Interviews

#8 | Leigh Magar makes killer hats.

2010-08-17T12:57:00.004-04:00

If you like hats, you should make a visit to Magar Hatworks located at 57 Cannon Street. If you like dancing and tamborine breaks, you should meet Leigh Magar.

photo by Squire Fox

Questions created by Nick Jenkins.

H&P: When did you design your first article of clothing? Was it actually a hat?

LM: LATE 80'S,ACTUALLY QUILTLIKE PILLOWS AND CROWNS MADE FROM SCRAP MATERIALS FROM WORN,TORN OLD DRESSES AND I ALSO STARTED SEWING VOODOO DOLLS

MY HATS WERE BORN FROM SCULPTURE

H&P: If your life could be made into a movie, what actor would you get to play you?

LM: LOUISE BROOKS OR MAYBE I'M PLAYING HER...

H&P: What words of wisdom would you like to give to any young aspiring craftsmen/women who wish to pursue their own dreams of making a living from craftmaking?

LM: FOLLOW THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD

H&P: What facilities do you think could be beneficial to Charleston's arts and crafts community today?

LM: A LOCAL ARTISAN CO-OP OR ART CENTER AND GALLERY

H&P: How many different places have you lived and how long have you been in Charleston?

LM: PROVIDENCE,R.I.,MANHATTAN, LONG ISLAND, RALEIGH,CHARLESTON; 20 YEARS TOTAL

WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE IT WAS SUCH A RUSTIC PLACE, ALOT OF DILAPIDATED WOODEN SHACKS PAINTED BRIGHT COLORS; IT HAD AN OLD SOUL AURA; GHOSTLY. THEN HUGO CAME AND ALOT OF THE OLD CHARM WAS DESTROYED.

H&P: When did you and your husband first dream of moving your shop into the Cannon Street house?

LM: WHEN THE BIG WIGS BOUGHT THE BUILDING, WE SEARCHED FOR A SHOP BUT COULD NOT FIND ALOT WITH CHARM -ALOT OF OVERPRICED STALE SPACES. MY HUSBAND FIRST HAD THE VISION WHEN HE WAS VISITING SUGAR BAKESHOP,NEXTDOOR, THE HOUSE WAS AVAILABLE AND HAD SOME OF THE ORIGINAL 1825 BONES AND IT REMINDED ME OF THE BUSINESSES IN NEW ORLEANS; OUT OF OLD HOUSES. I LOVED THE IDEA OF A GARDEN AREA AND THE BIG POCHES- THAT ARE PERFECT FOR CLIENT TEA PARTIES.

H&P: What music accompanies you while you are building hats?

LM: EPIC QUESTION! MUSIC IS SUCH A HUGE PART OF MY LIFE BEING A PUNK ROCKER....

PRINCE,10,000 MANIACS,THE SMITHS (ANYTHING 80'S), SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS, VALAIDA, JOLLIE HOLLAND, SMOG, COCO ROSIE, JOANNA NEWSOME, SOUL REBELS BRASS BAND, NINA SIMONE (SHE WAS BORN NOT FAR FROM ME ), AND OF COURSE THE LATE GREAT VIC CHESTNUTT!

I ALSO LIKE TO TAKE DANCE AND TAMBOURINE BREAKS!

H&P: What books might you recommend for any younger designers/crafstman?

LM: ARTIST/DESIGNER BIOS. -LIVES THAT INSPIRE-ALT/ANDRE LEON TALLEY-SUCH A INSPIRATION- HE GREW UP IMPOVERISHED AND MADE HIS GLAMOROUS LIFE. FRIDA KAHLO, CAMILLE CLAUDEL, BEARDSLEY, COCTEAU, EDWARD GOREY, PHOTOGRAPHY IS SUCH A INSPIRATION: HAVANA, CUBA, BELLOCQ, JULIA MARGARET CAMARON, RICHARD SEXTON.... JUST GOT THE NEW DAVID LYNCH BOOK FOR MY HUSBANDS BIRTHDAY-CATCHING THE BIG FISH,LOTS OF DREAMY QUOTES AND LIFE RITUALS.

H&P: Your whole aesthetic seems to be very French, very 1920's, very classy. Could you talk about your personal designing inspirations?

LM: THAT 'S FUNNY YOU SAY THAT-GROWING UP IN A SMALL TOWN-THE STICKS -I ALWAYS HEARD THAT-I GUESS IT MADE ME MORE INTERESTED OR OBSESSED WITH THE UNIQUE AND UNUSUAL.

SO MANY INSPIRATIONS...

1920'S-ROARING 20'S -THE FIRST TIME WOMEN WERE ABLE TO FLAUNT IT-SMOKE,DRINK,DANCE AND WEAR SHORTER DRESSES. INSPIRED BY NITA&ZITA -HUNGARIAN 1920S EXOTIC DANCERS WHO LIVED IN NEW ORLEANS;THEY STITCHED ALL THEIR COSTUMES AND HEADDRESSES AND PAINTED THE WHOLE HOUSE RED&WHITE POLKA DOTS, (EVERY CREVICE EVEN THE FURNITURE) AND THE LORE IS: THAT WHEN THEY DIED GOBS OF MONEY WAS FOUND BURIED UNDER THEIR FLOOR BOARDS....

MAYBE I AM REINCARNATED AS ZITA?

