Jeremy and Kim on the Gloom, Group Mellow, and Cooking

Jeremy Freeze, a man whose band has taken very few pictures

Jerusalem and the Starbaskets are awesome za za zeee we talked with songwriter Jeremy Freeze and drummer Kim Sherman about za za zoo

Listen to JATSB on our compilation.

W & A: So you put out a record on Foxglove. Any recordings in the works?

J.F: That was darkbasket, the gloom, being trapped in winter and trying to sound it out. Kim and I are working on a full length and it's still in the recording phase. We have a split record with a band who are a part of the kuu sect. They are called skarekrau radio.

Kim mentioned you might be on tour this fall. What's the status with that, and who's it with?

J.F: The status is that we are playing shows in the midwest during the last part of october. Our buddies Warhammer 48k are taking us on the first part of their tour.

How long have you guys been a band? How did it get started and how'd everyone meet and come to join?

J.F: Since 1998 we've been doin it. Kim started to play drums with me in 2004. we made a fort and slept in it
then i asked her to play the drums with me.

How's life in Columbia? How do you feel about the music scene there?

J.F: Life in columbia works out ok. There are movements in the music scene depending on who's in town and what new combonation of folks can be put together. This summer, Cave have been takin people's braintickets at the door. And they're just doin it for the summer. new bands are constantly startin up all over the world and Columbia is no exception. fresh.
K.S : Life in columbia is transient so that allows one the access to an everchanging choice of people to play music with.

When I heard you play at KCOU, you said one of yer songs was about keeping your mellow, but then I couldn't hear the lyrics. Do you remember what song that was? If so, what were the lyrics?

J.F: That was a song called "everybody's dig accounted for." It's about group mellow. People attach difficulty to taking care of each other, at least in my life, and it's so easy. "free with werewolve love/free on werewolve shore/with everyone in sight/ everybody's dig accounted for"

How do J & the SBs songs come together? Do you write them first or are they cooked up when everyone's there?

K.S: Ijust follow Jeremy's lead. He writes the lyrics and melody and Ifill in the percussion. Sometimes the tempo changes from what was originally written, but for the most part the songs are Jeremy's. He is the hinge that brings the Starbaskets together.
J.F: Anumber of songs that I've played by myself and into a 4-track never had drums as a part of them until Kim put them there. So she becomes as much of the song as Iam. We never cook anything upwhile we are playing music. We prepare foods before we play any music.

Is there anywhere folks can hear your mp3s online?

K.S: Catjams have songs on it's website.
J.F: Yeah, those are songs that Idid by myself without any Kim. On our bullshit myspace profile you can hear some songs where we are both involved.

Where would you like to be in a year?

K.S: Musically, Iwould like to be touring for months at a time. Ilike that this band is open to a rotating configuration so we can keep meeting and playing music with people we come across.
J.F: Ireally haven't been dreaming that much lately and Ifeel left out. I just found out that Robert Moog died this week. We tried to go see him in March when we were in Ashville but his shop was closed on weekends. I hope his recipes are safe.

What music/recordings are you into or influenced by currently?

J.F: Music is a small part of what influences my expression. My influences are currently the Stephens College Library, my inherited 10-speed, Kim's Jane Fonda circa Klute hairdo, Sam Peckinpah, Truman Capote, and Chris cooking up badass food for us. The listenings that have been blowing my mind are this list: Cave, Warhammer 48k, the Golden Oaks, Peter Grudzein, Neil Young x 10, Sean doing anything on his synth horse, tapes of old computer programs, the music in the movie Rockers which makes me think of how popol vuh makes me feel so warm inside and inbrain. Tons of shit, dude.

What other projects are members of the band involved with (music or other arts)?

J.F: Chris and I and some summer vacationers worked really hard on a band called the dub show but never got to present it to the class but it was fun puttin it together. I told Chris,"Whenever God closes a door, somewhere he opens a window."

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