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Death and Taxes Interview 2: Jeff Morris

This is the last and final interview with the members of Death and Taxes, in Part One we spoke with Mike Savitkas (bass) and now have the pleasure of speaking with Jeff Morris (guitar/vocals).

BKH: I'll omit the part where I blow smoke up your ass telling you how great the new CD is (for those who want my opinion please read the first interview). Simply, I think the CD is great, everyone I know who has taken the time to listen to it thinks it is great. How about you Jeff, are you proud of this CD? Where does it rank for you personally out of all the albums you've played on in the past?

Jeff Morris: Thanks, we’ve had some great feedback on this and we’re very encouraged by the way it’s being received so far. Haven’t seen a lot of reviews yet, but we’ve had some great comments from friends.

When we decided to make a recording we didn’t have any idea who would be releasing it, or whether we’d even be just releasing it ourselves. We had to pay for everything ourselves and we could have gone a couple different ways. We had the option of going local, maybe saving money and being comfortable with the surroundings or bucking up, spending real money and working with the best. We decided we didn’t want any regrets so we did the latter and contacted Jim Siegel at the Outpost. We went in there and came out with the best sounding recording possible and for that I am proud. People can decide whether they like the songwriting or the performances on their own merit, but the sound quality can’t be questioned. That was utmost in my mind when we decided to go with Jim.

Where does it rank? It’s a new chapter for me personally, the first time I’ve tried singing in a band. It’s also the first time I’ve been back in the Boston scene since I left the Bruisers in 1996, so it was never assumed that we’d be accepted. With ten years since being a part of the scene in the city I had no idea what to expect. Most of the people I knew aren’t around anymore, and the ones who are still around probably had no idea what to make of the new stuff when we started playing out. I guess what I’m saying is that, in my mind this was a completely new endeavor with no expectations other than to hopefully play some shows and not fall flat on our faces. The fact that we’ve managed to keep at it for a couple years now, record our own cd and release it on a bona fide label is all very gratifying and in all honesty it was never expected and will never be taken for granted.

This is the twentieth recording I’ve released since starting with the Bruisers in 1988 and I look at it as a new chapter. There have been musical and personal benchmarks for me over the years and this is right up there with most of them. I remember how great it felt when we released our first full length cd in 1993, “Cruisin’ for a Bruisin”. It was like we had finally legitimized ourselves, putting out a complete and full release to stake our claim to being a real band, capable of writing and recording something that will stand the test of time. I guess that’s how I feel about this new cd too, it feels good to know we were able to work hard, put in our time playing tons of shows, working out the new material over the course of months to see what works and what doesn’t and finally coming up with a solid release that will hopefully be the benchmark for us as a band to move forward for many years.

BKH: The songwriting is amazing. I have said it before and will say it again the lyrics are as deep and dark and full of meaning as anything done by Leonard Cohen or Nick Cave. Are you influenced by those songwriters or any songwriters in general?

Jeff: I’ve never heard Cohen, to be honest so I can’t say anything about him. My exposure to Nick Cave is limited to the “Murder Ballads” cd which is great, but I haven’t dug any deeper into his recordings.

Influences for me are probably less direct and more subtle or subconscious than pointing the finger at one songwriter and saying I want to be like that guy. I have always been a student of songwriting, I can find the good in almost anything. Some examples off the top of my head…70’s AM Gold like 10CC, Gordon Lightfoot and Gerry Rafferty who’s sense of melody and the ability to hook the listener in from the 1^st note is remarkable. The dark imagery and Morrison-esque vocal stylings of some of the first Joe Wood-era TSOL albums like “Change Today” and “Revenge” are some of my personal favorites. The Doors and Morrison with some of the most dynamic arrangements you’ll ever hear including some really heavy subjects in songs like “The End”, “Unknown Soldier” and even the dreamy beauty of songs like “Moonlight Drive”. The Jam with an intelligent take on the plight of the average man in songs like “Corner Shop” and “Smithers-Jones” and especially “To Be Someone” that links in perfectly with the incredibly powerful stories of the British working class ethos in stories such as “Keep The Aspidistra Flying” and “Coming up for Air” by Orwell which have influenced my writing since songs I wrote back in the late 80’s for the Bruisers. Dave Alvin has always struck me as one of the most capable of conveying human emotions in his writing without being syrupy or cliché. Tom Waits, with the way he uses his voice like an instrument to really infuse a song with feeling… Steve Earle, the way he speaks in the “everyman” voice, keeping things simple and never talking over a subject. Husker Du albums like “New Day Rising” where both Mould and Hart started dropping real heavy lyrics into intense music. Replacements and Westerberg were a big part of my teen years like most of us at this age. Paul’s ability to be ironic, intelligent and emotional while retaining his “cool-factor” has always intrigued me. I can remember summertime in the 70’s when I was in grade school, I’d be out in the yard blowing up army men in the dirt and my mother would have the stereo speakers facing out the window while she dug in her flower boxes. I’d fight epic battles to the soundtrack of Johnny Cash live at San Quentin, Freddy Fender, Jim Nabors, Marty Robbins “Gunfighter Ballads”, Glenn Campbell and more as the record player kept dropping one platter after the other from the pile she’d put on the multi-stacker in our old console machine. Driving in the back seat of my parents 1970’s Chevy Kingswood station wagon listening to The Carpenters, Linda Ronstadt, David Gates and Bread, America, Badfinger, Captain and Tenile, Elton John, Carole King, you name it… those put fingerprints on your brain (like it or not). So I guess my point is that it’s all a wash. I don’t pattern my songs after anything in particular. I am nothing more or less than a kid of the 70’s and 80’s and all the influences that come with it.