EVERY COLLECTION (SPRING&FALL) HAS A INSPIRATION DEPENDING ON THE MOMENT),

I'M NOW WORKING ON FALL 2010 HATS BASED ON THE BAUHAUS MOVEMENT WHICH CELEBRATES THE WEB OF ART,DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE, CRAFT, AND WAS VERY AHEAD OF ITS TIME, SOME OF THEIR PHILOSOPHIES MIMIC TODAYS -LIKE YOGA AND BREATHING EXERCISES TO GET YOUR SPIRIT IN TUNE WITH YOUR CREATIVE MUSE.

I'M ALREADY LOOKING FORWARD TO DESIGNING SPRING-VERY INSPIRED BY NICK CAVE (-THE ARTIST IN CHICAGO) AND ALSO A 1950S DOCUMENTARY ABOUT HATIAN VOODOO....

H&P: Personal Mantra:

LM: LIFE IS A RED VELVET CAKE; BAKE IT AND EAT IT!

#7 - "Mr. Jenkins" welcomes Spring.

2010-03-20T10:32:00.006-04:00

Nick Jenkins welcomes Spring today by releasing 2 albums today titled "A is for Acoustic" & "E is for Electronic" under his musical moniker "Mr. Jenkins." Heartsandplugs had a little e-heart-to-heart session with Nick Jenkins on art, energy sources, and what is coming down the pipeline for 2010.

photo by Melinda Scharstein

These questions were created by Dan McCurry.

H&P: How do you do it? What is your source of power (be it nuclear, wind, solar, natural gas, coffee, etc.)?

NJ: My source of power is generally a cup of coffee and a kind word from our sponsors. Kidding. I do it with a little help from my friends. I believe in a great life force that guides and powers us all. I believe in "love".

Oh, and five magical rings containing the energies of earth, wind, fire, water, and... heart.

H&P: What has you excited about 2010?

NJ: I'm really excited about traveling this Spring/Summer. I've got some dates lined up at the Lincoln Center (NYC) and out of the country with a marching band that I play with, called Asphalt Orchestra. They're based in New York. I'm really just looking forward to being better at being me, as silly as that sounds. I look forward to working on a new calendar later this year for 2011. Look out. Wake up. Party on, Garth.

H&P: What is Mr. Jenkins?

NJ: Mr. Jenkins is human.

H&P: Mr. Jenkins just put out several releases in the past few months. What are they and where can they be found?

NJ: In the later part of 2009, I released a collection of 5 songs called "Cupboards" that sort of helped me break out of a long period of not writing/recording songs. I'm proud of what came out of it. More recently, on March 20th (the first day of Spring) I'll be releasing two new collections called "A is for Acoustics" and "E is for Electronics". They can be thought of as a double album, or the "A + E" of songs. As the titles suggest, one is more of an acoustic guitar driven record, while the other is more of an electronic/synthesizer/samples/soundtrack-based conglomerate. Both albums were written and recorded around the same time and are mostly instrumental, with the exception of a few "singing songs".

These, along with nearly all of my solo recordings to date can be found at: MrJenkins.BandCamp.com

I have plans to release alternate versions of a few selected tracks from the "A + E" albums, but with guest vocals and collaborations from some friends that I respect very much. That's all that I have to say about that for now.

H&P: How do you come up with songs? Where does a song usually start for you, where does the magic take place?

NJ: For me, a song can be born one of a few ways. Sometimes, after learning a valuable lesson that I don't want to forget will stick with me long enough for that to be the impetus for a simple chorus. Sometimes a song will just start with a melody that I feel conveys a certain feeling or mood and I'll write around that in mind. Other times, I'm just taking bits and pieces from poems or journals and fitting them together like a puzzle. Musically, ideas come to me more naturally on the guitar for some reason.

H&P: What have you forgotten lately?

NJ: I forgot how to spell conglomerate just a few moments ago. Luckily, my computer told me that I was wrong.

H&P: Artistically, what would you like to accomplish in your lifetime?

NJ: Artistically, I would really like to be as successfully articulate as, say, Bjork or Michel Gondry would be about their own work. I would definitely love to make a decent living from my artistic endeavors, but I would much rather be successful at knowing how to tell the story of my life... in my own words, sounds and pictures. I would also like to produce bodies of work (visually and musically) that take on their own sort of lives of their own, even after I'm gone. I'd like for my music to first touch me, and then others. I think that's fair, don't you?

H&P: Artistically, who/what are your biggest influences?

NJ: My family, growing up in Walterboro, Southern Gospel, 90's grunge, living in Charleston, traveling abroad, Bjork, Michel Gondry, Weezer's "Blue" album, Frog and Toad, my high school art teacher (Julia Waddell), Kurt Vonnegut writings, Charlie Rose interviews, my college percussion instructor (Quentin Baxter), the bands I play in, etc.

H&P: How did you get in to music in the first place? Does it run in the family? Do you think you chose music, or music chose, or that you all met somewhere in the middle?

NJ: Music and I met somewhere in the middle. I was not very good at sports. I started playing snare drum in a school band in 6th grade. I listened to what was on the radio, mostly. I eventually began playing bass guitar/percussion in my community church and choir. Weezer's Blue Album came and changed everything. I feel like I was very fortunate to come up in the household that I came up in. My parents were really hip and kind to share their albums with me.

H&P: Seen any good shows lately?

NJ: I just got back from a show in Columbia, SC (New Brookland Tavern). I saw David Bazan play with his band from Seattle and another touring band called Headlights. It rocked me so good.

- - - -

Mr. Jenkins on Myspace

Mr. Jenkins on Bandcamp

Nick Jenkins / Paper Jenkins (artist & musician)

#6, Something to Talk about with Dan McCurry

2010-03-01T11:53:00.004-05:00

Dan McCurry is the frontman for the Charleston-based indie-rock band Run Dan Run and also bides his time as a full-time private piano teacher. This month, Hearts and Plugs gets Dan to take a moment at talk about the world at large along with future plans for the band.

