{"id":22424,"date":"2024-01-11T20:49:27","date_gmt":"2024-01-11T20:49:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/?p=22424"},"modified":"2024-01-11T20:49:28","modified_gmt":"2024-01-11T20:49:28","slug":"jeff-aug-kiss-of-the-liquid-discussion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/skylight.gr\/index.php\/2024\/01\/11\/jeff-aug-kiss-of-the-liquid-discussion\/","title":{"rendered":"Jeff Aug – Kiss of the Liquid Discussion"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

1.Congratulations on your upcoming solo album, “Kiss of the Liquid Moon.” Can you give us a glimpse into the inspiration and creative process behind this album, especially considering it’s your 9th acoustic instrumental release?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JEFF:\u00a0 The inspiration came from the European tour in Feb \/ Mar 2023 \u2026 the first 2 weeks I was headlining dates in Germany; the last 5 weeks were as support for Scott Henderson.\u00a0 The tour went really well.\u00a0 Scott mentioned he was releasing an album for the next tour in 2024 and since I was going out with him again in 2024, I figured, I should get a new album out there as well.\u00a0 I had been recording on and off with Murat over the last few years and added a few more tracks to give the album a wider spectrum.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The album is described as a cross-section of your solo acoustic instrumental fingerstyle guitar playing from the past few years. How do you approach selecting pieces for an album like this, and what criteria do you use to determine which compositions make the final cut?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JEFF:\u00a0 The pieces need to be good from the perspective of composition, arrangement, and performance.\u00a0 There were a few which didn\u00b4t make the cut.\u00a0 Murat and I have also been working on a duo album over the last few years and some of the pieces we recorded will appear on that album when it\u00b4s released (hopefully in 2025).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. With a mix of live-performed and studio-recorded pieces, can you share how the recording environment, particularly Murat Parlak’s Living Room Studios in Germany, contributed to shaping the overall sound and mood of the album?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JEFF:\u00a0 Most of the time, it\u00b4s me in front of a microphone staring at the back of Murat\u00b4s head.\u00a0 We break for lunch, which is usually pasta and salad (great stuff!) and continue later on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Murat Parlak is featured on many tracks, and you’ve also collaborated with other special guests. How did these collaborations come about, and how did they influence the sonic landscape of the album?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JEFF:\u00a0 All the pieces started with the guitar and the other instruments were added later.\u00a0 Murat is a maestro.\u00a0 His sense of arrangement, performance, composition, and instrument choice demonstrates his palette of genius.\u00a0 The melody lines from the other instruments (\u201eMatilda\u00b4s Lullabye,\u201c \u201eBaritone Butterfly\u201c) were inspired by the initial guitar recording.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Having just wrapped up a major European tour with Anne Clark, how does the experience of touring with such an iconic figure inform or influence your approach to recording and releasing your solo work?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JEFF:\u00a0 It goes hand-in-hand\u2026 I came to Europe as a solo acoustic instrumental fingerstyle guitarist.\u00a0 I met Anne through a colleague who sent her one of my cds and she happened to really dig it.\u00a0 That was 22 years ago and we still perform and record together.\u00a0 With Anne, I play the instrumental fingerstyle, but also many pieces with a pick.\u00a0 There was a phase where most of the show was played on electric guitar.\u00a0 For the Anne Clark album The Smallest Acts of Kindness, half of the tracks were initially solo acoustic instrumental fingerstyle guitar pieces which were expanded with Anne\u00b4s vocal performances and the other instrumentals of the ensemble finding their way through the pieces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Following the album release, you’re set to tour with the legendary fusion guitarist Scott Henderson. Can you tell us about the anticipation and excitement surrounding this collaboration, and how it fits into the broader trajectory of your musical journey?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JEFF:\u00a0 This will be my 2nd full on tour with Scott.\u00a0 He\u00b4s a blast, as well as his girlfriend Lena and drummer Archibald and bassist Romain.\u00a0 We got on well.\u00a0 It seemed only natural that I would be heading out with them for this next tour.\u00a0 There will be some cities I have never hit such as Malm\u00f6, Goteborg, Oslo, Sala, Stockholm, Espoo, and Vilinius.\u00a0 I have been to most all of the other locations and\/or cities over the years.\u00a0 Vilnius, Lithuania comes with much anticipation.\u00a0 Not only is it my last show on the tour, but the \u201eAug\u201c family comes from Vilinius.\u00a0 We left Vilnius in 1889.\u00a0 I will be the first \u201eAug\u201c to return to Vilnius in over 135 years.\u00a0 It\u00b4ll be my first performance in Lithuania.\u00a0 It will also be my last show on the Scott Henderson Tour, so I hope we at least get some good press out of it!\u00a0 \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n\n\n\n

