Kevin Bronson on December 7th, 2011

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By Drew Fortune

Jonathan Wilson may be the coolest guy in L.A., which would place him pretty high in the running for coolest worldwide. From his press photos, he’s usually clad in a denim work shirt, with shades, long hair and beard obscuring his disarmingly handsome face. Yet, none of it feels like an affectation, reminding me of a guitar-toting Tim Riggins. In a town and industry obsessed with cool, he’s doing his own thing at his own pace, crafting unassuming tunes recalling the sepia-toned golden era of California rock in the late ’60s and early ’70s. His laconic drawl (the product of his North Carolina upbringing), belies an incredible work ethic: His debut solo release “Gentle Spirit” is a sprawling double album recorded on analog. He is also a busy producer, working with indie chanteuse Jenny O, Dawes and a slew of established and legendary artists, including Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne and Robbie Robertson. His impeccable ear draws these artists, but his all around cool vibe keeps them around. His Laurel Canyon jam sessions became the talk of local legend, with artists like Wilco (for whom he opened on a recent European tour) and the Black Crowes dropping by for impromptu gatherings. From the moment I get him on the line, Jonathan sounds like his album: humble, honest and cool.

In this ADD era, releasing a double album is pretty ballsy, but it feels like the only logical move for a guy like yourself who is committed to old-school musical values. Do you feel any kind of responsibility towards bringing back the tradition of holding a physical album in your hands and letting the whole record sink into the listener?

For sure. It’s not as strong of a concept as the songs themselves, but it’s definitely there, in the detail when you look at the artwork and the gatefold. I’m definitely trying to keep that alive. But, once again, it’s not a concept that I’m obsessed with.
The record being recorded analog also lends it that warm, vinyl sound which I love. Great care was taken with the processing and the mastering of the record, to keep it as true to the spirit of the music as possible. Typically, what folks do is the mastering for digital, and pop that over to vinyl and it’s kind of like an afterthought.

Had you been sitting with these songs for awhile? What was the germination process like?

The recording and the composition spans a long time, and I think that’s what makes it different from a large majority of albums, where artists come into the studio and are gone. “Gentle Spirit” stretched out for something like 36 months or something, where I wasn’t in a hurry for it to be done and completed. It wasn’t until the end of the process where I came up with the title track, which felt like a proper ending and the completion to the record. When that was said and done, it took longer to assemble the right team of players. It was a long haul, man.

Behind the album’s peaceful veneer, there is the hint of entropy, and things falling apart. Do you feel that the album is ultimately about hope, or the death of hope?

Oh, wow. That’s a tough question, man (laughs). I don’t think it’s about the death of hope. It’s dealing with hope in the face of the grand defeat that’s about to happen for us all, at some point. That’s definitely in there. Mortality comes in and out, and that’s something that I’ve always been drawn to as a concept. The idea of realizing how special and how short our time is here. That’s all in there.

There’s also a lot of joy on the record, and that great Laurel Canyon sound and attitude comes through the record. What is special to you about the myths and tradition of Laurel Canyon?

I was there for the whole album, and have been there since 2004. It’s a very special spot, and something about the way that all the excitement is just down the street on the Sunset Strip. It’s so strange that this little peaceful spot exists above all that. You could be in a bungalow cabin composing songs, and then you can just hop down the street to the heart of all the Hollywood shit. I can’t think of any other town that’s like it. There were things in San Francisco happening back then, but nothing like the musicians and albums that came out of Laurel Canyon. Initially, I didn’t try and go there as a pilgrimage or something. I’ve always liked the sound of the ’60s, that’s for sure, but to be honest I got in there because there was a spot on Craigslist (laughs). But suddenly, I began to realize that I was seeing the Doors’ house, and this is where Gram and Joni lived and everything.

“Gentle Spirit” features some great musicians, like Gary Louris of the Jayhawks and Andy Cabic from Vetiver. Is the spirit of collaboration something that runs deep in you from your Carolina upbringing?

For sure, man. That kind of musical sharing was always going on since I was a kid. My dad had a band, and his buddies used to always get together and do a group “picking” that they’d call it. It was this kind of socializing with instruments, that kind of ties into the jams that I would have. Personally, I’ve always been really inspired to do that, and I think a lot of artists aren’t like that. They keep to themselves.

You turned Laurel Canyon into your own musical oasis, where it was this community vibe with artists stopping by your place to jam. It seemed like a really cool happening that was going on.

It was a big deal. It happened for quite a long time, and it kind of turned into this scene. If I was in town and people were around, that was kind of the factor. There were no set dates or anything. Two times a month or something. There were literally tons of those jams. Hundreds of musicians would come by. It was a scene, and a way to play all the time but not have to be in a band (laughs).

Just the joy of playing music?

Exactly. That was my whole point. It was about getting back to that joy of playing music as a teenager. Just to jam in the garage with your homies. And that was it. It wasn’t “pass the guitar so I can play a new song I just wrote” kind of shit, which to me can get so fucking awkward. None of that. It was about the spirit of improvisation.

Did anyone show up who made you say, “This is pretty cool”?

Oh yeah, tons of people. All the Wilco guys, to all the Black Crowes. Dudes from the Cars and tons of folks from the ’60s who would hear about it because it was in the Canyon, and just get so excited to be a part of something like that. To me, it wasn’t that big a deal, in the sense that we’d just put a bunch of instruments in a space and hit go. To some people, it was just a huge thing. It blew people away, like “This is the ’60s again man!” As soon as it got exposed, then it was time to go on and do something else.

Speaking of collaboration, I’m curious about your production work. What are you like in the studio? I can’t picture you yelling, chomping on a cigar and complaining about deadlines.

Not at all (laughs). But, I do get pissed off if people are afraid to take chances and when they suddenly get so conservative in the studio. I have to remind them that with the albums that we all love, that have stood the test of time, chances were taken. You can take your pick. Take any Beatles album. When people get in the studio, they’re scared of unconventional tones and just the act of exploring. When that happens, or people are trying to pre-judge what their fans or people expect from them, that’s the kind of thing that I don’t like. Those are the basic things that I try and preach. I think the studio is suited to certain folks who can be a diplomat, and know how to coax the best thing from the artist. That’s what I’m interested in.

What are the elements that make you want to work with an artist, for instance Jenny O. Do you have to feel a kindred spirit?

Yeah, for sure. No ego is No. 1. If I can smell a trace of that shit, then it’s not gonna happen. The other thing is when somebody is trying to sound like the perception of what they should sound like, that’s a problem. I’m always trying to find someone who sings like their personality. It has to be true. Those are the people that I do stuff with. I’m not interested in someone that’s trying to be a character. Like with Jenny, she has her own thing, and her skills are sharp. With her, it’s a blast. That’s how it is with Dawes as well. Those guys are so good, the aptitude is extremely high. It’s a great thing.

||| Live: Jonathan Wilson plays Thursday at the Troubadour.

||| Also: See the video for “Natural Rhapsody.”

Drew Fortune is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer.

Photo by Lauren Ward