Photo by Anna Maria Vu

These questions were created by Nick Jenkins.

H&P: What are your upcoming plans for Run Dan Run?

DM: For 2010 the big plan is to put out a full-length album. It's been a long time coming and I think it's time that the people have something new to wrap their ears around (figuratively speaking). Perhaps the sessions will go well enough and there will be more than just a full-length, maybe a few EPs or B-sides or something to put out? I am thinking yes on that as well. Other than that, hopefully just back to playing more shows with a more defined sound. I am looking forward to RDR recording this summer and learning how to play together again as a loud rock band with myself sticking to keyboards. This was something we hadn't really tried before the past year.

H&P: What albums are you listening to right now?

DM: Via Audio's "Animalore" which is delightful. It seems to really pull on some older influences, primarily 70s/80s pop rock, whereas their last release,"Say Something" was more straight indie rock. Still, "Animalore" is unmistakably Via Audio and Via Audio is a good band because of this, because they can go a different direction without losing what makes them unique.

Laura Veirs, "July Flame." I am liking this album a lot. I love Laura Veirs. I am glad she can age and still write great music and grow musically at the same time without losing her charm. The album has her unique instrumentation and orchestration which I fell in love with in 2006 when I first heard her album "Year of Meteors." The songs subject matter-wise have moved on with her which is good, she isn't stuck trying to write the same songs she wrote 10 years ago.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, "It's Blitz!" I never really heard the Yeah Yeah Yeahs until picking up this record from a friend. I really like the sauciness that Karen O. can do. I also like how groovy the music is in generally, kinda like French Kicks. With some of the songs on it I am like "Okay. Why?" but others are just brilliant like "Soft Shock" & "Skeleton." Those 2 songs are my favorite. They have a lot of truth in them. They are simple and speak directly to my human heart.

H&P: What books are you currently reading that are influencing the way you're seeing the world right now?

DM: I just finished "Hot, Flat, & Crowded" by Thomas L. Friedman. I have always had somewhat of an enviro-heart but in the past year I have gotten in to several books on global warming, energy, food (such as Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food"), & the like and it has really opened me up more or rather led me down the path I was at the foot of this whole time. It's funny how there is so much out there that you won't know until you go get a book yourself and take time out on your own to read it. I doubt school (public education) will ever have anyone reading anything of this sort yet it is crucial that everyone is exposed to this as it talks about the world (the natural world and our relationship to it) we live in. This is real. Nancy Drew isn't going to solve our problems for us (well, atleast not anything of this magnitude). Sometimes it's the big problems that you can't see because they are just so big they are hard to notice, like being in a pitch black room. If you were born in this room, how would you begin to know any different? Anyhow, this book (and others like it) have had me changing my ways. I have been recycling pretty seriously now and thinking more and more about how I can use less energy. I have thrown out eating processed foods (except maybe ketchup) and have been buying more organic things lately. I pay attention to the packaging now as well. I just signed up for a CSA for the spring for the first time. I have also been shopping at thrift stores for about everything (wait, that isn't new, I've been doing that since high school).

H&P: If the choice were up to you, what band(s) would you go on tour with in a heart beat?

DM: My list (which I hope these bands do see and consider): Broken Social Scene, David Bazan, Pattern Is Movement, Via Audio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Blonde Redhead, Bon Iver, Cake, French Kicks, Death Cab for Cutie, Wilco, Andrew Bird, St. Vincent, My Brightest Diamond, The Decemberists, Feist, French Kicks, The Flaming Lips, Bjork, The Dears, & Deerhoof. Did I leave anyone out?

H&P: Could you talk a little bit about an album's "shelf life"?

DM: Hmm... shelf life. You know, I am not sure if that is getting longer or shorter these days. I suspect it is getting shorter. It seems like our culture is getting faster and more A.D.D. and getting and keeping someone's attention is just harder and harder these days. Pretty soon I think our songs will be limited to either 140 characters or 1 minute, whichever comes first. Yet the upside is that you can record music/an album and put it up and it is instantly available on the internet. So I guess there is a trade off. I recently wrote down (note to myself) that with every gain there seems to be some loss. Take the automobile for instance. Before people walked or rode a horse/animal to get from point A to point B on land. Both are strenuous and burned a lot of calories (assuming you had to travel more than from your front door to the mailbox). Now we have the automobile which allows us to travel great distances in a relatively short amount of time with great ease (and a cupholder for your Big Gulp). Of course, this is a great advance. The downside is that life has sped up consequently and we must now move at a faster pace, now there is hardly time for walking (and why walk when you can drive some place much quicker). Where exercise used to be something you did as a part of the daily chore of living, now we must go out of our way to use our bodies. Isn't that absurd? My other analogy is that "from every solution is born a new problem" which is probably mostly true. The world is getting faster and more complex. Our problem-solving is also creating more problems at an exponential rate. Crazy.

H&P: Who are two of your most influential songwriters of your lifetime? What insights have they given you into your own craft?