7. Your instrumental rock band, Ape Shifter, is also part of your upcoming festival performances. How does playing with a band differ from your solo work, and how do these two aspects of your musical career complement each other?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JEFF:\u00a0 Yes, the solo stuff and Ape Shifter are apples and oranges.\u00a0 While Ape Shifter is instrumental, I hardly play any fingerstyle in the band.\u00a0 With the solo stuff, I never have a pick in my hand.\u00a0 Ape Shifter is loud, heavy, distorted, and aggressive.\u00a0\u00a0 The solo material, for the most part, is a much lighter mood, more methodical, meditative, and uses no effects (except for one song in the show where I use a panning delay).\u00a0 My first guitar was an electric guitar.\u00a0 I learned Hendrix, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Rush.\u00a0 Later on, I was introduced to the acoustic guitar and discovered The Grateful Dead, Pierre Bensusan, and The Dixie Dregs\u2026 So, the two worlds crossover, but also have great distance from one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

8. With a European tour headlining in September and October 2024, what can fans expect from your live performances? Are there any specific elements or surprises you plan to incorporate into these shows?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JEFF:\u00a0 Elements; it\u00b4s solo & instrumental.\u00a0 Come with an open mind an expect seating.\u00a0 It\u00b4s a comfortable and meditative environment.\u00a0 Some of the music is challenging, but all of it is enjoyable and you can breathe.\u00a0 Yes, there is\/are surprise(s), but I don\u00b4t give those away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

9. The album includes purely solo pieces. How does the experience of playing and recording these solo compositions compare to collaborative efforts, and do you have a preference between the two?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JEFF:\u00a0 Collaborative pieces are a LOT easier and less stressful to record.\u00a0 The solo pieces are the most challenging because they are solo\u2026. No overdubs, no punch-ins, no editing.\u00a0 I spent a few weeks practicing “Fuck The Neighbors\u201c to make sure I got it right.\u00a0 I had been playing the piece since 2016, but it wasn\u00b4t until this past Summer when I was rehearsing that I took a close look at what part I played with which finger(s).\u00a0 It made a difference and NOW I know how to play it right.\u00a0 It only took 7 years\u2026 !!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

10. Looking ahead, are there any specific goals or aspirations you have for your musical journey in the coming years, and are there any hints or details you can share about future projects or collaborations that your fans can look forward to?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

JEFF:\u00a0 Murat Parlak and I have been working on our truly collaborative album.\u00a0 I hope it gets released in 2025.\u00a0 The material is incredible.\u00a0 I absolutely love it and love what Murat does with it.\u00a0 It will be a quartet, most likely, and a tour will follow.\u00a0 Additionally, I am putting together material for my rockin\u00b4 acoustic country Blues album which will \u2013 hopefully \u2013 be recorded later this year.\u00a0 We are just waiting for Hans \u201eHarmonica\u201c Penzoldt to recover from his jaw operation so that he can lay down with us.\u00a0 It\u00b4ll be Murat on piano, Hans on harp, Chris Lakriz on upright, a drummer, and quite possibly my son Oskar on a few tracks.\u00a0 He plays guitar and is turning into a monster on it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ape Shifter is taking a bit of break, but we have a festival or two lined up for the Summer and dates in the Fall.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other than that, I want to record more solo pieces.\u00a0 This new album has given me something to reflect on and I think I know where this is going.\u00a0 It\u00b4s time to sit on the couch with the guitar on my knees and meditate on those notes, rhythmns, and melodies the fingers and mind want to play because the sound is the best sound I have ever experienced in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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