An Interview With Joy Electric

Ronnie Martin, the man behind Joy Electric (my all-time favorite band), graciously conducted an e-mail interview with me this past week. If you're wondering where I got the name (and inspiration) for this blog, it's the title of a Joy Electric song.

For those of you unfamiliar with the band, Ronnie Martin has been making music as Joy Electric for at least 10 years. It can best be described as electronic pop, with influences ranging from The Smiths, to New Order, even Kraftwerk and the early Human League.

I've been a fan of Joy Electric since my freshman year of high school, in 1994, and if any of you know me, you know just how often and how vigorously I've proselytized for him. I can't help it, I think he's a musical genius and I want share his talent with as many people as possible.

Thanks to Ronnie for graciously taking the time to respond to his fans, and for conducting an interview like this one. He's one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet.

Oh! He's also posting this interview to his OFFICIAL website! Isn't that the most awesome thing you've ever heard?! BE SURE TO VISIT HIS WEBSITE AND READ IT THERE, TOO!!

Now, without further ado, here's the interview:

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BILL: What was your VERY FIRST band, ever? What kind of music was it? Who were the members? Your influences?

RONNIE: It was called 2 Lads and it consisted of myself and my brother Jason. It was 80's electronic pop stuff....lots of strings, bells and primitive drum programming. We were influenced by New Order, the Pet Shop Boys and The Smiths, among others. I think we had some good songs, but I was just learning how to program and sequence things so it was a bit rough. I guess things haven't changed much, have they? But it was a fun, if not confusing time.

BILL: Let's go back to Morella's Forest. What kind of music were you and Jason playing at that time? Who were your influences back then?

RONNIE: Well, we were still doing the 2 Lads thing when Morellas started, but that project was really just me writing and programming on the keyboards. Jason would play live but he really didn't have much of a role beyond that. When we started Morellas, it was myself on guitar, Jason on drums, and our friend Randy Lamb on bass. We were really into LSU, The Cure and New Order at the time, and that's basically what the band sounded like. It just started with us playing in the studio that my Dad had built us and before we knew it I had written a bunch of songs and Randy started getting us some live shows. We were all learning our instruments, but I picked up the guitar really easy and Jason did the same with the drums. We ended up signing a deal with a new label called Narrowpath Records (Breakfast With Amy / The Crucified). We ended up recording one album that never came out due to financial problems that eventually put the label out of business. Really fun and exciting times, though.

BILL: Besides you and your brother Jason, who were the other band members of Morella's Forest? Have they gone on to form any of their own music projects?

RONNIE: Randy Lamb went on to form a band called Dear, but he didn't really pursue it for too long. I actually played drums for Dear a few times, but Jason and I had kind of a falling out with him during that time so things quickly deteriorated. It was kind of a dramatic ordeal at the time, but Randy insisted on pulling away from Jason and I so we simply carried on doing what we were doing in spite of that. A lot of unresolved behaviors, unfortunately.

BILL: You've said before that Mike Knott came up with the name Dance House Children, and you hated it. How come you decided to stick with it for your first three albums? Did you have a choice, or was it contractual?

RONNIE: We were young. Mike really insisted on the name, and we were so young and so eager to sign with the label that we weren't about to put up a fight, you know? There's a time to rock the boat, but at that point we were more concerned with getting our foot in the door than argue about something like that. I was just so appreciative and excited to be getting a deal, and probably even more so because it was coming from one of our idols. Ironically, the same thing basically happened with the "Joy Electric" name years later when I signed with T&N. I've never had a good band name, starting with Morellas until now. I guess it wasn't meant to be....

BILL: You said in a recent interview that you had some other band names besides Joy Electric in mind when you joined Tooth & Nail, but Brandon Ebel liked "Joy Electric" so much he wanted you to keep it. What were those other band names? Do you still remember them?

RONNIE: I honestly don't remember them very clearly.....there were three or four I had on a list. One of them was really similar sounding to "Strawberry Alarm Clock", which was that psychedelic band from the late 60's. Maybe I'm glad he did insist on Joy E.....

