Brody Interviews Joan Jett

Brody Dalle, ex-Distillers frontwoman and Spinnerette's creator interviewed the hot-as-Georgia-asphalt in August JOAN JETT for the P.I.X. zine.

By: Brody Dalle

For: P.I.X. zine

Date: August, 2009

Joan Jett is the epitome of Cool with a capital A for Awesome.
The P.i.X has contemplated biting her style with a feather cut and leather pants for some time now, and let’s face it, we could never carry it off and rock out in nearly such style as she. So. What do you do? What can you do? She’s the one that sang, ‘I love rock n’ roll, so put another dime in the jukebox, bayyyyyybe’ and ‘Do you wanna touch me, there, where, there, yeah’. Like hiya, amazing.
So, what we did was this. We took Joan Jett in one hand, and in the other we took Brody Dalle, she of Distillers / Spinnerette / totally amazing, we mega love, fame, and we thought, well, why don’t we get Brody to interview Joan. I mean, it really makes sense when you think about it. One totally cool, raven haired rockstress shooting the shit with another totally cool raven haired... oh you get the picture. Here it is.

BRODY DALLE: Where were you born?

JOAN JETT: I was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

B.D - What sign are you? (Sorry I’m an Astrology dork)

J.J - I am a Virgo, with moon in Aquarius and Capricorn rising. Born Sept 22nd at 4pm.

B.D - What did you listen to when you were a teenage girl? How has that music punctuated your music career?

J.J - Oh god, I listened to the radio a lot, obviously, and at that time you would get a great mix of classic rock, pop, R&B. You could go from Stevie Wonder to Abba to Led Zeppelin and back again. I started buying the singles I loved, maybe Alice Cooper, “School’s Out”,”18”, all the hits, Free’s “Alright Now” was a big one for me, Led Zeppelin, T Rex, New York Dolls, Black Sabbath. I still laugh, thinkin’ about how my father would hear me in my room, listening over and over to breakdown in “Whole Lotta Love” where Robert Plant is groaning and sighing, come in and say very stridently, as if really trying to understand, “Joan, what the hell you listening to?” I also used to read the rock mags religiously, Circus and Cream mainly, and I read about this club in Hollywood that was for teenagers, and they played British glitter rock that American kids weren’t hearing. Also, the ground was shifting in American music; disco was becoming very big around 75. My family had moved from the east coast to Los Angeles in 1973. I started going to Rodney’s English Disco, which turned me onto more T. Rex, Bowie, The Sweet, Suzi Quatro, and that whole style, 3 minute guitar and hook laden songs. So it’s really that combo of glitter rock and I guess what is called “classic rock” now. It’s all just rock ‘n’ roll. I think in my own writing, I kind of synthesize those elements into my own version.

B.D - How old were you when you realized you wanted to be a musician, and what inspired this?

J.J - I was 13 and wanted to learn how to make the guitar sounds I was falling in love with. The simple, slightly out of tune sound of the guitars in “Alright Now” may have done it. I got an electric guitar for Christmas at 13 and it started.

B.D - What was the atmosphere like when you produced The Germs? Was this your first production gig?

J.J - The atmosphere was pretty crazy. I had known The Germs since probably early 77 or so; I think they thought I knew what I was doing because I had been in the studio for 3 Runaways LP’s. But I had seen them live a million times, their sets were usually pretty sloppy, and you couldn’t really hear the songs, but the band and I knew the songs were great. I think we had 4 days in the studio. We did all the basic tracks live, doubled guitars and had Darby Redo vocals where needed. I thought it was a lot of fun, but intense. And yes, this was my first credited production.

B.D – What’s your favorite color? Favorite swear word? Favorite T.V show?

J.J - Favorite color fluctuates. Black of course, but I’m also feelin’ emerald green lately. Fuck and holy shit. (Old show) All In The Family (new show) most of the cop things, Law and Order, CSI, News.

B.D - Do you cook? What’s your favorite food?

J.J - I do cook. I’m a vegetarian, but don’t make lots of recipes. Mostly, I make my own killer fresh tomato sauce, heavy, heavy on garlic and basil. Grilled portabella mushroom sandwiches or veggie burgers. Those are the basics. I LOVE Indian food, but cannot make it well myself.

B.D - What are you currently listening to?

J.J - I still listen to all the music that I grew up with, The Glitter, the Zeppelin, Rolling Stones, Fugazi. I’ve got 2 great bands on my Blackheart label that I listen to, Girl In A Coma and the Dollyrots.

B.D - Who are your favourite guitar players?

J.J - I guess if I had to name one it would be Keith Richards.

words - Brody Dalle
myspace.com/spinerettemusic
joanjett.com

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