Jarboe : The John Robb interview

Jarboe : The John Robb interview
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Jarboe was once a core member of New York band Swans - she talks about here time in the legendary band, her life, her art, her relationships, her motivations and her current music.
00:00 living in Atlanta
01:30 growing up
01:46 New Orleans voodoo
05:00 New Orleans very European
05:43 parents in the FBI what were they like
11:43 the art of her art and her voice different voices
15:00 Neurosis
20:00 Swans early days in New York the bunker
26:00 living in the Chelsea Hotel pre Swans
28:10 father encouraged Jarboe to play music
35:54 Tibetan Buddhism
39:40 mantra nature of early swans music
41:07 when and how di pop culture come into your life
47:00 industrial music
49:00 intense culture weightlifting, boxing and the art of body sculpture and body modification
52:00 first tour with Swans as roadie straight edge
57:30 first meeting with Swans
59:20 the bunker
62:00 early Swans tour Roli tension with Michale playing to audiences of one
01:04:00 working with Michael auditing for Swans
01:06:00 extreme performances
01:09:30 relationship with Michael affect roll in band
01:10:00 dealing with the intensity of Michael Gira
01:14:00 the make females dynamic changed swans
01:19:00 creative process
01:21:00 the art of collaboration - what Michael Gira pulled out of Jarboe and what Jarboe pulled out of Michael Gira
01:22:00 I told him to sing as an experiment and it sounded incredible
01:24:30 how she uses her voice in many different ways from hare Krishna style vocal to singing a a flute to singing ass a small child
01:29:00 the end of Swans…last tour and tension
01:37:00 the tensions and being told to change the name
01:38:00 thoughts on Swan reformation ‘I cried -very painful to watch’
01:40:00 apart from the track I ang on The Seer I can’t listen to it too painful
01:41:00 he amazing diverse post Swans career

[@ImaginalComponent]

i could listen to her speak forever. she's a criminally underrated universal treasure.

[@rodrigosoto8693]

underrated by who??

[@ColombianThunder]

​@@rodrigosoto8693literally everyone else. She's amazing, but let's not kid ourselves here, most people simply wouldn't give her music a chance sadly. This was also the case with a lot of early Swans too.

[@TaraVanflower]

I adore Jarboe. I saw Swans play after the Great Annihilator came out and her presence was equal to his... she was intimidating and raw power and was a huge inspiration to me. She is an incredible human and artist.

[@rodrigosoto8693]

jarboe I love you for a thousand year

[@surina09]

Nothing compares to what she does

[@def0rm0]

I just discovered her in 2022. I was walking in the woods and was thinking how great her sound was. I also thought she was a newer artist until I saw that the album was from 1995. She's truly a gifted special individual. ❤️

[@ninorey76]

Sí, con Swans tiene discos editados en la década de los 80s

[@vincent2053]

Be careful out there haha

[@MonstersMaster]

What is amazing is the number of records that she released on her own, mostly good material, never repeating herself and beyond any commercial consideration. For me, she is the equal of Nina Hagen or PJ Harvey in terms of creativity, voice and some kind of darkness. And of course, Swans without Jarboe can't really fly ... She was the muse like Nico for the VU, for NYC comparers.

[@marypatriciadomhan3853]

Her description of New York in the 80s is so vivid and incisive. I hate the way the place has been glorified by some people There was nothing glorified about it. It was in a shambles and it looked like the ruins in Beirut. It was a city deserted by officials and run on corruption. Good for her for surviving it and maintaining her stance as an artist. Jarboe has an amazing voice!

[@John_F898]

She sings a good cover of Can’t Find my Way Home on the Burning World

[@youtubeuserdan4017]

Dude you look like a present-day Swans member yourself (and that's a compliment).

[@fucksampleclearance2106]

absolutely eloquent, highly well spoken. just a beautiful person and being.

[@owlytimbre9103]

Yum yab killers... I despise comment section ghetto hyperbole. But. In 40 years it stands as one of the seminal female post punk performances. I would challenge anyone to find one more absolutely savage. IMHO she's a historic figure. Jarboe XOXO

[@MrOranj]

Love her.

[@kathrynmcnerney6490]

I have fallen in love with Rob and so happy to hear a in depth interview with Jarboe❤. Great interview.

[@Plastiquesmile01]

Great interview John and quite rare to have one, cheers!

[@JOHNROBBofficial]

Really fascinating isn’t she - and still really creative - glad we got this done!

[@urrrccckostan]

Wow, I was at that Roxy show in ‘97. It’s wild to hear the backstage story! Lovely interview!!!

[@jasonegeland1446]

Nice interview. I'm still a giant Swans fan. Were you in Subway Sect? Love your interviews! You interview a lot of bands/musicians I've been into for a long time! Cheers!

[@briancanepa1196]

Great interview. Regretfully I only saw Jarboe once in San Francisco during the Swans is Dead Tour. She only sang one song... but it was the highlight of the night, I have tried to purchase her releases as they have come out because I think she is important.

[@guy_denning]

Excellent interview. I saw Swans last two gigs at Astoria. Puts another perspective on what I saw and heard!

[@damando6631]

I would give my life to have seen that performance

[@sabinesixsixsix]

I want to be friends with her

[@projectundone1]

Thank you for this real beauty

[@HouseOfVoid]

The Living Jarboe // Thee Eternal Goddess.

[@matthewoakes4334]

Are these interviews available as podcasts?

[@smac3794]

really glad this exists and jarboes intelligence shines through the banality of johns babble.

[@saraivatoledo1842]

Jarboe should had gone easy on the acid during the " Children of God " era ... now she can´t manage the " drink - the - koolaid " presence in her life :-) . Great live act ,btw .

[@owlytimbre9103]

U lost me

[@saraivatoledo1842]

@@owlytimbre9103 She´s too lucid ! * sings out loud : " Lucid sky with diamonds !!!!!!!! " , mate ... * " Huuuush , wait, wait up brethren ! What is that sudden smell , bruv ?" . " I reckon sth just started cringing nearby ... let me check ... " * 4th edit or sth : you might have got lost in the " Great live act , btw " part of the text , if that is the case , I´ve seen Jarboe more than once , one of the times she even had Paz Lenchantin on bass and violin ( if memory serves ) ... what a great , great gig that one was , it ended with Jarboe blessing us with a pretty riveting version of " Mother/Father " ( " Dedicated to Michael " ( as she announced it ) . She´s just a little skinny girl but beneath all that there is an extremely strong individual ... at least that is the impression I got when I briefly met her at some pub over a decade ago now . What does this have to do with anything , one might ask ? NOTHING ! Peace !

[@owlytimbre9103]

Lmao is the drink the kool aid presence in er life Gira

[@saraivatoledo1842]

@@owlytimbre9103 Was referring more to brainwashing and adopting a " normal " life style , you know , 9 to 5 bs like me , day in day out ( actually , I´m so used to be a dumb slave that I´m unemployed atm and it´s actually doing my head in , specially the socializing side of it all . )

[@owlytimbre9103]

@@saraivatoledo1842 Yeah, man. I'm in my fifties and I'm still so abnormal I didn't even notice lockdown m'head was already "done in". U snd British, yea?