BILL: You're a music purist. I think that's pretty obvious by now. But when you DO include drum machines and guitars, especially in the case of a song like the original version of "Sorcery" (from Artcore Vol. 1), it sounds REALLY awesome. Will you EVER use a guitar or a drum machine on an official Joy Electric song again, or is that gone forever?

RONNIE: I get asked this all the time for some reason. You know, I think drum machines are fun to use and I really enjoy playing and writing on the guitar, but I have a really idealistic view of what I think electronic music should sound like. When I was recording "Melody" I was using drum machines mixed with a lot of homemade sounds, and it just dawned on me that there was no reason to be using the same drum sounds that everybody else was using. A synthesizer is for creating and exploring new sounds and textures, so why would I stop creating and exploring when it comes time to lay down drum tracks? I just had a vision to take the idea of synthetic music to its logical extreme, and I'm still pursuing that idea. Drum machines are really nostalgic. I love the Roland CR-78, and I used it a bit on "Hello, Mannequin", but it was done purely out of nostalgia. Roland TR-808's, CR-78's, TR-606's, Linn Drums, Simmons....I like them all, actually, but so do thousands upon thousands of other people who have used them since the late 1970's. I can't stand the thought of using the same sounds as everybody else....it just makes no sense to me. As far as guitars, they really don't have a place with the way that I construct my tracks. I could lay down power chords, but that would really cover all the programming work I do. Anything other than that could just be imitated on the synth if I really was aiming for those kinds of textures. So...no guitars, no drum machines, but I might use them for another project at some point.

BILL: I think you've stated before that you don't enjoy remixing your songs; what do you think of the remixes done by other bands such as Norway, The Faint, The Echoing Green, etc.? Did you like the way they came out? Did you commission those, or did the artists come to you and pick their own song? How do you go about the remixing game?

RONNIE: I like some better than others, but I'm grateful to everyone that's done a remix for me. Basically, it comes about by asking someone if they're interested in doing one or by them approaching me.....it's just a low key thing. I'm really not a big fan of remixes in general. I always prefer the original version of anybody's song because that was the artist's intention. They're still fun to do and have done, though, and I'm hoping to have a whole batch done for "Archers".

BILL: How do you sit down in a studio and layer track after track to get that perfect sound without going absolutely crazy? Doing what you do on a daily basis would make my head explode. What if you get a note wrong? Since you don't use computers or sequencers, how difficult is it to go back and fix a track? You must have the patience of a saint.

RONNIE: First off, I don't get a perfect sound because there's no such thing. Joy E has always been extremely DIY. The idea of the "star trek/anime/gadgets and gizmos/video games/computer/synthesizer guy pouring over every oscillator to perfection" does not paint the picture of who I am, I can assure you. I'm simply committed to the early way of multi-tracking synths, so there's really no other way to go about it. I don't like using digital equipment, so the track after track method is basically the only way for me to work to achieve that old, mechanical sound. I definitely go stir crazy at times, but that just goes with making an album with no outside input, which I've always wished could be different. What I do is not complicated or a slow way to work....it's really just the opposite because
it's so completely focused. It causes you to concentrate on one sound at a time and making it fit with the other sounds around it. In that respect it's a very logical way to go about things and really streamlines the process. You're basically "fixing" the track as you go along, so it isn't a matter of laying down wrong notes, but a matter of whether you're happy with the parts you've assembled. People who are spending the most time on tracks are the ones with endless synths, endless sync boxes, endless wires, and endless editing capabilities, because there's no end to
what they can tinker with and do. I have no editing. I program a sound, set up a sequence and put it to tape and then move to the next sound. That is it. I can't explain enough how simple and straighforward it is. There's no rocket science involved whatsoever. And no, I absolutely do not have the patience of a saint...not even close.

BILL: Have you ever considered having Melissa sing a song on a Joy Electric album? Maybe even a duet a la Human League ("Don't You Want Me?") and Ladytron ("Nothing Better")? [NOTE: I mixed up the band names here... The Postal Service did "Nothing Better", not Ladytron.]

RONNIE: Melissa doesn't sing, but I'm not really a fan of female backing vocals anyway. I like what the Human League and Ladytron do with female vocals, but I'm generally not a fan.

