They Do It Every Time
The Spell of The Black Heart Procession
By By Corey Bloom. Photo by Brad Miller.
I vividly remember the first time I heard Black Heart Procession some six years ago, despite the fact that, at the time, I was higher than Yao Ming and focused on enticing a native from the groups’ hometown of San Diego. Arriving at the spot with a lowered game face, I found myself less concerned about the female and more interested in the music she was playing. It was like nothing I had heard before—frighteningly dark yet brilliantly constructed with rich imagery and a lush palette of sounds. I immediately made her play the disc again, and dub it for me while we made out so I could soak it up on my own time.
The Southern California five piece has gone on to release five albums since their appropriately titled debut, 1 (2000), their latest being The Spell, another amazing album that sweeps the listener away with an almost hypnotic composition of orchestrated strings, chugging guitars and abstract lyrical prose. Before heading overseas on a promotional tour, lead singer/guitarist/artist Pall Jenkins patiently fielded questions from this hip-hop writer (in his first interview with a rock musician). And the girl? We still talk, and I thank her each time for introducing me to The Black Heart Processon.
After listening to The Spell, I definitely hear some reoccurring themes, I was wondering if you see it as a concept album?Well I think there is a common thread that runs through all of our records. When we make records we take into account a lot of things, most importantly imagery and thematic elements. I always liked records that take you on a journey, and enjoying records like that eventually moved into making records like that, with a variety of songs and emotions. Our last record (Amore Del Tropico) was more of a concept record, but I would say this record is more individually song based, but there is a common thread of love and war throughout.
One track that really bugs me out in terms of the songwriting is “The Letter.” Where did that idea come from?That song in particular was more of a story song, and about the concept of a letter touching all these people and different hands, and being afraid to open a letter, and what a letter is in general, like the different ways to look at a letter. Is it something your afraid to open, or happy to receive? It’s that idea—being afraid to open this letter and what it’s going to tell you.
Are songs like that metaphors for things in your life or just random ideas that come to you?Sometimes certain lines apply to me at times, other ones I learn later on as I go. I see music writing as kind of like seeing the future, like it’s not always clear but it’s a feeling that you later come to realize. Other times they’re little stories that I build ideas around, just thoughts and ideas. Some apply more personally, and others don’t, and that goes from line to line in a song as well.
Do ideas for songs come to you with the music or are things decided before you start a project?Certain things happen in different ways. Sometimes it will come from a lyric or a concept behind a song and it will be built that way. Other times it’s more the music and what words fit to it, and they all start tying together. Music comes in different ways for us; sometimes it’s a drumbeat, sometimes it’s a violin line, sometimes it’s me on guitar just playing something. As you build a record it’s like a puzzle, you start adding the bits and pieces. I really strive with the artwork and everything to have it tie together. Artwork and imagery is something that is really big with us, so it’s something we take into account every time.
Do you want people to interpret your music through the same vision as you, or do you write for people to derive their own interpretations?That’s another thing with our lyrics. I try to keep things fairly open for interpretations so people can find what they want out of it and apply it to their own lives, and not be strict to the lyrics but allow for imagery for people to trip out and get high to [laughs].
You personally handle the artwork for the albums, and you've talked in the past about the importance of it. What can you say about the artwork for this album?We were trying to capture the idea of everybody being trapped in a spell, and tying in politics, and being captured and helpless in that sense of things, but also in love as well. I think it ties in feeling helpless or captivated by something, or controlled, that was the main gist of this record, and that’s why the title The Spell was appropriate.
A lot of people thought your last album was a lot heavier in places than previous albums, and with The Spell, while you guys still have that eerie feel, there are some songs that are even heavier or upbeat than the previous. Do you see that?I think this album has a darker overtone, but there are definitely some more rocking songs on it. Our last record was a tropical murder mystery concept record, so there was dark themes that took you to these darker places, but it still had a Latin tropical vibe to it, where this one is more...something else. I’m not sure, something more mystic.
It’s kind of ironic that you guys draw that kind of sound considering you live and record in a place that is known for its sun and good weather, San Diego.I think with certain sounds in our music you can see that it is from here, but other times it’s our escape from here, where we close the curtains and kinda make our own world to escape to.
The Black Heart Procession's The Spell (Touch & Go Records) is out May 9th. See them live with Calexico on June 16th and 17th at the Fillmore.
