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The Parlour
your questions, my answers!
Fall 2006
Q: After being a huge longtime fan of your music, I did not realize you were also an actress. How did you get involved in acting and how did the current film noir Ice Cream Ants come about? Where can I see it? From what I’ve read on the Crutch Films website, it sounds amazing.
Eric J. Chicago, IL
JT: Eric, I did not know I was an actress either! Over the past couple of years, I have had inquiries to appear in several independent films (mostly portraying myself) and in some theatre projects. I have been too intrigued by the challenges to turn them down. Perhaps just the opportunity of stepping out of my skin and creating a completely different persona was appealing.
I met director Jeremy Carr (as well as the amazing Tom Noonan) at Slamdance, when The Fine Art of Poisoning was screening in the festival, so we were all in Park City. Jeremy had been a fan of my music and initially approached me to contribute music to Ice Cream Ants. He sent me a script. We corresponded via email, and after about a year, he told me he kept picturing ME as the only person who could possibly play the role of Mona, a sinister seductress holding court in a surreal world. It sounded perfect. And my music ended up in the film as well. I love the fact that I can fulfill both roles, acting and scoring for the same project. I'd like to do more of that.
Ice Cream Ants just made its debut at the 2006 Woods Hole Festival in Massachusetts, and screened at the 2006 New York City Horror Film Festival with Rob Zombie's The Devil's Rejects director's cut. Very enthusiastic response so far! Look for ICA to make the film festival circuit in 2007. There is a trailer up now on the Crutch Films website, as well as the Ice Cream Ants MySpace page.
I also write more about the making of ICA in July's Parlour archives.
Q: I saw your music video The Fine Art of Poisoning, as it was featured on the Dresden Dolls “F*ck the Back Row” tour. I fell madly in love with your music and YOU! Simply amazing, sounds like nothing else out there! Are you going to release The Fine Art of Poisoning on DVD? My friends and I all want to own it!
Connie T. Trenton, NJ
JT: This is a question I get daily, so here’s the scoop. Bill Domonkos (animator) and I had NO idea that the film would become so successful in the film festival circuit; it’s still screening at festivals internationally since it’s debut in 2003. We’ve received multiple awards, and some festival guidelines require that the film not be made available for purchase or distribution. This year the film is being featured in Canada and Russia, among other countries. But he and I are planning a DVD with a ton of extras and perhaps a new collaboration. It will happen!
Until then, The Fine Art of Poisoning is included on several "best -of" DVD festival compilations including:
New York City Horror Film Festival's Killer Shorts 2 and Chicago International Animation Festival (The Best of Cineme 2003). Also, The Fine Art of Poisoning was just picked up by a division of Comcast VOD-- This was due to our grand prize at Chicago’s Cineme. There has been talk of the film being selected to show on Turner and Direct TV, so we’ll keep you posted.
Q: Someone asked a question about your song on my MySpace profile, The Fine Art of Poisoning. She wanted to know what piece the intro was taken from-- which set me to wondering, as it does sound as she pointed out, like some classical piece. But upon listening closer I noticed it also sounded nearly note for note like the intro to the theme song from Dragnet, just slowed down. Any truth to any of these theories?
Todd. Long Island, NY
JT: Oh my god, that's hysterical!! I never noticed it before, but you're right...the chords are a bit like the opening to Dragnet! That certainly was not intended, nor was the song inspired by any particular classical piece. Jack Webb can rest easy. I had been reading quite a bit about historical poisonings through the ages, and wanted to capture the mood, time period, and loved the interplay between the A minor, then adding the G sharp on top as the bass moves to F. Formal, erudite, yet ominous...the genesis of the song came from those two chords. I wanted the song to move so slowly, as to produce a feeling of sea-sickness. So hypnotic that it resembled the secret snail-like nature of poison taking effect.
Q: Any chance your demo CD Quintessentially Unreal might be re-issued? There is definitely an interest in this very hard to find disc. There was a copy on E-Bay this week that, after numerous bids, sold for over $60.00!
Timothy T. San Diego, CA
JT: Yikes, wish I had been the seller! As Quintessentially Unreal was originally my 1995 "demo," I decided to discontinue pressing hard copies of it...as the artwork, etc, is dated and I felt the need to move on from it. I don’t even think I own a copy anymore! But people love that album. We've gone through countless more pressings than I ever had imagined. That little disc is a bonafide collector’s item. I did want everyone to still be able to obtain the music, however. QU is easily available for download on i-Tunes and most other digital services. I do love a lot of those songs, and some will be arranged and used in future releases.
Q: I loved loved loved you at Litquake!! Hearing you read aloud was a special treat! And of course sing too. How was it to share the stage with The Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek? I heard you say he was a childhood influence.
Tom R. Petaluma, CA
JT: Meeting Ray Manzarek (and sharing a keyboard with him) made my night. The fact that he sat down and played "Riders on the Storm" instrumentally as I sat transfixed was a childhood dream come true! That was definitely one of the songs that motivated me to learn to play the piano. I remember vividly sounding out that song and "People are Strange" by ear when I was little. It was a magical time, and it came full circle finally sharing a stage with him.
Q: Your music is beautiful and haunting and I’ve become quite the addict. I need more Jill Tracy!! When is the new album coming out and can you divulge a little about it?? Don’t keep us in suspense!