BILL: How has married life and being a father impacted your songwriting? I've once heard, "Nothing is more unfortunate for a poet or musician than falling in love." Has being in a marriage relationship and becoming a father changed your perspective on music and lyrics?

RONNIE: I think it's enabled me to write about things other than romantic relationships, which have been done to death throughout the history of pop. It could be argued that you actually HAVE something to write about once you're in a married relationship because that's when some real experience and wisdom have been gained. Still, I've always been interested in abstract topics or whatever is interesting to me at the time. You have such an opportunity in pop music to write lyrics that go against the standard "I Need You", "Hold On To Love", "Always for You" and those kinds of titles and sentiments that have been so exhausted. It always shocks me when people use titles that you've already heard a million times before.

BILL: A quick one, kind of related to the last question: when did you get married to Melissa? Was it before or after the beginning of Joy Electric?

RONNIE: Right before.

BILL: It seems that with each album the lyrics become progressively more and more cryptic. This is especially evident in The White Songbook (which is my second favorite JE album, after Melody). Do you attribute this to your maturing as a lyricist? Where do you get the literary inspiration for them?

RONNIE: Oh, I don't know. TWSB was a lot of gibberish, but the last album and next one are actually really personal, because I wanted to start writing about the subtle horrors that have gone on around me over the past 5-6 years. I don't know about maturing...I feel I could've written any of the lyrics I have at any time, but being at certain places in life put you in different moods. Not every song is a huge internal outpouring of emotion, and TWSB kind of illustrates that pretty well. I think I do a lot of reactionary writing or "devil's advocate" writing these days because I'm still so shocked by people's misplaced emotions. People love to be ruled by who they "think they are" as a person and that continues to astound, disappoint and anger me to no end. It's a lack of progress in people I know that causes me to write what I write at the moment. And I'm not saying I'm discluded, either. Literary inspiration? I really don't know. I ocassionally read a good book, but it doesn't usually inspire my lyrics.

BILL: You produce music that pretty much exists in a category all its own. Do you think this has helped or hurt your career as a musician? Have you ever thought about changing musical styles to increase your fan base?

RONNIE: Well, I certainly don't think I hold all the cards in the creativity department, but I was always vehemently opposed to sounding like anyone else. It's funny when you hear bands that are so obviously inspired by other bands, because it makes me wonder why they're doing what they do. I know you have to start with a reference point, but you should be losing sleep at night coming up with some sort of angle or trick that you can call your own. The problem with the JE sound is that we've existed for so long as the lone novelty synthesizer band in the gospel industry..... which is a weird thing anyway.... and nothing's changed. It's even more barren now as the other few bands who existed before, basically dance or techno groups anyway, have ceased to exist. Changing your style doesn't necessarily mean you increase your fanbase, though, so that's why I've stuck to doing what I like to do. Some bands operate with that 9-5 mentality, you know... touring all year, making accoustic/Creed/Matchbox 20/Dashboard/All American Rejects/Blink 182 pop-rock albums, but I never started making music to do something like that. I always wanted to make weird records, and I'm blessed because I get to do that and have the right people support me doing it. Most people don't understand that I'm in one of the best places to be in, thanks to a lot of key people who believe in me. It amazes me, to be honest.

BILL: What are your views on the current "indie" scene? Do you think the term is self-restrictive? Do you consider Joy Electric "indie"? What do you think of the attitude among fans that bands "sell out" if and when they go mainstream, or join a major label? Isn't that the hope of every musician?

RONNIE: It's funny, but to me, "indie" is the term used to describe British bands from the 80's, like The Smiths. Still, Joy E wouldn't be considered anything other than "indie", although most people don't consider Tooth and Nail much of an indie label these days. I guess they're kind of in between an indie and a major. I think every band wants to sell more records, but some bands realize that there is a limit to what they can sell. Realistically, JE will never sell big numbers, but at the same time we definitely haven't sold to all of our potential fans, either. I've never really understood what "selling out" means. Does a construction worker get upset when more people hire him because they like his work and his wages increase? Why would a band or audience feel any different?