On this record the songs are all culled from notebooks I keep. Some of them are from older entries, like “Love Letters on Skin” and “Orange Line” which are both about the same girl I met in 1987 and who made a strong impression on me. Others like the title track are really about many people I’ve known. Each verse is a different person with the chorus tying it all together. I don’t do well when I try to sit down and write a song about a “topic” per se. I am only successful when I feel compelled to write something down, usually about something that has happened to me or someone close to me. So in that regard, most or all of what I write is autobiographical I guess. “Hold On” is one that may not be anyone’s favorite due to the fact that it’s a pretty laid back song musically, but for me it’s one of the most personal on the record. It’s the first song I’ve publicly released that was directly written for and about my relationship of 20 years with my incredibly patient, understanding and loyal wife, Jodi.

I remember when the last record I wrote for the Bruisers came out in ’96 (Up In Flames) I sat and looked at the lyrics insert in the cd packaging and thought “Wow, I really gave away too much on this one”. I realized then that I was baring so much, probably too much and giving anyone who cares to listen a 20:20 view into my inner workings, self doubts, needs and desires, prurient and otherwise. I regretted it for about 5 minutes before realizing that if I wasn’t completely honest in the lyrics I wrote that I wouldn’t be worth a damn as a songwriter. I swallowed my pride and my need to keep up appearances and just went with it, damn the torpedoes I guess… and that’s what I still try to do. Everything I write is for real, for better or worse. It might be too revealing, it might not even be interesting to anyone else other than me since it is so personal, but it’s what works for me.

BKH: Your songwriting is distinctley "adult" for lack of a better term. I just don't see a 20-something being able to write with such ethos; mainly due to lack of life experience. How is the band doing with the younger crowd? Have you played any all ages shows recently? How was the attendence?

Jeff: We’ve done a few all ages shows, and while we might not have the singalong choruses of some bands we’ve had a great time and sold a lot of cd’s to the younger kids so I guess there is your proof that they’re into it. We had a great night at the Roxy with Street Dogs, Darkbuster and Jason Bennett and sold more cd’s and shirts in one night than we normally do in 10 shows. We just played last weekend with Darkbuster and Far From Finished at another all ages show in Nashua,NH where the kids were crowd surfing to our set. That’s a first for us. So yeah, I would say it’s a work in progress but it’s going well so far.

I remember being a teenager and going to see the Circle Jerks at Brandeis one night. Moving Targets had just released “Burning in Water” and were opening the show. I had only seen their name on flyers to that point but was really taken in by their songs. They were intelligent, rocked hard and had great dynamics. I bought a cassette from Kenny after the show and have been a fan of theirs ever since. That example shows me that young kids can appreciate something different, even if they are at a show to see something they’re familiar with. I guess that’s the whole reason why bands like ours look to get on bills like these in the first place.

BKH: Because this story really blows me away, care to give the readers a little background into "Green River"?

Jeff: Yeah, that’s a song I’ve been trying to write for literally 20 years. I’ve probably said too much elsewhere about the people involved, and I don’t want to open them up to any more pain that I already have by getting into too much of the background, so I’ll just stick to the story of the song itself. Suffice it to say that the girl who is the subject of the story was close to me a long time ago. She had moved out west to Seattle in the late 80’s and we lost track of her. After about 6 months of using a private investigator her only living relative got the news that she had been raped, murdered and left exposed in the Green River. She was not a victim of the notorious “Green River Killer”, but her murderer has never been identified so I can’t say any more about who may or may not have done it.

When we found out what had happened to her I never even considered that it might be a suitable subject for a song, I thought it was too personal and tragic to cheapen by using it that way. But over time I wrote more and more in my own notebooks about her, about my imagined version of that night, of her choices and what could have led her to that ending. I kept going back to it, year after year and eventually realized that it might be alright if I tried to tell her story, to memorialize her I guess. I’m still not completely sure it’s appropriate, that maybe I’m just one more person taking advantage of her. I hope not, I really do.

BKH: There is a lot more to you than the music; you're a family man: husband, father, dog owner. It must be tough to balance music and a family, do you have any plans to tour with Death and Taxes should the right opportunity come along or are you at the stage in life where the music is for you and as long as you get to make it and play it you are happy?

Jeff: We’re at the point as a group where small, targeted tours are necessary and possible. We won’t be out on the road for long stretches of time because frankly we can’t afford it, but we can certainly do a week here or 10 days there.

BKH: Getting back to the music I still have a hard time connecting your Bruisers' guitar playing with the Death and Taxes playing - not that you weren't good with the Bruisers but you are now what I would term "great." When did the change happen or have you even noticed?

