BRAKING FREE
Splitting post-hardcore legends At the Drive-In at the height of their fame took some guts but fi ercely independent former ATDI frontman Jim Ward insists that he is relishing having more control over his life. “There’s nothing wrong with making your own destiny”, he tells BRAD BARRETT.
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any dream of making a living playing, writing, and touring music but the reality for those lucky ones that do is that, like most people, it all boils down to being able to make enough money to live, let along live comfortably.
Jim Ward, ex-guitarist and vocalist of the seminal At the Drive-In, and
current frontman of Sparta and alternative country project Sleepercar, surprisingly rejects the idea of making music his occupation, at least in the usual sense. “I had a really massive breaking point where I said to myself, ‘I don’t wanna be part of your expectations’. I just wanna make songs and put them out when I want to. I don’t wanna have to do this to make a living!” Jim chats to Playmusic at The Annandale, a venue in a West Sydney suburb that has recently celebrated its 11th year of opening – despite recent calls for its closure from local residents. He’s playing the last show of his short solo tour here tonight, and it seems a suitable, independent venue to be discussing this. “I had this long conversation with a few friends about when you’ve lived in a major label world and then, coming out of it, there’s this day where you have to ask ‘am I ok going and getting a job?’, and I was like ‘What’s wrong with making your own destiny?’ Don’t be held hostage by the idea that you can’t go and do other things. We all came from a DIY scene and there’s nothing wrong with that.” It seems that Jim has a fair few friends who share a similar outlook. These
include the musicians who have played the Revival Tour, where musician Chuck Ragan chooses three other musicians to join him for a series of nights of collaborative and solo sets. Jim Ward joined the tour for its 2010 run. What’s notable about the tour is that, generally, the musicians tend to be from punk, hardcore or rock backgrounds. This year’s tour, for instance, included Dan Adriano from dark-pop-punkers Alkaline Trio, Dave Hause from The Loved Ones and Brian Fallon from The Gaslight Anthem. What is it that draws these heavier characters to the folk, country and acoustic style of confessional songwriting?
“If you go to outlaw country – which is kind of a silly name - like Waylon Jennings and, on the mainstream end, Johnny Cash, those are essentially punk rock bands. They were dudes who were like ‘I don’t wanna wear a suit, I just want to write these songs, go on tour and get f*cked up’. There’s a lawlessness that comes with that sort of music and the punk rock that I knew and loved and the energy and aesthetic of that fi ts really well.”
Having spent his youth playing guitar in bands in his hometown of El Paso, 54
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Texas, he formed At the Drive-In at the age of 17 with vocalist Cedric Bixler- Zavala, in 1993. “El Paso was desolate and there wasn’t a movement or a gang to be a part of. This was really before the Internet so we all found our own way. The bands that come from El Paso sound very unique because there’s no one there to control what they sound like.” With their popularity at its highest, the band split up in 2001 and Jim intended to spend time with his wife and go back to college. Coaxed back into music by his former bandmates, Tony Hajjar and Paul Hinojos, Ward formed Sparta, also writing country-tinged songs for another project, Sleepercar. He’s now released three EPs of solo material since 2007, compiled on the Xtra Mile compilation album Quiet In The Valley, On the Shores The End Begins. “It’s like fl ying without a safety cord,” he says, when asked about his solo stints. “It’s a little bit more intense, it’s a little bit more casual too. That being said, in Sleepercar/Sparta I feel like we’re building this crew of visual artists, poster artists, engineers, studio folks and bartenders, we’re all just bros. When I’m not around some of them it’s a little heartbreaking.” It’s a trial being parted from family and friends, especially when you have a
creative affi nity with them. But Jim holds up well, the gig later tonight proving he needs no accompaniment. The compilation of solo material he draws from showcases Jim’s distinctive voice and his honest lyricism makes his material sound very potent. Quizzed on what he’s up to in his beloved hometown of El Paso, Jim states that he recently invested in a couple of music local venues and has also founded a record label and website,
http://tembloroso.com/ , which enables him to help out local musicians.
“I said to myself, ‘I don’t wanna be part of your expectations’, I just wanna put my songs out when I want!”
“If you’re on Tembloroso, that means you’ve got my seal of approval. I want to push bands that I like and when people go on there they’ll know there will be bands of a certain level of quality.” This level of quality that he so often talks about even includes the mint grown in the back garden of the Hope & Anchor for mojitos, ensuring “no cars were driven to move it and no people were employed illegally or got hurt in the process”. But whatever we’re talking about, it all comes back to they key way to make your journey in life. “The greatest thing in the world is to earn your keep. Nobody needs to hand me things. I’m fi ne working. If earning your keep is being Chris Martin, then...well, he works harder than anyone I know. He writes a million songs, he busts his ass and he thinks about every last detail. It’s easy to look at people like that and think it’s all so easy, but he’ll push me to work harder,” he says, honestly. “He’s cut from the same cloth as Frank Turner and Chuck Ragan; people who work all day and have a vision and bust their ass. You have to.” “Guys like Chris Martin are at a point where they can stop this minute and
be fi ne forever. And the fact that they get up earlier and work harder, strictly for the craft of a song, that’s inspiring to me. I hope that I would do that if I was in their position,” he says, before breaking into a broad grin. “I have a feeling I might just go to the Bahamas and relax!” PM
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