BILL: In some of your songs, it sounds like you both long to be well-known, or at least appreciated for what you do, while at the same time being stand-offish, with a "it doesn't matter, anyway" attitude. What would happen if, all of a sudden, the CCM industry latched onto a future Joy Electric album, and you got catapulted to Audio Adrenaline/Newsboys/DC Talk status? What if "fame" finally did find you? What might change?

RONNIE: I think people have misinterpreted some of those sentiments. I've only wanted the band to do better so that it would be easier to do the band. I have no idea what fame would do other than possibly make me financially secure for the rest of my life, although there's bands who sell a lot of records out there who are definitely not secure financially. There's a certain game that has to be played in order to be a major player in the CCM industry, but I'm just not one of those people, and that's not to say that they're all disingenuine, either. There just happens to be this kind of general attitude that pervades when you meet some of those bands, where they're admitting and apologizing that they're not "cool" but they're trying to play it out so hard like they are, with all the clothes, haircuts, etc. To me, it's like, why are you apologizing? A construction worker who's good at their job doesn't apologize for it. He get's it done and does his best at it and at the end of the day he's making a living. Just own up to it. You have a job that you're successful at. It doesn't mean it's some huge creative outlet for you, but it never was. It's just a job playing music that turned into something successful for you. I just hate that mentality, you know?

BILL: What do you think of bands like Fischerspooner, Ladytron, Felix Da Housecat, Miss Kittin, Les Rhythms Digitales, Future Bible Heroes, The Postal Service, etc.? Do you feel like a veteran, since you've been doing this stuff for over 10 years? Have you ever felt envious that these bands are getting all this attention; that maybe somehow you've been wrongly overlooked? Or do you even associate your music with these bands?

RONNIE: I really enjoy most of the bands you mentioned. I really don't feel like a veteran..... a lot of those bands have been doing stuff for years, too. I don't believe I've been wrongly overlooked, I just understand that we're on a label that doesn't get a lot of ttention from fans of those kinds of bands who might like what we're doing as well. With the exception of the Postal Service, none of those bands sell a huge amount of records, they just get a good amount of press, which I've gotten a certain amount of on and off throughout the years. Labels are responsible for their bands getting press or not... there's nothing more I can do other than what I've already been doing.

BILL: What did you think of the rapid rise of electroclash, and its depiction by music media as the next "big thing"? Did it hurt or help the scene?

RONNIE: I think it probably hurt some of the good bands who will forever be tagged with the label, which is one of those things hat's hard to shake. Who knows. There's always going to be scenes that come in and out, but this just had absolutely zero substance attached. I know a lot of it was to do with the style of music, which is not taken seriously anyway, but this seemed to be a repeat of the New Romantic thing from the 80's..... except none of the electroclash bands when on to sell millions and conquer the pop world like Duran or Spandau Ballet did. It was a weird one, that's for sure..

BILL: How come you don't like your older music? You almost never play songs from the Melody album live, these days.

RONNIE: I do like some of it, but playing it live is kind of a different story. It feels like having to relive something I'd rather not have to. Ever since TWSB, I've been happy to move away from those early albums..... Melody through Christiansongs. I understand that people like some of the older records and grew up with them, but you have to remember that they represent different things to me, most of which I'm not terribly fond of. I'm really happy to move away from that period of time. I think the better and more important work started with TWSB and will be continuing with "Archers". You may have not seen any of the shows, but I played quite a bit of the old material live around the time of TTTT. "Rosewood Lane", "Hansel", "Strawberry Heart", "I Beam", "Candycane Carriage", "Old Wives Tales"....... I covered a lot of it, but enough is enough. I just have no interest in what I consider to be an inconsistent past.

BILL: You're one of the most prolific artists in the music industry. It seems like you put out an album every year, with goodies in-between. What do you attribute to your amazing output?

