as well as John Paul Keith and the 1′4′5’s. I’m looking forward to seeing them win over the non-believers.

AW : What are Jump Back Jake’s plans for the near future?

JR : Well, it’s hard to say. We’ve got a record out and we all want to spend more and more time on the road promoting it. We’re always working on new material so that really isn’t any different. In this business the only thing you can really plan on for the future is working hard and getting better at what you do and hoping that a few people get something from it.

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