John Wesley Coleman III has had two knock out records so far this year with more on the way, I got a chance to ask JWC a few questions to find out more about him and why he had to wear a mattress costume...
JWC III! An outlaw? Savage Pilgrim? A shapeshifter?! Tell us who are you and where you come from…I come from Trashville USA orther wise known as Irving, Texas. used to be the home of Dallas Cowboys stadium and some rad skate bros..Irving Hate posse team. I would sit on a curb and listen to the mixtapes on my jambox. Punk Rock. I guess im an outlaw trasher sometimes hustler art baller.
Things are getting surreal over here in the UK with the Queens’ Jubilee this weekend and everyone's bunting (bunting: hanging little flags everywhere, although to me, it sounds rather rude 'I've been bunting' ew) – How are things in your part of the world?slow stirring..elections are soon. i hate voting for the rich..but i hope Obama wins. cannot stand the republican side of things...even though my father is. i live in texas ..where its run by idiots mostly..old oil money and in the closet politicians and drunks. i wish willie nelson would be president!
You work in a variety of forms, what came first, painting, music or writing?very very first thing was drawing cartoons and then piano..and then skateboard and then guitar..
Does one act as a testing ground for trying out ideas to be developed into other mediums, or do keep music, writing and visual stuff separate?it all seems like a plate of mash potatoes with gravy on it! yum.. all blood for vampires and vampire hunters! usually i have add on all things..i wanna do it all at once..slot machine style
I named this blog after a Francis Bacon quote, and something he said rang out in my mind while putting these questions together - "I believe in deeply ordered chaos’". It looks like you keep pretty busy - are you the type of person who thrives in chaos?chaos works. but chaos causes a lot of messes. i like to clean things up over time. im a slow mopper like Melvin in the Toxic avenger! rad fillum. no good answer. i love carl sagan!
With a background in writing– how important is storytelling in your songs?it is no different to me than watching TV. "tube" i gotta let you know my insight i guess..bus ride..cat and dog..hot concrete..dirty swimming pool..bad game of billiards with some celebrities. thrashin!
Have any influences on your work changed from when you were a kid?uhmm the value of friendship has influenced my song writing skills..but mainly not so much different than when i was a kid. maybe more sad. but not real sad. happy/sad. tim buckley but not heroin. that shit is stupid. maybe like a "a dried out piece of plywood in the heat of the summer with no shade to protect it and one lonely skateboarder starring at the lonely birds on the fence trying to drink from the skies."
How important is it to have a sense of humour in what you do?very very important! makes the world round.
The thing I really enjoy about your work is focus on trash and the trashy, turning rubbish into art. It got me thinking, at what point does trash turn into 'art'? A urinal hung in a gallery, The Ramones first record being compared to toilets flushing, the band, the Urinals -- all these guys made people see something more in something ugly...where's the line?well ughh art is fart. me dig deep for something so shallow.
Who do you imagine listens to your records?not sure. i met a shrink who likes my records in chicago. boys and girls and men and women. my dog and cat does too!! no very many police do. punk rockers like some of it and so do songwriter people sometimes...fishermen. drug addicts. pub crawlers.
What’s been a memorable moment whilst touring so far?timmy vulger's bbq in detroit.
holding dan mcgee's baby in NC. she cried. i stink.
Do you prefer playing or recording?i love both extremely satisfying!
What if any current bands do you follow?all my friends bands. hard to say..label mates and austin bands. uhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
walter daniels...uhhmmmmmmmmm neil michael haggerty.......spider bags...timmy vulger...followed by static...list goes on...justin robertson!
What's the worst job you’ve ever had? wearing a mattress costume out in the summer heat trying to sell mattresses. barbacking at the beauty bar during sxsw. bs! job. gross
Any future projects coming up that we can watch out for? new full length coming out on Tic Tac Totally. a couple of singles. working on a new album now. sounds like clockwork orange punk santana..very hippie jammy..no one will like it. but me.
"I’m full of dust and guitars’ Syd Barrett – if you were sliced in half what would be inside? cheeseburgers and bad jokes!
John Wesley Coleman III
Blog Records Golden Boys