DM: Kevin Drew (Broken Social Scene) is for being able to do just about anything crazy and formerly taboo. David Bazan (Pedro the Lion, Headphones) for his critical angle and overall "tightness" of his lines. Benjamin Gibbard (Postal Service, Death Cab for Cutie) for his very involved/lengthy metaphors that open up like a note from your middle-school sweetheart. Markus Acher (The Notwist) for his very perfect little poetic nuggets, all you need to say in about 4-8 lines and no more. I believe all of these (and many other writers) have shown me what different directions you can take to generally describe the same thing (ultimately), that being the human condition (opposite of most radio pop in my opinion which talks about the Real-World/Reality-Television/MTV condition). I very much relate to these writers (subject matter-wise) most of the time and this gives me something to work off and gives me inspiration and encouragement at the same time. You just need a little backbone is all sometimes.

H&P: What is the most important part about playing in a band?

DM: The single most important part about playing in a band is money... lots of money. No, I think the most important part is just respecting each other and staying committed.

H&P: What is the hardest part about writing a song? What is the easiest part? What is the most satisfying part?

DM: The hardest part is usually getting started (for me). The longer I am away from it the harder it is to get back to it. Once I get a picture of what I want to do and one line pinned down as something to work off of, I am usually okay. From there it is just the time-consuming process of writing down as many lines and related ideas I can think of and then making lots of tedious decisions until I have something that feels closed (as in there aren't any loose ends/lines to tie up). The easiest part is probably giving it a title. I have never had a problem titling a song. It always seems obvious to me. The most satisfying part would be printing out the finished product and reading/singing it over and over again. At this point the joy I feel is probably close to what a mother feels when holding her newborn child.

H&P: Using 5 of your favorite singer-songwriters, musicians, actors/actresses and/or family members, create an all-star "dream band".

DM: I don't have any actors/actresses in mind. I have a terrible memory for their names and just movies in general. I can't pick 5 from my family as someone would then be left out so I am going to go with musicians for this all-star dream band then as I answered the singer-songwriter thing already I feel between #s 4 & 5. My top 5 musicians would ideally just be adopted in to the RDR group so I am going to say Ash Hopkins, Nick Jenkins, Brendan Canning, Kevin Drew & Bjork. That was a tough question though because I really don't know who would actually be good in a band situation, as in, would this band actually work out or would we cut each other's throats?

H&P: Why do you do what you do? How can you do it better?

DM: I have always wanted to be a songwriter and play in a band since middle school, pretty much soon as I lost interest in the thought of designing cars and owning my own car company (I am not sure why I lost interest in this but it probably had something to do with getting Bush's "Sixteen Stone" and listening to it for an entire summer). I like to write, I simply love words, and yet I don't think I would be much good at writing anything of any considerable length like a novel or even a short story. Songs tend to work for me as they are short and poetic without exactly being a poem (because I am not a poet). At this point for me, doing it better (it being the action of writing songs) would just have me writing more songs and trying new things, exploring new styles of writing and doing all of this often. As of late I believe I have neglected the thing I want to do most for everything else that life throws at you. Getting back to what I love is certainly on my to-do list. I hope that with a new batch of songs and a new record that there will still be some people around that would like to listen to it.

- - - -

Run Dan Run on Myspace

Charleston Piano Lessons

#5 - Ashley Hopkins releases "Bellwether"

2009-01-22T23:26:00.009-05:00

Ashley Hopkins, known around Charleston, SC as the "go-to-guy" for recording with credits such as Cabaret Kiki, Ward Williams of Jump, Little Children, Cary Ann Hearst, Run Dan Run and Steven Fiore as well as many others, recently released his first album, Bellwether, featuring 7 songs. H&P took a moment to e-interview Ashley (better known simply as "Ash") about his album, other projects, and… his feelings (because H&P cares. H&P=caring.).

Photo by Emily Osborne.

These questions were created by Dan McCurry.

H&P: You recently released "Bellwether" to the masses. What forms of distribution have you taken & how do you think they're being received?
ASH: I've made the album a free download on myspace (DOWNLOAD BELLWETHER NOW!). I email it people. As far as reception goes, my only concern is that it is being received at all, that someone is hearing it. That might not sound very ambitious but given the state of the world and the music biz, I think it's quite a lofty goal. I might sound like I'm trying to be overly cool here, but it really doesn't matter about people liking it or not, I'm just creating what I would want to hear. I don't care about making a dime off of it; it cost me nothing to make and I would have done it for fun anyway. This is really a hobby that I make public and anything that comes of it is just a bonus.

H&P: Were there any goals in recording & compiling "Bellwether"? Can you describe your process regarding writing, orchestrating, and choosing what eventually came to be known as "Bellwether"?
ASH: The main goal was just to get something put out so I could write some new stuff. I've got about 80+ songs or half-songs on my workbench, and I've got to get rid of them. I've spent most of the last 4 years working on other people's projects but I've been writing all the while and dreaming up production/orchestration scenarios for the material. I don't know how I choose these particular songs. They just seemed like the 7 best ones at the time. And the number 7 is holy, you know.

H&P: How is Chapel Hill, NC treating you these days, Ash?
ASH: It's beautiful. It affords me a reclusive lifestyle. There are woods to walk in, which I really missed when I was in Charleston. I have no friends here, no social calendar, I don't go out, ever.

H&P: Are there any exciting life changes on the horizon for you?
ASH: Well, I'm getting married at the end of spring. Giovanna and I live like an old married couple, only I'm the domestic one and she's the one with ambition. So I could say that getting married will change things but I already spend most of my time in my pajamas, cleaning the house and doing dishes and cooking for my wife when she comes home.

