The Intake Form is Flavorwire’s questionnaire feature spotlighting emerging musicians worth your time, paired with a premiere. Here, we premiere Jessie Jones’ new song “Lady La De Da,” off the SoCal singer’s self-titled solo debut for Burger Records, out July 24.
Just a couple years ago, Jessie Jones was fronting Feeding People, the Orange County band that deftly navigated the void between psych and garage rock. How she ended up there and where she’d go next were the stuff of myths: whereas before she’d traded evangelical Christianity for music, by 2013 she’d hit the eject button on the rock ‘n’ roll world for some sort of cosmic soul journey through the “nothingness of farm country.”
Clearly she came back, but not an unchanged woman. This shows on her impressive self-titled debut, a diverse and huge-sounding collection of jangly pysch-pop and mystical acid-blues in the California tradition. Just like in Feeding People, Jones’ Grace-Slick-kicked-up-an-octave voice is the best part, though a coiling sitar proves to be stiff competition for the spotlight on “Lady La De Da.” Below, Flavorwire is pleased to premiere the entrancing song, which begins a little like The Doors’ “The End” and finds Jones moaning to the gods about wish fulfillment. Read on for her missives about Zappa, Lennon, Big Foot, and cults (and if you haven’t already, also listen to Jones’ “Sugar Coated,” a blissed-out highlight we’ve had on repeat around these parts so far this summer.)
Whose career would you most like to have? I would most like to have Frank Zappa’s career because he made music so individual and abstract without caring how it sounded to others. He never got hung up on the rock ’n’ roll scene, and his creativity seems to be endless. He was always changing and pushing the boundaries of music. I like his sense of humor.
Preferred way to die? Euthanasia after riding a roller coaster while watching the sunset.
Song you most wish you’d written: “Baby” by Os Mutantes. Just because every time I hear this song I get goose bumps and butterflies in my stomach.
If you didn’t play music what would you do? Join a cult and play music. Most likely somewhere in New Mexico. Where I would live in an Earthship community.
A fictional character you personally relate to: Charlie Brown. Ever since I was little, I was obsessed with him. I thought he was real. Pretty much how I feel about life, always feeling like a romantic blockhead.
Your personal philosophy: Love yourself and speak your truth. I believe in individualism, I’m not anything but who I am is only something I live with.
Something that makes you laugh without fail: When parents put kids on leashes like they’re out of control. I think kids are smarter and have a better nature than us adults, it’s absurd.
Are you a John, Paul, George, or Ringo? John definitely. He is my favorite singer and songwriter. I think he felt more, said more, and experienced more depth artistically. I don’t want to choose, actually, but if I have to, he’s the man.
Place you most want to visit that you’ve ever been to: Hawaii. I want to see a volcano, go surfing, and shaka out forever. Imagine a beach rainbow, or eating pineapple in the rain. Every good thing in life is 100 times better there.
Decorative item in your house your most unsure of: Big Foot painting. Won’t go into full detail, but there was a time when I was camping in Oregon and heard very strange, inhuman screams. It occurred more than once, consecutively throughout the month, and I know no one except the people who were with me will believe me, but it’s real. So the painting is like an unhealthy reminder of that. So scary.