Though most of the boys that help keep BYT running are not the biggest Rilo Kiley fans-dammit, I am.
Even if against my better judgement. I like the old albums. I used to listen to “More Adventurous” on repeat when it first came out. I like the new album. I am pretty stoked to attend their show at 930 club this week.
And the boys, musical preferences aside - they all would have given up their power glove privileges for 7 minutes in heaven with Jenny Lewis, just ask them.
So, we went keyboards-a-blazing into this whole “byt interviews rilo kiley” deal.
We spent weeks coordinating it, during which time they appeared on the cover of SPIN and more, we had you ask all the tough questions and finally we ended up with a 20 minute time slot.
On the phone.
Before their New York show last Friday.
About an hour before the scheduled interview, i collected my questions, and sent an email to the “byt-co-editorial staff” (aka Cale, Jason, Joel and Erik) and said:

“This is not going to end well” (if you ask why? please read reader questions I promised to ask)
the responses I got were:
“Go for it”
“Ask them how far will a power glove get me with Jenny”
and
“Go for it”

Thanks guys!

so 2.32 pm on the dot I got connected with Jason Boesel, their drummer, who sounded like a super cool, laid back, possibly “ready for anything” type of kid and “went for it”

t-10 seconds:Hi Jason, how are you doing?
Cool thanks, you?…

t-30 seconds:Pretty good, overall. Excited to do this…Anyways, what we decided to do with this interview was to have our readers/ your fans ask the questions so just be prepared is some our a little off-center (ie: Has Jenny slept with Scott Baio?) k?
Sure.

you can smell the fear in his voice at this point so I decided to head out with some “easies”

t-58 seconds: This album has been getting the best reviews thus far of all Rilo Kiley albums…is it your personal favorite?
Hmmm…that is actually a really good question. Maybe you should ask me in 5 years…but really, probably yes. It is definitely our most mature.But we love all our albums.

t-1.40 minutes: Someone actually asked why you don’t play any of your old EP stuff. Have you outgrown it?
Actually, we try to play songs from most of our LPs, but in terms of EP stuff…sometimes there is only so much time you have during a show…it is sometimes hard to please everyone.

t-2.46 minutes: Speaking of pleasing everyone, the band notoriously just walked out on each other in 2005 after the Colplay show at Madison Square Garden. What has happened in the last 2 years that influenced the way you sound now….
Well, I think the time apart has definitely influenced it. Some of us went and did solo projects (both Jenny and Blake released solo records in the last two years. Jenny with the Watson twins and Blake under the flag of The Elected, which actually is pretty aces if underpublicized-ed) and the dynamics changed. Blake ans Jenny used to spend a lot of time together and share a lot of songwriting duties and that whole process has become less involved over the last two years, especially with them hanging out less and less. And of course, we’ve grown up a lot.

t-4.05 minutes: So, as one of our readers said: the new album has a recurring “ladies of the night theme. Are you trying to tell us something…does the band have extensive experience with characters of that sort?
Hmmmmm, well, definitely NOT extensive, but some, for sure…I think it is just a theme Jenny uses to explore the underside of current society. It is defintely all around us, and somewhat indicative of today’s culture. It is everywhere you go: LA, London, Tokyo…

t-4:59 minutes: As an extension of that question: how did the audition process go for the “Moneymaker” video?
Well, it definitely WAS interesting. Basically, we auditioned real life porn stars under the pretense of them shooting a real live porn.Well, we had them read some lines, with the director and with us, and we also had them take all their clothes because we knew they would have sensed something was off if we just had them sit there fully clothed.

t-6:32 seconds: Ha! Exactly. Were they dissapointed they ended up in the new Rilo Kiley interview and not the next blockbuster skin flick?
Well, even though we were initially worried about that it turned out that they were all really ok with it. They signed the release forms, and were pretty enthusiastic about it…

t-7.31 minutes: Good for them…and a quick question by one of our readers as to what is the deal with the silver/grey telecaster in the video? Is it custom? Is it vintage?
The telecaster?

t-7.40 minutes: Yes, the telecaster?
I guess it was vintage. We would have to ask someone more technical about that.

(as I see the power glove questions falling slowly but surely apart before my very eyes)

t-8.01 minutes:Fair Enough. So, lets talk some about being a touring band. What is the current state of the tour bus?
Well, the bus itself is big and black and slick on the outside but on the inside it is very, very homey: drapes, beds, carpet. We try to keep it presentable, you know.

t-8.25 minutes: Do the drapes match the carpet?
ummmmmmmm….I guess….?
(awkward, awkward silence)

(the things I do for you! at this point I figured-ok, we’re half way in, lets bust out what there is to be busted out)

t-8.55 minutes: So Jason, in terms of band dynamics JP! wanted to know whether you guys would consider dressing as the Watson twins for Halloween? (they are in fact playing a show at the Cat the same night of your first 930 club show)?

t-8.57 minutes: silence
t-9.00 minutes: silence

(i finally open my eyes and notice that the line is dead.

t-9.05 minutes: I call their publicist back.
t-9.10 minutes: The Publicist: Yeah, Svetlana, I think Jason’s phone died. It keeps going straight to his voicemail. Let me try to call their tour manager. I’ll call you back in a second.
t-9.25 minutes: The Publicist: Yeah, Svetlana, the tour manager does not know where they are (they are about to soundcheck! how lost can they be?) He’s gonna call me the second he finds them. Ok? Ok.
t-9.32 minutes I email Jason and Cale: Rilo Kiley’s phone died.
t-10 minutes Cale emails back: Phone died, my ass. THEY HATE YOU! I LOVE IT!
t-10.10 minutes Jason emails back: Did you get a chance to ask about my power glove?
(priorities.are.priorities)

Catch Rilo Kiley tonight and tomorrow at 930 club and if you can ask them everything I was about to

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