H&P: Can you solve this economic crisis?
ASH: What people don't want to face up to is that this economic crisis is just a front-echo of the global meltdown of western civilization. I'm not exagerating here, we are absolutely going to destroy the planet and ourselves within a generation if we can't control our habits of consumption. It's too late in the game to put it any other way. We all have a crippling addiction to useless shit that we don't need. Try to need less. Try to only buy things that have already been made. And do as much of your business as you can via the internet, which is made only out of light and information. If one really wanted to make a serious impact on climate change and steer us toward a sustainable economy, one could eat about half as much meat as one does, but people don't want to hear shit like that because no one really believes that their daily consumption habits affect global production habits. No one wants to face the fact that our civilization is diving head first into the yawning grave. People obviously would rather have steak night and a new flatscreen than a planet for their children to live on.

H&P: Have you reached any theories lately? (just in general, not necessarily pertaining to our current economic crisis)
ASH: Let's see... well, I think that the underpinnings of scientific materialism are right out of the old testament, and this whole science vs. religion debate is a bunch of nonsense. But that's not really an original theory. I've been thinking a lot that the biggest problem we have in our worldview is that it hasn't really digested the import of 20th century physics; we still think of the universe as consisting of a bunch of bits of solid stuff floating around in space that doesn't depend on us. Actually, this relates to what I was just talking about. The idea of a universe of objective stuff that exists apart from its subjective observers is all tied up in the old testament and this western monotheistic thing of god being separate from creation and man being fallen and all this nonsense. All of it adds up to us not understanding our own degree of responsibily which feeds into our impotence when it comes to preventing our own extinction. I could really go on and on and on.

H&P: If you were a person from the past, who would you like to be (any person, not just famous people)? Please choose people who are not presently living.
ASH: I would have liked to have been Albert Hoffman on the day that he first synthesized LSD and tried it on himself. Imagine how beautiful it would have been to ride a bike through the Swiss countryside on the first LSD trip ever, watching the mountains turn technicolor and feeling the face of god in the wind and having no idea what was happening to you. And I've never even taken LSD!

H&P: When did you start playing music? When did you realize that it would be a large part of your life? What about music still inspires you?
ASH: My dad taught me how to play drums when I was 10. When I was 11, I taught myself Beatles songs on my dad's old guitar that he had in college. I was always obsessed with playing guitar from there on out. I started writing songs when I was 15 and I've never stopped. When I was 16 or 17 I played my first real show at The Cotton Club in Atlanta in front of a bunch of people and I very vividly remember the feeling I had that night that this is what I was going to do with my life. I don't know what about it still inspires me. I constantly fight being completely sick of music, and I think most musicians can relate to this. Somehow it keeps going and going forever and one finds that new inspirations and perspectives come along. Also, it's the only thing that I'm really good at, so... I'm stuck!

H&P: Are there any other projects you're currently involved with? Anything we should look out for 2009?
ASH: Well, I'm going to continue trying to write, record and release a song a week or every two weeks via email subscription while I try to work out how the future of the music biz is going to function. I'll definetely be working with my good buddies Dan and Nick. I am trying to dream up a new way of "touring", because I like to travel and play music but I loathe "touring" and have done my fair share of it over the last 5 years. I'm really hoping to make a record with my friend Justin (a.k.a. Glassboy); he made an amazing record this year called "Beautiful Ugly" which is one of the few things I've heard this year that I can't get enough of.

H&P: Do you have a musical philosophy? If so, please do share.
ASH: I believe in editing and taste. Need less! I like to throw a bunch of stuff in and then cut away the unnecessary. It's just like good scientific theories- the best things are simple and small and explain a whole lot of things. In other words, you have to look out for the very small, short melodic devices or lyrical phrases that are brimming with potential meaning. The same goes for production; I throw a whole lot of sounds down on a session and then trim away, trying to leave only the juicy stuff.

H&P: Do you have any plans regarding your music in the future?
ASH: No. I am incapable of planning. I am almost 100% intuitive and I have no idea what the next thing is going to sound like, feel like, smell like, etc. I have no plans regarding touring or world domination. I've had the chance to exercise my rock and roll ambitions at an early age and none of it is really worth a damn to me. My only ambitions in life are to learn how to be a good husband, to cultivate my mental health and to be more satisfied with less stuff.

H&P: Describe a day in the life of Ashley Hopkins. What does it mean to BE Ashley Hopkins? Where does your power (or any other word you might use to describe your life force) come from?
ASH: If I told you where my power comes from, you wouldn't believe me, so we'll skip that. A day in my life involves a lot of snuggling with my wife, playing with my cat, householding, etc. I am an extremely lazy person and I will go to great lengths to keep from having to do anything besides thinking, which I rarely can stop doing but I'm not complaining. If I can, I will spend all day laying around and reading bits of books and smoking things and dreaming up unified theories of everything. It is an absolute miracle to me when I get something done. Looking back on the amount of stuff I have gotten done in my life, I can hardly believe it. Even as I sit here on my couch, it seems patently obvious to me that I will never get up the will to get anything done ever again... but I almost certainly will get more done than I could have reasonably expected of myself. How this happens is a mystery to me. I'm not really lazy, I just refuse to let the world guilt me into wasting my time. I'm not down with all this "sweat of thy brow" bullshit.

H&P: Is there any question you wish I had asked and what is the answer?
ASH: Yes, and the answer is "John".

Visit Ashley Hopkins Myspace.
Click to Download Bellwether.

#4 - M.E.G.S. (Megan's Extra Good Stamps) releases first postcard series

2008-11-14T18:05:00.008-05:00

Stamp artist Megan Elger, or M.E.G.S. (Megan's Extra Good Stamps), has released her first set of postcards, "RV"1, which features 5 different classic RV postcards in a pack of 10 cards (2 copies of each postcard). M.E.G.S. answered a few questions for us about life as a professional stamp carver and as an individual.