Christopher M. Bath/UK
JT: We are recording the new album now in fits and starts, planning on a mid-2007 release. All new songs, much more cinematic and heavy this time. Much less cabaret. Someone just described it as “terribly beautiful,” which seems fitting. Some brilliant guest musicians. All new songs including The Water Flows So Slow, Haunted by the Thought of You, Torture, and In Between Shades. I’ll divulge more soon, I promise.
Q: I fell in love with your song Room 19 when I heard you perform it at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco. What’s the story behind the song? Will it be on the new CD? I'm so loving the new material!
Laura H. Santa Cruz, CA
JT: Room 19 will definitely be on the new album; it seems already to be an audience favorite, which excites me, since it’s not even out yet. The song is based on a moving ghost story concerning a man who committed suicide in a run-down hotel in the midwest several decades before. The door to Room 19 remains locked to “keep Time away,” as his spirit still resides in the room. The entire hotel has been renovated and remodeled around him over the years. Room 19 is left intact. He still waits there, refusing to give up on his mortal dreams.
Q: Your music gives me such a distinctive glimpse into “your” world. I feel like I am transported when I listen to it. I love it. It’s become an obsession. What are some of your favorite current obsessions? I mean strange everyday things we wouldn’t know about. I don’t mean to get too personal!
Amy F. Seattle, WA
JT: Well, let's think of them as “rituals.” The first everyday thing that comes to mind is that I am a tea fanatic. Kettle boils first thing in the morning, and all throughout the day—the soft, gentle whistle, again and again. (It soothes me just thinking about it.) Each cup is personal, like my songs-- so many, all different. Always on the lookout for new, strange teas even though the cupboards are bursting with them already...to leisurely browse a fine coffee/tea shop is a sensual treat.
I go through empassioned phases over particular topics (who doesn't?)--I've been on a Joan of Arc kick lately, she's hooked me for some reason. There is a secret shrine in my neighborhood to her.
I'm definitely guided and obsessed with the numbers 3, 9 and 11, and variations thereof. Now, many fans know of my fixation with certain stray objects, most often found playing cards and random puzzle pieces I encounter during day-to-day treks. The magic certainly surrounds us--the trick is to be observant and receptive enough to allow it. There's a grand divination and purpose to seemingly insignificant items. (Next time you find a rubber band on the sidewalk--make a wish.)
I've received lovely gifts of stray playing cards in the mail that many of you have discovered and wanted to share with me. I cherish them dearly. They all live in an ornate red-velvet box, literally hundreds of them, in my bedroom.
And let's see, a couple of other current silly everyday obsessions---acetyl l-carnitine, and my new Reach toothbrush with tongue scraper contraption- I adore that thing!
Q: Thanks for your concert supporting the West Memphis Three. I am from Arkansas and everybody I know there has been fighting for this cause for years. It's a crazy backwards mixed up fucked up thing and its nice to know that more people are hearing about it.
Tony G. San Francisco, CA
JT: Thanks Tony, yes I’m surprised that more people do not know of this atrocity. It’s a cause that is near and dear to my heart. For any fan of my music, the story of the West Memphis Three will definitely hit home. It could have been any one of us in that situation. These three young men are spending their lives in prison for a crime that absolutely no evidence shows they committed. Damien Echols waits on Death Row, and in the midst of it all has created some extraordinary artwork, poetry and essays after some 12 years of wrongful imprisonment. I hope everyone will visit the West Memphis Three support site. These guys need to be released, and we can help.
Q: I think it's great how you are performing to support the tragic decision on the West Memphis Three. It's an amazing story that happens quite frequently in impoverished niches in America, but not enough exposure due to consequently weakening and distrust of the legal system. Sad but true. Thank for bringing it to the dead light.
Joyce M. New York City
JT: Thank you for your words, Joyce. I feel so honored to possess one of Damien Echols’ hand-made collages he created in prison. It’s now in a glass frame hanging in my studio--if you look closely, you can see two folds, where the artwork had to be bent into thirds to fit into a prison-approved envelope for mailing. The collage is quite magical, made from scraps of magazines and the limited materials he can find, or trade, all hand cut from a prison-issued razor he uses to shave his face. It’s one of the most inspiring things I’ve ever encountered. Here's a portion of an interview with Anje Vela, where Damien describes how he creates his collages:
"The only thing the prison ever gave me was a disposable razor to shave with – and that’s what I use to cut out pieces for a collage. My fingertips were shredded for a month or so, until I started to develop calluses. It takes a great deal of practice. Just pick up a razor blade and try to cut out some small detail of a photo, and you realize it’s a lot harder than it sounds. I’ve actually ruined pieces because my fingers bled on the paper, or I ended up getting blood on whatever image I was cutting out. It makes you become even more proud of and attached to the ones you manage to put together." Read the complete interview here.
Q; Aside from being a huge fan of your music, I am always amazed at how beautiful your complexion is. What's your secret for such flawless skin?
Cindy F. Pasadena, CA
JT: I have a restraining order out against the sun. If he finds me, I have all sorts of powerful creams to make myself invisible to him.
the plot thickens...
read The Parlour archives:
Nov 2005
Sept 2005
July 2005
May 2005
Mar 2005
Feb 2005
Dec 2004