Jeff: Great is a strong word. If you look around just the small scene we’re in there is no shortage of what I think of as really talented guitarists. Some right off the top of my head… Chris DeBarge from The Curses and Lenny & The Piss Poor Boys, Steve Confront, JJ from Downbeat 5, Amy from Raging Teens and Darkbuster… I don’t mean to leave anyone out, I’m sure there are more. But those are some of my personal favorites that all take my head off when I see them play. I remember watching DeBarge go back and forth between pedal steel and Tele at a Middle East gig with Lenny and the Piss Poor Boys (RIP Jon) and just being amazed. I had never seen him in that context and was blown away. Same with Steve Confront, we played a really shitty show with them one night and at the end of the night it was garbage time. He gets on stage half in the bag and proceeds to play the most ripping version of Thin Lizzy’s “Cowboy Song” I’ve ever heard outside of the real thing. He nailed every note and I stood there crying in my beer because I couldn’t even begin to do what he did that night.

I am not a trained guitarist, I know what I know, but I’m very limited to basic rock and blues scales and my style has been called the “lobster claw” method by some friends of mine who actually realize that the pinky on your fret hand is also available and should be utilized from time to time. Thanks for your comments, though. I try to communicate the melody of the song in my playing, keep it raw and effective without wanking too much. When I can do that I’m happy with what I do.

BKH: I asked Mike this and I'll pose a similar question to you. I know you've used some of the Rondo gear and I bring this up because it proves the point that it is the player not the equipment. What is the first guitar you've owned, the favorite guitar you currently own and the favorite guitar you have ever owned (if different)?

Jeff: First was an Aria Pro II CS250, a Japanese bolt-on SG type guitar I bought in a music store in 1984. Since then I’ve done what most guitarists do, buy everything I can possibly afford and some I can’t. The one guitar I’ve owned the longest is my 1993 Gretsch 6120 re-issue that I’ve been using in bands since buying it. It’s not my main guitar these days, but it’s not going anywhere. These days the one guitar I use most in live shows is a Korean-made Hamer Echotone. It’s basically an ES-335 custom knockoff but I’ve put in some good Gibson P90 pickups and installed all new pots, switches and jack as well as a new master volume on the lower bout like the 6120 has and a Gibson-style vibrola. On the recording I used that guitar for leads with the Gretsch as one rhythm guitar and my 1989 Gibson Chet Atkins Country Gentleman as the other. The Gibson is a really great guitar in its own right, might be the best I own. You can hear that one most on “Green River”. I also have a late 80’s Greco Les Paul Custom made in Japan with new Seymour Duncan P90 replacements that I use on stage from time to time. The acoustic on “Green River” is a newer Martin D16 that is one of the best sounding/playing acoustics I’ve ever had my hands on. I recently bought a new D’Angelico New Yorker that is my “old man” guitar that I bought to force myself to learn new styles. We’ll see how that goes…

BKH: How is the CD selling, if you don't mind the question? Nationally the record companies are hurting, you took the approach of allowing fans to preview high quality cuts of your songs rather than letting them hear them in their entirety in a lower quality format. Where do you see the music industry going?

Jeff: It’s been a month since the cd was released and we’ve sold about 110 copies at shows. I know that Newbury Comics had to reorder already and we were up to #20 on Interpunk so I am encouraged. We have good distro with Koch out of NYC so it is in most stores. We’ve had emails from Japan, Thailand, South America, Europe and all over the states from people who have bought it, so it’s definitely getting good distro. We’ll see what happens, but so far so good.

BKH: It's 2008 - care to get political? Who are you predicting as nominees this election? Do you support any of the candidates? And what one issue that the nation faces currently is the deal breaker for you that align you with a candidate?

Politics and music are like whiskey and car keys.

BKH: The Unloved, are you having fun working with Mark Lind? I know in numerous interviews when the Ducky Boys were starting out he pointed to the Bruisers as a main influence, even joking that "No Getting Out" was made up of rejected Bruisers songs...how do you feel about his new album?

Jeff: Absolutely having a blast playing with Mark, Jay and Mike in the Unloved. I really enjoy being able to be a guitarist without having to step up and front the band. It’s a lot less stressful to be honest, and the new recordings we just made for the upcoming record are easily the best I’ve ever heard out of Mark. We just did a video yesterday for one song, “New Years Day Lament” which is a really personal song from Mark. It was fun making the video and I even got to punch Jay in the face a couple times. I wish it had been Mike instead, but you take what you can get, I guess. I think this recording and the songwriting on it are going to cement him as one of the most talented singer/songwriters around. He’s really broken out of just writing for the punk crowd and I can easily see these new songs on the radio, MTV, whatever. They’re THAT good. Can’t wait to release it and see what people think.

BKH: Thank you Jeff for taking the time to talk to us and for your candid responses to our questions. Is there anything you'd like to add? How about some show plugs?

Jeff: Thanks, Tony for the interview and for your positive comments on the new record. Anyone who might not have heard us yet can check out samples on our MySpace page and see our show schedule while you’re there at www.myspace.com/deathntaxesband