These questions were created by Nick Jenkins.

H&P: How old were you when you decided you wanted to be a professional stamp carver?
M.E.G.S.: Well, I've been dreaming of being a professional stamp carver since I was a little girl because of the lucrative and glamorous lifestyle it provides... But actually, I just started making stamps in January. A co-worker and I were bored at work one day and she had the idea to make stamps using erasers and x-acto knives. I really enjoyed it, but eventually I had to stop stealing erasers from work so I started using actual rubber pads and a tool made for stamp cutting. So I'm really relatively new to this, but I don't plan on stopping anytime soon. The next thing I want to try is multi-color stamps!

H&P: What is one of your first memories?
M.E.G.S.: I don't really have specific memories from really early on. They are more just general things like the games my brothers and I would play and the smell of my mom's car, things like that. I do remember riding with my dad to go pick up our first dog, Sam- I was three at that time, and that's still pretty vivid.

H&P: Where would you like to grow old?
M.E.G.S.: I would like to grow old in the mountains, or somewhere out west. I think I'll want to be somewhere with a lot of open space. A good view is pretty important I think. I wouldn't be picky as far as what the view was of, just so long as it's not a masterplanned community or a golf course I'll be happy.

H&P: What was the last record you bought?
M.E.G.S.: I've been made fun of for this, but I'm not ashamed: Loretta Lynn, "Van Lear Rose."

H&P: Do you have a spirit animal? what is it? if not, what animal do you wish that you could be?
M.E.G.S.: This is a tough question. Can it be a mythical animal? I've always been fond of Falkor the Luckdragon. You know, The Never Ending Story?

H&P: Are you planning any big adventures for 2009?
M.E.G.S.: My big adventure for 2009 is to finish the computer graphics certificate I'm working on at Trident and get a real-life-adult-job. I think I did school backwards: with my degree from a 4-year college, I'm working in retail and with my certificate from a tech school I'm hoping to start a career. It's okay though, I'm excited about it all.

H&P: What did you want to be when you were in elementary school?
M.E.G.S.: When I was in elementary school I wanted to be an archeologist. As a kid, I think I thought it would be like digging for buried treasure, and I always liked playing in the dirt anyway. I still think it would be a pretty awesome job though.

H&P: What is your favorite season?
M.E.G.S.: Fall is my favorite season! I think because I like pumpkins/pumpkin flavored/scented things so much, and scarves! I wish Charleston had more Fall weather, but I'm grateful for the few weeks of it that we do get anyway.

H&P: How many languages can you speak?
M.E.G.S.: I can speak 1.5 languages. I used to be pretty good at French, but I've definitely forgotten a lot, I think. I would really like to be bilingual, though I imagine I would have to go live in France for that to happen.

H&P: If you could understand one world crisis a little better, what would that crisis be? how would you fix it if you could?
M.E.G.S.: There are a lot of crises I would like to better understand, and it's hard to pick one because I feel like so many things are connected in one way or another. I saw a documentary on Darfur recently but I feel like I still have a lot of questions about what's going on there, how and why exactly it all started, and how its affecting the rest of the Sudan, as well as the role other countries play in this crisis.

#3 - Nick Jenkins releases 2nd annual "Wake Up, It's Today!" Calendar

2008-11-14T15:25:00.007-05:00

Local artist and musician, Nick Jenkins, has released his 2nd annual “Wake Up, It’s Today!” Calendar for 2009. Nick shares with us some of his thoughts regarding this project in particular and some other thoughts regarding other things that are not so particular.

(photo taken by Cara Levy)

These questions were created by Dan McCurry.

NJ: I'll just start with saying, I in no way intended to hurt those children in that accident in Germany...

H&P: This is the 2nd annual release of your calendar "Wake Up, It's Today!" Did you intend for this calendar to be an annual project from the get go?
NJ: I wasn't sure at all how the first calendar was going to wind up. It ended up being really successful and received really well by our friends and family at home and abroad. But no, I honestly didn't think it would be so seriously annual.

H&P: How did you feel after seeing the 1st calendar come into existence? How do you feel now seeing the 2nd calendar coming out?
NJ: Seeing the first calendar for the first time was actually fairly shocking, as I'd never mass produced any of my art like that before (aside from making album art). The second one was just as exciting to make, if not more. There was a little bit of anticipation to make this one even better, you know, so... there was that energy to work with as well.

H&P: What aspects about making & sharing this calendar have been especially enjoyable/rewarding to you?
NJ: Having my drawings in other people's homes, offices, and backpack is the most rewarding thing to think about, personally. I don't know where I would be without a planner in my life, and a lot of people feel the same way. If I can be involved in making a mundane task like writing things down sort of fun while doing it, then I enjoy making calendars. That's a long answer, I think. Short answer: Its great to think about my drawings being in people's homes around the country/world. Seriously. Its cool.

H&P: How do you describe to people that you make an annual calendar?
NJ: I usually tell people that I "made this calendar last year with the help of my friend, Dan. It was his idea, you see..." and then explain that it did well and we wanted to keep up the "thing" and promote Hearts & Plugs even more as a consistent, collective art group.

