A Dirty Dozen with JARVIS ANDERSON from IGLU & HARTLY – October 2022

According to a recent press release: “On the 14 year anniversary of Iglu & Hartly’s 2008 debut album & Then Boom, the band has released an expanded deluxe edition of the LP, featuring 3 original demos, an unreleased song from that era, and one brand new song (“Don’t Let Go”). Formed in the foothills of Colorado by singer/writer/producer Jarvis Anderson, The indie pop group Iglu & Hartly started as a group of friends who heeded the call west to Los Angeles. The synth-heavy band cut its teeth simultaneously in the glitter and grime of Y2K Hollywood and found itself a home in the punk rock legacy of Hermosa Beach, CA. These early California experiences inspired their 2008 debut record & Then Boom, which included the worldwide hit “In This City.” We get band founder Jarvis to discuss new music, influences, and more…

1. Tell us a little about your latest release.  What might a fan or listener not grab the first or second time they listen through?  Are there any hidden nuggets you put in the material or that only diehard fans might find?

Great question! I am so PROUD and excited about this release- a DELUXE version of our debut record & Then Boom. This commemorates the 14th anniversary of that record, which birthed the single “In This City,” which gained worldwide attention.  I wanted to include original demos of 3 songs that I think are the bedrock of that record- “In This City”, “Violent and Young,” and “DayGlo.” It’s so special to hear these early renditions and I am excited to hear about people’s experiences with them. From that same era we are also including an unreleased fan favorite from our live sets, “The Pajama Song,” which used to end our sets. We would basically invite the crowd up on stage to rock out with us and dance mayhem would ensue. And the cherry on top: A new song has been written, recorded and released for the occasion called “Don’t Let Go.” I hope you all will hear the heart and feel the “push the dream forward” energy woven into this track. Essentially this song is a way to tell myself not to give up on this amazing journey of Iglu & Hartly. I found myself recently imagining myself as an old man with more road behind than ahead, pining on the what-ifs.

2. What got you into music, and can you tell us about the moment you realized you wanted to be a musician?

As a young kid, maybe 4 or 5 I would kind of make beats with my mouth and make up little melodies and tunes.  I always was making some sort of music inadvertently in that way and that just kind of built into being a musician.

3. Building on that, is there a specific song, album, performer, or live show that guided your musical taste?

A lot of 90’s pop and R&B was my first big “WOW”  listening moments where I just became enchanted. I was  like 9 or 10 listening on the clock/radio in my room.  I am not ashamed to say my first cd purchase was Ace of Base.

4. If you could call in any one collaborator to do a song with, who would it be, and why?

Stevie Nicks would be incredible Iglu & Hartly collab because her voice is just intertwined into the musical universe.  So distinctive and real, such songwriting talent.

5. What is your favorite activity when out of the studio and/or not on tour?  What do you like to do to unwind?

I love to do Yoga to center myself amid the hurricane of life.  Mike Bucher, Iglu & Hartly’s bassist, is my Yoga teacher.  It’s a beautiful thing to find balance in your life. The ying and the yang so to speak. He is great, highly recommend a session with him.

6. How would you describe your music to someone who’d never listened to you before? What is the one comparison a reviewer or fan has made that made you cringe, or you disagreed with?

I’d say Iglu & Hartly sounds like Tom Petty and Tina Turner jamming at a party and then MGMT and 21 Pilots walk through the door  out of nowhere.  I don’t cringe at any comparison any longer.  Iglu & Hartly has the most polarizing combination of sounds (synths, rap verses, 80’s guitar solos) and have gotten so many weird comparisons over the years.  I think I do button the songs up quite nicely, but that’s for you to decide as the listener.

7. When your band is hanging out together, who cooks, who gets the drinks in, and who is first to crack out the acoustic guitars for a singalong?

Guilty on all counts!

8. When was the last time you were starstruck and who was it?

Brandon Flowers

9. What is the best part of being a musician? If you could no longer be a musician for whatever reason, what would be your dream job?

The best part of being a musician is being able to exercise your creativity at a moments notice.  Just being able to sit down at an instrument and work out something cool is a priceless activity.  Really cant beat it.  Another dream job?  An Excavator operator.

10. What is one question you have always wanted an interviewer to ask – and what is the answer? Conversely, what question are you tired of answering?

One question I’ve always wanted to be asked was how musical ideas are born.  Where do they come from?  A higher power?  A series of melodic memories from other music you’ve stored on your brain’s hard drive?  A pure emotion?  This is the questions that need answers. Tired of answering?  Not currently tired of answering questions.  Check in tomorrow.

11. Looking back over your career, is there a single moment or situation you feel was a misstep or you would like to have a “do over,” even if it didn’t change your current situation?

I don’t think there are missteps, just lessons.  A “do over” would maybe be to go outside more instead of cooped up in the studio for years… but then again that is because I am drawn to making music so much. Hmm tough one!

12. If you could magically go back in time and be a part of the recording sessions for any one record in history, which would you choose – and what does that record mean to you?

Michael Jackson’s BAD.  I want to see how that record unfolded.  The pure flow of it.

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Category: Interviews