Interview with Moonspeed’s Jeff Suthers

I visited the Flight Approved Studio last month to share some thoughts with Moonspeeds leader, Jeff Suthers. As a fan of his earlier work, Bright Channel and Volplane, I’ve watched Jeff establish himself as one of Denver’s foremost sonic pioneers. He’s scored soundtracks, worked with Steve Albini, gained the unflinching devotion of Anton Newcombe, and yet maintains a youthful humility and dedication to his craft like few artists privy to similar opportunities. Jeff took a break from practice to share his thoughts.

Matthew: Tell me something about when Moonspeed began. I know that you originally didn’t have a full band when you started. It was just you.

Jeff: I think the original idea was just experimenting with recordings, layering lots of different instruments and different recording toys… tones and things I wouldn’t originally use in my band. It was just having fun in the studio. I recorded a lot with that…maybe three records worth of material but I never took it that serious, as something I would release. That was something I always had there as my own fun time recording project. And then the feedback I would get from that was always, to me, better than I would get from bands, or even my own enjoyment from those recordings I enjoyed more than recording a rock band. It was something more like painting with sound than trying to recreate a live situation. This is kind of working in the opposite of my normal technique…starting with recording things and the concept of lots of layers, of instrumentation and things like that and then having the band re-create that live rather than the other way around.

Any stoner can go down an plug in a bunch of gadgets and make some cool sounds and I like to use of much of that as I can but keep a concept, a song structure.

Matthew: It’s an interesting shift. It started by yourself and now we’re looking at a ten piece which is a new thing for you as well.

Jeff: This band initially spawned as a four piece type thing. When we played it sounded like the next new song for another rock band. So I realized after talking to some other friends that had heard the early recordings that the way to sound like Moonspeed, if we’re going to be Moonspeed, would be to have a lot more people helping create those other layers and instruments because all of those early recordings were pretty much maxing out channels. I don’t think there was any Moonspeed song that was under sixteen tracks of different instruments/microphones or whatever. Trying to sound like that with four pieces just didn’t really happen. We realized that we had to bring down the sonic factor a little bit and allow more space for more instruments to create that sound rather than one large guitar amp.

Matthew: Basically, Moonspeeds a big sound thats being played live?

Jeff: I’ve played around with a lot of samples and stuff and I’ve never stuck with it. Every time I’ve got a sampler and thought that was the way to go, I just never felt natural about it. I’ve also learned that depending on equipment, it’s kind of tricky too. Iv’e used a lot of alternate tunings and a lot of specific equipment that creates a certain sound and to have one piece of that fail and it just bummed the entire show because you’re dependent on that to make it happen. So many talented people can pick up any guitar and play you a ton of songs and I couldn’t do any of that because I had to de-tune it, have a specific fuzz pedal, a special amp, a certain vibe, a certain band, and a certain setting to make it happen. So I like to keep things as real as I can as far as “real” time and having someone mechanically make something happen. That’s the thing with Moonspeed. We talked about doing stuff with electronic drums or mechanics, and this or that. The early stuff was almost electronic, almost techno type drums or what have you. That was cool but as I progressed I tried to make all the sounds more organic by using bongos or shakers and tambourines…acoustic guitars and having some actual legible lyrics to a certain degree. I was kind of working away from the total blown out shoegaze feedback. I love those sounds but I feel like the more I’v grown as a artist I need to feel more personal soul attached to it. Any stoner can go down an plug in a bunch of gadgets and make some cool sounds and I like to use of much of that as I can but keep a concept, a song structure.

Matthew: I’m intereseted in the process of the formation of the band.

Jeff: I think that as we added people later it flowed. I was very attached to the sound of the Moonspeed stuff and we couldn’t really make it as a four piece. We started adding people and doing this and that, scrapped a ton of songs. There were two or three months of actually struggling with it. The more I talked to people there was this realization of people wanting to get involved and liking the Moonspeed recordings. And if were going to do that, we’re going to need a lot more people. I don’t want to have to depend on electronic stuff that much. I’m not an electronic musicIan. I like a lot of electronic music, I like the sounds and the capabilities but I’m more an old school tube amp and fuzz peddle kind of person.

Matthew: What is something that really influences you that people would not be aware of?

Jeff: I do stick to a handful of bands as my main influences for sure but I’ve always tried to be influenced also in the way of being true to who you are. As far as that goes I would say that my parents are the biggest influence. My dad was a pretty serious musician and my mom is a spiritual ex-hippie who made me believe in what you feel and what you want to do. You can’t copy it. That’s a big part Moonspeed…it’s a lesson to myself , learning how to have fun again with music.

Matthew: It seems like Moonspeed is a community.

Jeff: It’s a good healing process. A band like this, you could have a couple people who’ve had a rough day but they might show up and be cheered up by playing some pinball (*the Flight approved studio has 3 full size pinball games).

Matthew: You guys don’t have a history of a lot of touring and now with a bigger band, that definitely raises some questions about the feasibility of that.

Jeff: I think I’ve always been anti ‘do the expected thing as a musician’…you’re supposed to get signed, tour the world, get exposure. I don’t know. I’m such a small town…Italian, live three blocks from you’re grandma. To me, it’s more about the creation and the music as an art form. It’s more creating my own stuff, making it up and finding an enjoyment and peace of mind out of that. I’m constantly craving new sounds, new creations, new projects, new guitars. I’ve stayed in that world consistently. The touring and this and that…I’m not really looking to forward to sleeping on somebody’s couch in some town and playing at their version of the 15th St. Tavern to fifteen people on a Tuesday night and nobody’s heard of you. It’s just too humbling. Some people crave the touring vibe…I think we could. It would take several vans and some tour director manager person. Maybe that time will come. All the tours that we’ve ever done we stay under two weeks…hit a few dates. The last few things that we did, touring with Brian Jonestown Massacre…that to me was a meaningful trip. We’re going to travel 15 hours, but once we get there we’re gonna do two shows to twelve hundred people and we’re going to hang out with Jonestown Massacre, and it’s worth your while. But to just tour as an unknown local band to me is not really worthwhile. I wouldn’t want to discourage anybody to do that and try that because I think there is something to be said about gaining fans…I understand why people do it but I’d be away from my house and I’d be bummed…inspired to record something and be away from my studio.

Matthew: Denver’s a vibrant place right now. Are you happy that it’s (Moonspeed) happening here, right now?

Jeff: Thats helps me not worry about touring because we do have decent scene. I really enjoy playing there because I know there’s going to be a packed club full of people and two thirds of the people are my friends, so it’s a very comfortable, exciting experience. I don’t think I could travel around the world and find that. So you have a thousand fans but I’m completely alone at the same time. I think touring…I would do it under the right circumstances. I’ve learned that I won’t do it unless it’s the right situation.

Matthew: You’re debuting on June 28th @ the Hi-Dive.

Jeff: I’m looking forward to it. We’re going to make it something special.

Moonspeed launches into orbit on Saturday, June 28th @ the Hi-Dive -Matthew