H&P: Were you inspired by anything in particular when creating this year's calendar? Was there any direction that you were trying to achieve (or avoid)?
NJ: I'm inspired by these great questions. Last year was very rewarding to me, spiritually, romantically, musically/artistically... and I'm sure a lot of that bled out, whether I wanted it to or not. I went to New York a few times. I traveled a lot. I learned a little bit about sharing space with another person. That's apparent in a lot of the drawings for this year's calendar. Last year's was good, it just felt a little rushed and was a bit more random. This one, and future projects of mine, I hope(d) to be more cohesive and thematic. I wanted this one to be funny. I wanted to avoid making fun of people's families.

H&P: Do you set limitations/boundaries/restrictions in coming up with any of your art (ideas/media/time/etc.)?
NJ: Most times, I don't put restrictions on myself on purpose. Any restrictions I do have tend to come from actual limits on space, resources, time, materials, etc. I've learned that when I'm around the right people, they value my opinion, and healthy creativity needs to have healthy outlets, so being around good people usually means they'll tell you if an idea is bogus or not. But usually, I just try to work with what I have and let the parts work themselves together. That's the fun part. Making the little things come out to be the "sum of themselves" as some say.

H&P: Do you have any other projects for 2009 that you're excited about?
NJ: Well, I just started writing some music for a new group of folks I'm playing with. Right now, the working title is "Terra Terra" but maybe subject to change. Its a group heavily influenced by the likes of Deerhoof and Pavement. I hope to make more music with them. Run Dan Run will be releasing a very lush acoustic album called "27 Coming St." and then we'll be on the road for a week in March. I have a few drawing projects I am being commissioned for by friends with babies. My sister and another close friend. I'll be making drawings for baby rooms. Hearts & Plugs will probably have some goodies to get excited about as well. I think there is a "year long" art challenge in the works.

H&P: What has changed about this year's calendar as far as the business end goes (everything minus the art)?
NJ: Well, last year Dan pretty much came up with the plan and said, "I think we can make a calendar and make lots of money and retire early..." Not. He didn't say that. But he did have the great idea to make the calendar, handle the finances and co-pilot the production of the whole thing. This year, we had last year's guidelines and steps to go by so that end of it went slightly quicker. Sas-E Inks was just as excited, I think, to do the job this year as they were last year.

H&P: Do you have any long-term goals for the calendar? Anything you would like to achieve in the long haul with this? Nobel/Pulitzer prizes, Grammy awards, chili cook-offs, MTV cribs, etc.?
NJ: Right now, I hope to just get them all sold, make our money back and have a little change to get some other projects done. I would possibly like to have them distributed even more widely in the US. The internet as been a great help in that respect.

H&P: Have you found anything through creating this calendar that you would like to share? Perhaps the meaning of life? Presents?
NJ: Because I'm such a loon and don't really have normal sleeping patterns, I think that a lot of my subconscious comes out when I'm drawing and letting things become what they will become. Like, the picture for "The Biggest Boombox Ever" is probably my favorite this year. That drawing was the most fun to make because I had to do it 3 or 4 times. Each time I thought of something smaller to add. I like things like that. Learning yourself to make yourself better. Studying yourself to show yourself... approved. I think I stole that from the Holy Bible. Is that allowed? Oh, I would like to share that I think we are all beautiful creatures and when we take the time to see little things, it may be a little freaky, but it is worth it.

H&P: If you met aliens, what do you think you would do? What would be your first reaction?
NJ: My first reaction would be to call my brother, Kelsey, and tell him I'm meeting aliens. He would probably be the only person in the world to believe me.

H&P: Do you think these aliens would like a calendar?
NJ: Dude, aliens would freak out over this calendar. Its trippy. Its got really fun colors! What space traveling oddities DON'T care for maximum colors?

H&P: Do you think these aliens would understand our calendar and how we define a "year"?
NJ: Maybe not.

H&P: What is the next thing you would like to learn?
NJ: I would like to learn how to articulate drum language even better. And how to speak French. Or letter-press. Or screen printing. All of these things...?

H&P: Can you describe your "process" when creating something (visual art, writing, and/or music)?
NJ: Ok. With visual art, I begin with thinking about what I'm supposed to be presenting/promoting. I think about details that make me like the thing I'm promoting (shows, album art) and I let my imagination go. Most of the time, I'm just trying to make myself laugh. With writing (music), I guess it's the same process as journaling and trying to make linear sense of floating thoughts in my mind. Throughout the day I think lots of ridiculous things! If I jot some of them down on paper, they may turn into a song. Sometimes they don't.

H&P: What other projects are you involved in/have been most recently involved in?
NJ: Making music [& commercial] videos with Dan McCurry for Hearts & Plugs related things. I also have a weekly mp3 service I provide called "Commercials" where I send new music out every week. And again there's "Terra Terra".

H&P: What question(s) would you like to ask strangers but feel you can't (because they are strangers) but would really like to?
NJ: "What music are you listening to right now?" Or, "do you take the bus? "

H&P: Where might one run into Nick Jenkins on a typical day?
NJ: On a typical day (do I have those?), I may be on the way to a band rehearsal or Kinko's or a coffee shop or the record store or on the way to give a drum lesson.

H&P: Who is this "Mr. Go" character and why does he only wear underwear?
NJ: Mr. Go doesn't only wear underwear, Dan. He wears a supersuit. You know, with underwear on the outside. Or maybe he does... I haven't asked him. Anyway, Mr. Go came to me one day a couple of years ago after I had been listening to the Flaming Lips' song "Waitin' For A Superman" (on The Soft Bulletin) which is probably my favorite song by that band. I don't think I was in a very hopeful place, emotionally, at the time. The song has a great perspective, showing Superman as... someone who gets tired. And someone who might not be able to save the world all day long, everyday. After a while, I think I started thinking about my parents and any role model I've ever had, and how they too, get tired. They can't do everything for the ones they love all the time. I was at a point where I wasn't feeling very capable of dealing with a lot of my life. I was missing a loved one and that song made me want to go on. As cheesy and Hallmark as it sounds, that was the inspiration for Mr. Go... to just keep going.

