J o nath o n  F o rd      o f UNWED SAIL O R
		I n t e r v i e w  by M a t t h e w   R a l p h

Once called jokingly "the unwed sailor," the name has since stuck to Jonathan Ford's instrumental project that had its inception not long before he first moved to the Uptown Chicago community known as JPUSA three years ago. Despite a number of personnel changes and only one released album to date, an EP entitled Firecracker, Unwed Sailor have managed to build a solid rapport with other bands and music fans, thanks in part to their memorable Cornerstone performances and Johnathan's connection to Pedro the Lion and Roadside Monument, but largely because of their beautifully moving and passionate music. I caught up with the Oklahoma native after a recent European tour with fellow community band The Blamed.

With the help of the post-Roadside Monument resurgence and a couple remarkable performances at Cornerstone, Unwed Sailor has managed to make a name for itself in the indie scene. I don't know where I'm going with this, but are you excited to finally be releasing a full-length album, something that will show for all of the hype surrounding the band? I am very excited to have a new record completed. It is a great weight lifted off my shoulders. It is almost like giving birth. You have this creation inside of you, just waiting to be unleashed, and when it finally comes out, you feel like a million bucks. I am completely satisfied with the record, the sounds, the songs, everything down to the song order. I am blessed. What is the current situation as far as a drummer is concerned? I know that you have been through a number of members in the group with Nic Tse being the one mainstay. How do you feel the rotation of members affects the band's output and live performances?

At this point, we have a few drummer options. Matt Johnson, Matt Putman, Rory Leitch, and Nathan, are involved with Unwed Sailor. Matt Johnson (Roadside/Blenderhead/etc...) played on the new record, Rory Leitch (Ativin/Early Day Miners) plays the local live shows with us, and Matt Putman (Living Sacrifice/Eso-Charis), and Nathan (Casket Lottery) are lined up for the Unwed Sailor tours. We pretty much have the drummer ground covered. We consider each one of these guys close friends, so it is a joy to work with each one of them. There are some cool positive aspects of having drummer variations. It always keeps the songs fresh and new. Nic and I give each drummer the artistic freedom to add to the songs what they will. We want their individual styles to shine in the songs. There is a basic drumming foundation throughout the songs, but we want the individuals touches to be heard. it is also a great privilege to be able to work with so many talented drummers, and friends. A negative would be the practicing situations; usually it is just me and Nic writing the songs, and practicing. A lot of times we only get one practice with a drummer before a show. In a way that can be exciting, because it really pushes you as a musician and a band. The whole sea theme seems to be popular in the genre of instrumental music. What do you think it is about the sea and the images that evoke the sea that attract you, the one who I recall the term unwed sailor was given. Freedom. Romance. The unknown. The sea has been an escape route for so many people throughout time. When a person becomes dissatisfied with life, the way things are around him, he can escape to the sea. There have been countless stories written about it. I love all the images associated with the sea: ships, mermaids, sailors, anchors, islands, sharks, seahorses, dolphins, shipwrecks. The list goes on. Instrumental music has exploded in the past few years since Unwed Sailor's inception, with bands popping up and disappearing all over the place. do you feel a pressure to create something that will separate Unwed Sailor from the rest of these bands? I want to create unique credible music. I hope that Unwed Sailor's music will stand out from all of the instrumental music out there. A lot of the instrumental music that I have heard tends to lean more to the jam session/jazzy side of things. This kind of instrumental music becomes boring and repetitive to me. I want to create instrumental music that tells a definate story with melody and dynamics. I want the music to inspire and give the listener hope. I want the music to create a visual picture in their mind, to invoke emotions that will spur them forward in a crisis. I want to make instrumental music that makes a difference in people's lives

How do you approach the process of writing an "instrumental" song? Are there words in your mind when you write, or are they more like ideas or images that you then try to translate in the form of notes? A typical Unwed Sailor song starts with a musical idea. The titles and images come after or during the writing of the song. In some cases, the meaning and theme of a song becomes fully realized months after it is completed.

In many interviews I have read, you often talk about your friends and collaborators, often giving props to other bands and musicians who influence and help you and still others that you support. How do you look at the concept of unity and support in the underground music scene? Who are some of the people you respect the most and enjoy working with? I believe that unity in music is very important. I think it is half of the fun of playing music. Some of my best memories are hanging out with other bands, and playing shows together. Having support and friendship from other bands is vital. It can be a vicious lonely scene out there; it is always nice to have friends. I have a long list of people and bands that I respect and enjoy working with. I would start with Dan Burton (Ativin/Early Day Miners). He has been a huge help to Unwed Sailor. He recorded and played on our new record. He has been supportive and helpful to us in so many ways. There are a number of bands.... 238, ester drang, the Handshake Murders, Early Day Miners, the Blamed, Pedro the Lion, the Casket Lottery, Zao, Silver, Lasso, Mile High Hero (Rickey Rodgers), Brandston, the list could go on and on. I am very thankful and blessed to have so many good friends in music. Tell me a little about the recording of "faithful anchor" and the connection with the band the Early Day Miners. How does this recording compare to the previous EP? Dan Burton from Early Day Miners was a big influence on the new record. I consider him an important part of Unwed Sailor. Rory (the drummer from Early Day Miners) plays live with us at our local shows, so there are some pretty important connections between Unwed Sailor and Early Day Miners. I think that the full length is a progression from the EP. I think it is more realized. it is two and a half years worth of writing, as compared to 2 weeks of writing with the EP. It is a much more layered record. There is a lot going on in the songs. For example in one of the endings of the songs, there are 5 bass guitars going at one time. the record is still Unwed Sailor, I mean the EP and the full-length aren't night and day. the full length is just a nice healthy progression for us.

This brings us to the mandatory label and time frame question. Has a label been lined up to put out the record and when is it expected to release? We have not decided on a label yet. We have had a number of offers. We are thinking through this decision very carefully, and we want to make the best possible decision for the record. the record will be out by spring, I do know that. Tell me a little about the 3" series that you are doing with Absalom Recordings. We are really excited about the Absalom 3" release. We are just one of a number of quality releases in the series. Our release should be out by the fall. We have talked about making it an experimental release. You can read all about it on www.absalomrecordings.com

How has living in a community changed the way you approach music and what connection does Unwed Sailor have with what you experience in your daily life at JPUSA? My life experiences are a huge influence on Unwed Sailor. The music is a reflection of life. My belief in Jesus is a major influence in Unwed Sailor. A lot of that belief has been realized here at JPUSA. JPUSA has been very helpful to me in my search for the truth. I have met some sincere, beautiful people here, that will be lifelong friends. All of these factors have a major impact on the band. I went through a pretty hellish relationship here that has helped shape the music of Unwed Sailor. it has inspired me to make music that portrays hope in sadness and depression, to make music that inspires healthy change in life, and to inspire people to move out of the destructive patterns that we can fall into. M a t t h e w   R a l p h

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