Jaya The Cat are well known to the Bulgarian audience – they come here almost every year and increase their fan base with each visit.
And there is no other way – their party music, a mix of ska, punk, reggae, rock will not leave anyone indifferent. We talk to the main driving force in the band Geoff Lagadec, just a few days before they break us dancing at Maimunarnika (If you live on a deserted island and missed the news – Jaya will play there on August 30, 2017).
- Hello, my name is Orleff. Thank you for spending few minutes with us.
No worries!
- You’re playing here every year, why do you think you’re so popular in Bulgaria?
Haha I’d like to think it’s cause we’re a fucking pretty good band! But it’s also sorta a home away from home for us, usually when we play we take a few days off around the show to party, we have lots of friends there.
- You’re almost 20 years together as a band, 6 albums behind… When you were starting, did you think you’ll come this far?
It just kinda happened. Was never really my dream or anything.
- Going after your own development, your own style / or giving what fans they want?
Both obviously. You have to grow or it gets boring, but you need to stay somewhat grounded to your sound. I consciously split the difference on each album.
- I know, you’ve been busy lately - “Complicated Men Of Leisure”, tours, recording the new one… but come on, 5 years we didn’t get a new album? Don’t you think it’s pretty long time without an album?
Yeah we’re lazy af. But I guess the good news is we’ve just finished a new album so everyone can stop giving us shit for a while! :D
- “A good day for the damned”! What’s it going to be like? When we’re getting the first single?
It’s interesting I think, as I said we always try to take some chances but put some classic Jaya on there too. I wrote it over the course of almost three years, just a song here and there, and my influences are always changing so there’s a bunch of different syles. Hopefully it all works together for the listener.
- Which bands influenced you as teenagers and are you still enjoying these same bands? Did you abandoned some of them and why?
I dunno, for me The Clash, The Pogues, stuff like that. I still listen to al of it here and there of course.
- Is there anything in the music industry, that you wish hasn’t happened or been invented?
A&R reps.
- Describe a normal day for you when you’re on tour
Sit in bus. Get to club. Ask for beer. Unload. Soundcheck. Hope the dinner is decent. Play. Party. Find the hotel by the grace of god. Sleep. Repeat.
- And a normal day at home?
Home is where I get most of the actual work done for the band so lots of time behind my laptop. Nothing too romantic really. Catch up on bad TV, shit like that. If we have too much time off I tend to think too much which is never good. So I travel lots between tours, it’s nice to see places and not just the inside of a club.
- Geoff, what made you move to Amsterdam? And do you miss the States?
I dunno, it’s a boring story, it wasn’t a plan, it just sorta happened like life tends to do. And have you seen my country lately? Fuck no I don’t miss it.
- When you’re looking at the current US president, do you feel proud to say “I’m American”?
See above. But even though he’s an terrible person and an idiot, you gotta admit the entertainment value is pretty high. It’s sucks so bad that we’ve come to a point where someone that horrible and mean and self centered is calling the shots for America but sometimes when it gets depressing I try to look at it as a TV show of what could go wrong, and not reality. Then it’s pretty entertaining.
- Is there a question, that you wish you’ve never answered?
If you mean in an interview not really. In real life probably lots.
- Which is the song, that you can’t imagine a Jaya The Cat concert without?
I guess Here Come the Drums ranks up pretty high.
- Any band that you saw/met recently and you would like to recommend?
The Bennis from Austraila are onto a good thing, they’re really fun!
- Do you have some kind of ritual, before going up on the stage?
Beer!
- Can’t wait to see you in Sofia again! Take care!
Cheers!