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Jon Lajoie no longer wants to see your genitals. The comedian who is probably best known for his musical comedy videos and as Taco on FX’s The League, has just come out of the closet as a seriously serious musical madman. Under the moniker Wolfie’s Just Fine, Lajoie, has woven a whimsical and nostalgic album aptly titled ‘I Remembered but Then I Forgot.’ The debut project under his new name is set to drop via Normal Guy Records on April 8th and features the youthful and imaginative single “It’s a Job.”
LaJoie’s raw vocal ability mixed with his harmony-heavy melodies has created pure sonic goodness. GroundSounds recently caught up with the Montreal-born artist for an exclusive interview on his latest project, musical inspirations and more, check out the exclusive interview below.
Wow, we were not expecting this! From “Show Me Your Genitals” to now, the whimsical, nostalgic and youthful track “It’s a Job” …. what just happened? Where did this come from? Has this been your plan all along?
Ha! If it had been my plan all along, it’d be a WAY more interesting story. And a hilariously roundabout way to release an indie record! Unfortunately, the boring truth is that I’ve been writing and playing “serious” music since I was a teenager, and even once I became the “Jon Lajoie” that most people know (genitalia!), I never stopped playing and writing. I’ve wanted to put serious music out in the world for a while now, but I never really knew how to do it. I was worried, for obvious reasons (genitalia!), how people would respond to the switch. But last year, I was on a long drive, and I was listening back to one of the hundreds of song ideas I had recorded on my phone, and it hit me really hard that I needed to do this.
What made you decide on the moniker Wolfie’s Just Fine?
It may or may not be a quote from my favorite movie as a kid. For years after seeing that movie, if things weren’t going so well and someone asked me how I was doing, I’d answer “Wolfie’s just fine, honey.” I knew I couldn’t release this stuff as “Jon Lajoie,” that’d be too confusing, so when it came to giving the project a name, it was the only moniker that made sense to me.
Can you tell us about the creative and writing process involved with “It’s a Job?”
Most of my songs come out of hours of noodling around on my guitar and playing around with vocal melodies. When I hit something that I like, I pull out my phone and I record it (or sometimes, as in this case, my wife does). It’s my favorite thing to do in the world. After that, I take the ideas that I’m excited about, and I start playing around with them in my little home studio. This was actually the first song on the album that I made a demo for, so it has a special place in my heart. I spent the better part of a day locked in my studio figuring out the changes, layering harmonies, writing lyrics… It’s all a bit of a blur. I remember waking up the next morning feeling nervous about listening back to the previous day’s work. I told myself that if I didn’t like what I heard, I might have to reconsider this whole endeavor. I made myself some coffee, put my headphones on, and pressed play… and honestly got kind of teary. Good teary.
Your debut album ‘I Remembered but Then I Forgot’ drops April 8th, can you tell us about working on this project and bringing it to fruition?
The thing that became clear to me early on in the songwriting process, was that these songs had to be personal in a way that made me uncomfortable. I had to continually fight off my instincts to turn the whole thing into an Andy Kaufman-esque performance piece. I’m a pretty guarded dude, so the idea of writing something genuine, and personal was (and still is) the scariest thing in the world to me. A lot of the songs ended up being about my childhood, and how confusing, exciting, and often quite painful it was to navigate the world as one of nine children in a suburb of Montreal. Some of the songs ended up being from the point of view of supporting characters in movies that affected me as a child, but even those are just another way for me to talk about my own experiences.
In terms of the production, early on in the process I reached out to my producer friend Joe Corcoran, who had produced a couple of my more elaborate comedy songs (Christmas Text, Please Use This Song), and I asked him if he’d like to produce the album. From the work we had done in the past, I knew that we worked well together, and I trusted his instincts. He’s also a brilliant multi-instrumentalist, which came in real handy in the studio. We had long conversations about keeping the production simple, raw, and organic. So when It came to reaching out to mixers to mix the album, the only person that came to mind was Phil Ek. I’d been a fan of his for years (Built to Spill, Band of Horses, The Shins, Fleet Foxes…) and I never expected him say yes, but I figured I’d reach out to him just for the hell of it. He listened to some really shitty early demos, and to my surprise, signed on to mix the album.
What can fans expect to hear sonically on this project, can you tell us a little bit about the vibes and what you would like the listener to feel?
I always find it a little douchey when musicians describe their “sound,” but here goes nothing… Generally speaking, it’s alternative indie folk. What does that mean? Not sure, but it’s dark, a little sad, and sometimes a little overly dramatic. It’s melodic, moody, nostalgic, harmony heavy, folk-music. How am I doing? See?Super douchey. It’ll end up on your “indie chill” playlist. Or in your trash bin.
Can you tell us about the inspiration for your track “A New Beginning?”
This song is about my first experience watching a horror movie as a child. I was around eight, I think. I basically ended up seeing my first naked woman ever, and then my first murder all within a span of about thirty seconds. The song was a way for me to revisit that somewhat traumatic, terrifying moment that scarred my early consciousness.
What musicians/bands are you currently listening to and inspired by?
It’s hard to not say The Beatles, even though it’s the most generic thing to say, but fuck, they’re the Beatles. I don’t know why, but I’ve been playing “Mother Nature’s Son” on repeat these days. John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band was definitely something that was on heavy rotation while working on the album. The Kinks were referenced a lot, as were Neil Young, Bob Dylan, Donovan… I just got back into Cat Stevens and I realized how big of an influence he is on my songwriting style. Nirvana Unplugged in NY was also referenced quite a bit.
In terms of contemporary artists I’m listening to these days… Well, I just started listening to Lady Lamb’s latest album, I really like her. I’ve been listening to Damien Jurado, Sharon Van Etten, Tallest Man On Earth, Dry The River, Foxygen, Sufjan Stevens, Walter Martin, Sun Kil Moon, Bonnie Prince Billy…
What is your vision and ultimate goal for Normal Guy Records?
Right now Normal Guy Records is a way for me to maintain creative control and ownership over my music, and put it out into the world on my own terms. I’m not sure if it’s ever going to be much more than that. I’m a terrible multi-tasker, but maybe one day it’ll be a way for me to help other artists put their music out into the world without them having to hand over their souls in the process. Or maybe it’ll be a great way for me to acquire the souls of young artists who are looking for a break. Either way, sounds like a lot of work, so I’ll just stick to releasing my own shit for now.
Sorry, we have to ask, what did you remember but then forget?
Not sure, I remembered, but then I forgot. (Nailed it. Still got it.)
After the album drops what’s next? What can fans look forward to? Any plans for a tour?
I’m rehearsing a band as we speak. I’ll be announcing dates in the near future. Check the website for updates!