H&P: This is the last question. What question do you wish I had asked, and what is the answer to that question?
NJ: I wish you had asked, "When is Obama coming over for coffee?" and I would've answered, "Wake Up, Its Today!" Hahahahahahahaha.... Gotcha.

#2 - Artist Nathan Durfee with "Celebration of Stems and Clouds"

2007-10-30T14:40:00.004-04:00

Our friend Nathan Durfee ("Durf" if you're nasty) is having a great, big, beautiful art show on Saturday, November 3rd at a "little" gallery in Charleston, SC called Modernisme. The show is entitled, "Celebration of Stems and Clouds" and we think you should check it out. He's a dreamy artist and a very cool dude.

These questions were created by Bill Carson.

What's your middle name, Nathan Durfee?
Phillip, named after my grandfather on my mother's side. I wish I had the chance to meet him.

Where did you get those saddlebags for your bike?
EBay, still sealed in box with old yellowed instruction manual. Am I known as 'that guy with the saddlebags' now?

Do you have a favorite myth/fairy tale?
The one where this girl had a secret crush on this guy, but he was, like, totally not into her. Then she sent this email out to 20 different people, and her crush asked her out THE VERY NEXT DAY! They're, like, totally in love, and this story is totally true. Then there's the one where this guy's penis grew 2 1/2 inches just by taking a pill 3 times a day for 2 weeks. He has phenomenal sex now.

What's your favorite thrifty lunch spot?
Harris Teeter. Every day they have a $2.49 sub special, and these sandwiches are huge. On Tuesdays it can be any sub you want so I buy two and save one for the next day. Plus, they have groceries, which can be cheaper than any lunch spot I know.

Where is the furthest place away from home you've been?
Geographically, South Korea. Culturally, India. What people in these countries view Americans as: Loud, Rude, Fat, but fantastic tippers.

Which non-artistic actions in your your daily life do you reckon are most valuable to your creativity?
Playing chess, it's really helps get my brain warmed up and ready to think up some art. You know who else is a great chess player: George (I forgot his last name, but he plays in A Decent Animal and is a bartender for the Upper Deck). I haven't beaten him yet, but we have had some great games.

If you had a robot assistant, which tasks would you have it do?
I like doing the little chores in life, they're simple and allow me to clear my head. I don't believe having a robot cook me dinner or clean my apartment would make me any happier. That being said, having a little earpiece to help me remember people's name would very helpful.

If the images in your upcoming show were adapted into a story, who would you like to be the narrator?
James Earl Jones. I want James Earl Jones, and I don't need to explain myself.

If you were an actor in a horror film, how would you like your character to meet his end?
I don't know how my character would die, but I do know this: I want to be that support character that gets stabbed/shot/thrown off a cliff. Then, when everyone thinks I'm dead and the hero's in real trouble, I'll come back in the nick of time to save him/her. I'll need to say a catch phrase like 'Us humans don't die so easily, punk!' before saving the day. Then I'd collapse and die for real, but first I'd get a quick monologue in, maybe throwing a joke in to make the hero chuckle while holding back tears. Cue 'Golden Brown' by the Stranglers while the camera pulls back. Fade to black.

#1 - Our friend, Bill Carson publishes literary zine

2007-10-27T21:07:00.004-04:00

Our dear friend, Bill Carson, has just published and released his first quarterly literary journal called 12 Sharpened Pencils. If you want a copy, we'll have them available through the bookshelf, or you can stop by 52.5 Records on lunch break tomorrow. We thought we'd let you get to know our friend Bill a little more in the meantime.

These questions were created by Melanie Murray.

1. What book/s are you reading now?

The Best American Nonrequired Reading (2003)

2. If David Bowie really was an alien and invited you aboard his spaceship, would you accept?

I think so. He seems to know a thing or two about space travel.

3. If someone else covered your music, who would you like that person to be?

Willie Nelson.

4. Was your discovery of music a religious/magical experience?

Sort of. My earliest significant musical memory is of listening to my older sister's heavily scratched Led Zeppelin II l.p. when I was about ten. I listened to it so many times, and some of the sounds on that record - which I later recognized as tape delay and so on - I thought could only be explained by some special powers held by the musicians.

5. Do you have a particular artist that you draw a lot of inspiration from?

Nina Simone and Neil Young come to mind. They seem honest.

6. Do you have a "sacred creative space"?

No.

7. If you were a female singer whose voice would you want to have?

Maybe Ms. Feist.

8. What is the first thing you listened to today.

I think it was Rachmaninoff's second piano concerto. It was on the radio.

9. What does L.O.V.E stand for to you?

Learn openness, value everyone.

10. What instrument would you like to play that you currently do not?

Piano.

11. If Miranda July stole your bike would you be angry?

I'd be sort of disappointed in her. Besides, I don't think my bike would be the right size for her. I recently found a beautiful old English 3-speed in the trash I hope to get running again. Maybe that would make a good bike for her.

12. If you could be a mythical creature, what would you like to be?

Werewolf!!

13. What non-musical projects are you currently involved in?

I've started a small literary zine - with help from my talented friends.

14. What kind of scary creatures were you afraid of as a kid?

There was a piece of furniture in the house where I grew up that cast a shadow in the shape of a ghoulish face. I was afraid of that.