 Tara Jane O'Neil:
Peregrine Soaring
Interview by Amy Schroeder
You should know Tara
Jane O'Neil as one of the most
accomplished women in independent rock -- namely,
for her work in Rodan, Retsin and The Sonora
Pine. You should also know her as Tara Jane
O'Neil of, well, Tara Jane O'Neil.
On her first
solo release, Peregrine, on Quarterstick
Records, TJ defines herself once again as a
multi-instrumentalist, playing just about
everything on the 10-song record, including
guitar, bass, keyboards, banjo and piano.
Although she made a commitment last summer to her
New York apartment to concentrate on Peregrine's
craftwork, the sound is decidedly less structured
compared to her previous band work. This is a
good thing -- it was her plan all along to show
up at Brooklyn's Rare Book Room recording studio
with quite a few things unplanned, leaving her
spontaneity and blank-filling intuition to do the
rest of the work. But like I said earlier, O'Neil
played just about everything on the album, which
means she owes a bit of the improvisational
success to the help of her friends, including
Ida's Dan Littleton on guitar and The Hall of
Fame Band's Samara Lubelski on violin. The
results? Subtle-yet-powerful poetic non-rock
ballads with an emphasis on guitar weavings and
melodica.
What inspired
you to do a solo album?
It was time.
Did you enjoy
the challenge of learning how to use recording
machines?
Yes, it equals
freedom.
What were the
major differences between recording Peregrine
and previous records?
I did it in my
apartment, at my own pace, which allowed for
experimentation and revision. I sat with the
stuff as it evolved and made my own decisions
about where it should go next.
In your press
release it says: "On Peregrine,
Tara followed through on her own notions only and
that is something entirely different than she had
been used to. Tara played most everything on the
album including guitar, bass, piano, thumb-piano,
balalaika and banjo but left some things to
chance. She left many musical questions
unanswered until the day was set to record the
parts. It was almost like improvising with the
other parts of herself." Do you prefer this
style/method of song-writing?
I enjoy it, and
I usually do write songs with many different
parts and sounds. I'll do it again, but I also
love collaborating with other people and want
some more of that.
What is/are
your favorite instruments?
I really wish I
could play the bass clarinet, but I'm not good
with wind instruments. I like the instruments I
play. Any instrument is good for something.
How will it
be challenging when you tour -- since you'll have
to figure out who will play what and on what
songs?
I have to teach
the people the songs and change arrangements for
the trio that will be the band. That's a lot of
work, but it's also like giving the stuff new
life -- like I'm covering it or something. I'm
taking it slowly and trusting in Miggie, and Noel
and myself.
How do you
think your solo album is different or similar to
your previous work say in Rodan, Retsin or The
Sonora Pine?
Well, it isn't a
rock record; it isn't totally upsetting. I'm
harmonizing with myself. It is me -- the way I
sing, the notes I hear.
How would you
describe Peregrine?
I don't know;
it's quiet; I like it.
Who did the
cover art for Peregrine?
I did it.
If there's
one thing that you'd like people to know about
you and your work or this solo album -- that fans
wouldn't know unless you told them -- what would
it be?
I want to play
fuzz bass in a psychedelic rock band.
Do you plan
to continue to record as a solo artist?
Yes.
Do you have
plans to record with Retsin soon?
Yes, we're gonna
work on a new record this year.
Other bands?
I sure hope so.
I read about
Retsin somewhere that you and Cynthia Nelson used
to "sleep and breathe music. Twelve hours a
day, 7 days a week -- out of bed and straight to
the guitar." Is this how it is for you
still?
Now that we live
in New York City, a lot of time is wasted on
getting around, doing jobs, things I don't even
realize I do, but they take my time anyway. It's
a real pain in the ass to live here, but we do
work on the music and the art and the poetry when
we're not occupied with other bullshit. This is
something I regret. In Louisville, things move
more slowly, so there was more uninterrupted time
to work through projects.
How'd you get
started in music? Have you always been involved?
I haven't always
been ivolved, but I have always been interested.
I started by figuring out songs on the guitar,
then quietly writing my own, and then I ended up
in a hard-rock band (Rodan).
At what age
did you realize that music is what you wanted to
do with your life?
Probably around
17. I moved out of my folks' house and quit
showing up at school so that I could play my
guitar. I didn't really -- and probably still
don't -- understand the concept of doing
something "with" my life. It's what I
do in my life.
Were you
encouraged to make music when you were growing
up?
I was given
violin and piano lessons -- neither lasted more
than a year or two, and I really don't remember
any of it. I guess my folks were supportive of
anything that made me happy, if not money, but
they didn't point me in the direction of this
whole thing, and I wonder how they feel about it.
What were
your favorite bands to work in and why?
They were all
pretty different and served different purposes. I
definitely needed them all.
Is music your
full-time job?
It's labor
intensive, and I spend most of my days working on
it somehow, but it certainly isn't a job. I don't
think I would want to think of it that way --
then it would become like any job you had to show
up for. I do it because that's what I do. I make
money in various ways: painting, janitorial
duties, film work, etc. I guess I really don't
want a job -- just some tasks that make me money
-- and time to spend on my projects.
How did you
come up with the title Peregrine
for the album?
My friend Greta
gave me a book, the first book about babies all
over the world. One of the babies' names was Peregrine.
I thought it was beautiful and I did the research
on the name, which means "having a tendency
to wander." Even though I've been in New
York for two years, I still consider myself to
possess a migratory spirit.
Did you go to
college?
For three
semesters.
If so where
and what'd you study?
University of
Louisville; confusion and heartache.
Where do you
consider yourself to be from?
I was born in
Chicago, and I moved around a lot as a kid, but I
feel like I'm from Louisville.
Who are/have
been the most inspiring people to your music?
Oh god, I
wouldn't know where to start -- mostly people who
do their thing with persistence and fearlessness
despite peers and lack of cash. Also, Joni
Mitchell.
What are you
favorite 10 songs of all time?
Impossible. All
year I've been really into a song called
"Aguas de Marco (Waters of March)" by
A.C. Jobim and Elis Regina. I think that song
about the midway by Joni Mitchell is perfect.
"Some Weird Sin" by Iggy Pop is a good
song. "The Rue of Ruby Whores" by
Michael Hurley is beautiful. I don't know.
* * * * *
Amy Schroeder is
the publisher of Venus, a new
maga-fanzine about women in music. The February
2000 issue contains interviews with Cibo Matto,
Le Tigre, Jen Wood, Danielle Howle, Hanin Elias
of Atari Teenage Riot and many others. Order for
$3. Send e-mail to Venusmag@aol.com.
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