Survive, Thousand Foot Whale Claw, Troller: Adam Jones sends electric current through all three local chill inducers via his analog synthesizers and programming. As owner of crucial Austin imprint Holodeck Records, the ubiquitous tastemaker also counts his hands full audio frequencies. Together, the twin endeavors populate his psyche, his being.
Austin Chronicle: Where are you sheltering and under what circumstances? Who else is there and how’s that going?
Adam Jones: I rent a house in Windsor Park with my roommate Nic from the band Single Lash, and besides being stressed about the general state of the world, we are alright. We have both been carefully quarantining and have had limited contact with our family and friends. We definitely feel cooped up, but I try to go outside in the mornings and evenings as much as I can.
“I know some labels and bands decided to put out music anyway, but it didn’t feel right for us.”
AC: At what point did C-19 shut down operations for you, and what went down with the ship, so to speak, both personally & professionally?
AJ: Things shut down for me the first week of March, when everyone was wondering if SXSW was going to cancel. When SX did cancel, some of the venues, artists, and promoters toyed with the idea of still having shows, and there were a lot of tough conversations where everyone had to come to terms. Holodeck had several official SXSW events scheduled with artists traveling in, and I had a whole Texas tour planned with Automelodi (Montréal), Majeure (Pittsburgh) and Normal Echo (Vancouver).
It was a total bummer for everyone.
AC: As a global culture, people employ music for every purpose imaginable, obviously spanning religion to entertainment and everything in between. What happens to communities like ours when people can no longer access it in person?
AJ: I think everyone is just holding their breath and consuming digital media like never before. We all know that eventually concerts/shows/festivals will happen again, but until then we have to settle. I would enjoy seeing just about any band live right now.
“I think everyone is just holding their breath and consuming digital media like never before.”
AC: Everyone’s had to shift or drastically alter their work situation. What does that look like for you?
AJ: All of the bands I play in – Thousand Foot Whale Claw, Survive, and Troller – have postponed new releases that were scheduled for 2020. I originally planned on being deep into big album campaigns with tons of touring right now, so this year ended up looking pretty different for me. I know some labels and bands decided to put out music anyway, but it didn’t feel right for us.
Hopefully, all of this music comes out in 2021, and I can travel. More than any of my bandmates, I love touring and being on the road.
Holodeck also decided not to release any LPs or tapes this year due to strains on manufacturers and record stores. We are just doing digital singles and Bandcamp subscriptions right now. It’s been a big change.
AC: What’s your soundtrack for the apocalypse and what role does music play for you as a fan and scholar of it in times of hardship?
AJ: My three go-to’s are usually Bohren und der Club of Gore, Bing & Ruth, and the Light in the Attic compilation I Am the Center. All of their compilations are awesome. I guess I tend to lean on slower, sometimes dark, ambient music.
Lately, I found out about a really cool Texas cumbia label called Trucha Soul and the Austin band Como Las Movies, and that’s been a great change of pace for me.
Check out the entire Checking In series.
This article appears in The Stress Issue.