RONNIE: I don't know. I never understood bands who took so long between records, and because of that, I never wanted to be one of them. I want to give the people who enjoy the albums something to look forward to without testing their patience. It's a privilege to make records, and I want to make the most of it while I have the privilege. Everybody has a different way of working, and I tend to like to get things done. If I sit on something for too long I lose interest in it, so my whole goal when starting something is to finish it. Also, writing has never been an issue for me. It comes easily and it makes sense because I always structure it very logically. If I have a chorus, I'll write a verse, if I have both of those I'll write a lead riff, etc. It's like going down a checklist, and when everything is complete I'm ready to start because I actually have something to start on. Everybody has a different method, but mine is not esoteric, mystical or random in any sense. It's concrete.

BILL: Me and a friend of mine are working on an screenplay adaptation of the classic space opera, Galactic Patrol, by E. E. Smith (serialized in 1937 in the Astounding Science Fiction pulp magazine). If, by some miracle of God, we ever actually produced this film, would you honestly consider doing the soundtrack for it? We could think of no other choice (we didn't even consider any other choice).

RONNIE: Thanks for considering me, it sounds interesting. I would definitely consider doing it.

BILL: My friend, also a fan, wanted me to include this question: "I have noticed an increase of so-called 'worship music.' It seems like the majority of which is very shallow and rarely includes truths about God, but includes trite lyrics such as "I want to fall in love with You", "You are awesome", "You are worthy of Praise". All of these statements about God are true, but the vast majority of worship music sounds as though it's simply lame copies that are relabeled and packaged to sell. What are your thoughts?"

RONNIE: Well, I agree. Twelve years ago nobody was doing worship albums and now everyone has them coming out consistently, so that simply tells you that this is something that sells. That doesn't mean we can judge people's motives, but it certainly means you can be critical of the music and whether or not you want to buy it and support it. I choose not to buy or support it because it lacks a genuiness to me. It feels like listening to bad soft rock with insulting lyrics.

FUN JOY ELECTRIC FACTS:

1. What are your all-time favorite album(s)? List as many or as few as you'd like.

New Order - Substance
The Smiths - The Queen is Dead
A-ha - Hunting High and Low
Primal Scream - Screamadelica
Stereolab - Margarine Eclipse
The Stone Roses - Self Titled
After the Fire - Der Komissar
441 - Mourning into Dancing
LSU - Shaded Pain
The Innocence Mission - Glow
Travelogue - The Art of Conversation
Crumbacher - Escape from the Fallen Planet
Undercover - Branded
MATW - Self titled

There's a few that came to mind. It's hard to remember. With the exception of Stereolab and Travelogue, I don't listen to any of the records listed too much.

2. All-time favorite movie(s)?

Sound of Music
A Summer Place
West Side Story
Hoosiers
Field of Dreams
Lord of the Rings trilogy
Gattica
Oklahoma
Finding Neverland

3. All-time favorite book(s)/author(s)?

The Great Divorce - CS Lewis
Relativism - Can't remember the authors names
Seasons of the Heart series by Janette Oke
Love Comes Softly series by Janette Oke

4. What's your favorite restaurant? Favorite food?

Babes in Palm Springs, CA. Best strawberry shortcake I've ever had.

Favorite food - BBQ.

5. Do you have any pets?

2 cats - Jo and Goodie.

6. Do you have any other siblings?

Older brother Keith
Older sister Kim
Younger brother Jason
Younger sister Amy

7. Are the earthquakes in California scary? Ever been caught in one?

Ummm.....they never really "scare" me. I think it's scarier to read about them than to be in them and feel a little rumbling. I don't know, some poeple do get really paranoid about things like that, but I don't.

8. How often do you play live in your hometown?

About 5-10 times a year on the average.

9. Do you plan on having any more kids?

No.

10. Do you ever play music in your home church? If so, what type?

No.

11. What type of church do you go to? (Simple curiosity.) Do you consider yourself part of any kind of "denomination"?

I go to an EV Free church in Corona, CA. I'm not officially a part of any denomination yet, but we just started at this church so that will probably change.

12. Last, but not least, and definitely important: will there ever be a Beautiful Dazzling Music Vol. 2?

It already came out. I called it "Melody".[NOTE: Oh. Heh.].

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Well, there you have it, folks. An interview with one of the most talented -- and definitely one of the nicest -- guys in music today. Thanks again, Ronnie, for taking the time to do this! It's much appreciated.