Web-Exclusive: A conversation with Jeremy Enigk of Sunny Day Real Estate

As the frontman of legendary emo forefathers SUNNY DAY REAL ESTATE, JEREMY ENIGK‘s unique voice, music and lyrics have been inspiring people for more than 25 years. After the band’s first split he embarked upon a successful solo career and grew his devoted fan base with his permeating voice and unrivalled musicianship. HANNAH JENKINS spoke with Enigk about the release of his third solo album OK Bear, writing outside the box and whether the rumors of a Sunny Day reunion are true.



Where did you get the title, OK Bear, from?

Well, it’s not a really romantic story. I recorded the record in Sant Feliu de Guixol, Spain. I was joking around in the studio one day with the producers and I was singing in this operatic, booming voice, what I believed to be Spanish words which were just fake Spanish words. I was singing, "Vale Oso" and the producers said, "Hey! You were actually singing real Spanish words." I asked them what I was saying and he said, "OK bear," and I thought, "I like that." It was one of those things that became an inside joke and then stuck.


Mind Idea – Jeremy Enigk



How did you end up recording in Spain?

A friend of mine, Ramon Rodriguez, owns a record label out there called Cydonia. Over the years he has invited me to play shows, do little tours and videos, and eventually he said, "Hey, what do you think about coming out to Sant Feliu and recording for six weeks with Santi Garcia?" I decided it would be an amazing experience for me and it was just an offer I just couldn’t refuse. So I did it.



You had a novel writing process for OK Bear. You would come into the studio with only a song idea and go from there. Why did you decide to record like that?

Mainly because over the years since [Sunny Day Real Estate’s 2000 full-length] The Rising Tide, I’ve had a tendency to really produce records– sort of overproduce them–and I spent so much time thinking about them that I feel like I lose some of the raw passion. It’s usually the first vocal takes you do that are the best because the flaws in your voice really speak to the listener a lot more; it’s genuine. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with perfection, and I love The Rising Tide and [my 2006 solo album] World Waits, but I wanted to start to capture that raw feeling again where I allow the music to speak for me instead of choking it and controlling it. It was really liberating to let go and to relieve that control so that I could also enjoy it myself.



How did the other musicians on the album react to this process?

They ate it up. They loved every moment of it. It gave them the power to be the controllers. I went in without any control, but they took the songs and made them their own. They produced, arranged and totally organized the songs for me and all I would do was just sit down and write a quick little concept, go and record a scratch version of it and then they would take it and manipulate it however they wanted to. They did an outstanding job.



Did your surroundings inspire you?

I’ve always loved the romantic notion of going to a different country and recording, thinking that the environment would really affect it, but it didn’t internally. What did affect it were the musicians who are from Spain. So it’s got a Spanish production to it where it’s not nearly as wet and juicy as a lot of American recordings. The reality is I was in a studio the whole time looking at four walls. [Laughs.] So I really didn’t absorb too much of the surroundings.

Lifes Too Short – Jeremy Enigk


Lyrically, what are the other themes for the album?

I’ve always sung about the same things on the other records, it usually has something to do with the meaning of life. On this record, I started to dabble in other topics. “Life’s Too Short” is a song about meditation. I was doing a lot of meditation at one point and it created a lot of really strange things, so I sang about that a little bit. I tried to step outside of my box. For the most part, I’m singing about meditation, but still applying it to the meaning of life, so it always comes back to the same thing. There’s a song called “Sant Feliu de Guixols” which is where I recorded. It’s lyrically inspired by my environment but not really emotionally, which was surprising to me. I expected to be emotionally affected.



Is the young boy on the cover of the album you?

Yes, it is. Initially, Ramon wanted to do a tour documentary, and wanted some pictures of me as a kid for it. It was his idea. He said, "I really think we should put you as a kid on the cover of the record." I thought, “No way. I’m not talking about my childhood, so none of these songs really apply.” Over time, after trying several different ideas for covers, it was the best. In the end, it’s totally random. It’s called OK Bear and there’s a picture of me as a kid on the cover. It doesn’t make any sense, [but]I kind of like it.



It’s outside the box again.

Absolutely. Usually, my records have very elegant writing that’s classically done and I definitely wanted to avoid that and make a statement in that way.


OK Bear is being released on your own label, Lewis Hollow. Has this allowed you more creative freedom?

There is absolutely more creative freedom. Lewis Hollow happened around the time when I actually went to Sub Pop to do my second record, World Waits, but our contract had been long forgotten, so they let me go. I felt that in this day and age, it was possible for me to put it out myself on a small level and actually still make a living at doing what I love. I might not be selling a million records or a hundred thousand for that matter, but who knows, it seemed entirely possible to do it on a very humble level.



OK Bear is really going to be the true test to see how it works out. World Waits was on Lewis Hollow, but it was ultimately with another record label too.


Sant Feliu de Guixols – Jeremy Enigk



What’s next for your solo career?

What I’d really like to do is bring the guys from Spain [to tour] here. They’re the actual musicians on the recording and I would love to deliver the album with the original musicians. So I’m trying to figure out a way to pay for that.



Is there any truth behind the rumors that Sunny Day Real Estate are getting back together?

There’s a huge force behind Sunny Day Real Estate that none of the band members ever controlled. It took on a life of its own. It had nothing to do with us as individuals, and it created a lot of expectation from the music industry and fans. It became a gigantic beast.



I imagine it’s like a pressure cooker right now.

A little bit. I’m already sensing this–not individually or personally within the members–but on the outside, suddenly all of these people are freaking out. And it’s like, "Woah! Pull the reins in a little bit here." It’s a bit overwhelming.



As soon as there’s so much as a mention of the chance of a Sunny Day reunion, people go crazy. That must be a lot of weight on your shoulders.

Yes, and people want to control it, as well, which is the weirdest thing.



It should be just yours, right?

Apparently. It’s supposed to be just ours, right? But the thing is that it’s not. That’s the force that Sunny Day create: It’s everybody else’s. People love to own it for themselves and that’s very special. But as a person who’s actually doing the work, it’s like, "Okay, start swimming. Here we go!"



When you are talking about other people wanting to own it, are you talking about the music industry or the fans?

Well, especially the music industry. Our fans have a very passive ownership of it in that they own it in their CD player or their iPod and it’s very special to their hearts. But it’s the industry that is the most controlling. They see the potential explosion of it–and I’m not saying that they just want to profit off it– but they want to see it flourish. With Sunny Day there’s always been the question of why we didn’t get bigger than we were and people think, "Well, let’s do what we can to make it happen for these guys."



So you’re saying it’s still a “never say never” situation?

What it comes down to is that I just fear getting fans’ expectations and hopes up. It would be just a major bummer to be like, "Hey, We’re doing this!" and then suddenly not do it. alt

Categories: