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Jay Farrar | |
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.jpg) Farrar performing at theEl Rey Theatre in April 2007 | |
| Background information | |
| Also known as | Cane Skretteburg |
| Born | Jay Stuart Farrar[1] (1966-12-26)December 26, 1966 (age 58) Belleville, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Years active | 1984–present |
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| Website | jayfarrar |
Jay Stuart Farrar (born December 26, 1966) is an American songwriter and musician based inSt. Louis. A member of two critically acclaimed music groups,Uncle Tupelo andSon Volt, he began his solo music career in 2001. Beyond being a songwriter, Farrar plays guitar, piano, harmonica, and sings.
Farrar formedUncle Tupelo withJeff Tweedy andMike Heidorn in 1987 after the lead singer of their previous band, The Primatives, left to attend college. The trio recorded three albums for Rockville Records, before signing withSire Records and expanding to being a five-piece. Shortly after the release of the band's major label debut albumAnodyne, Farrar announced his decision to leave the band owing to a soured relationship with his co-songwriter Tweedy. Uncle Tupelo is often mentioned as one of the originators of thealt-country genre of music or subgenre of country music which combines country, folk, and/or bluegrass with punk rock, alt-rock, indie rock, or other genres.
After the dissolution of Uncle Tupelo in 1994, Farrar formed the rock groupSon Volt, whose original lineup released three albums in the late 1990s, before undergoing a hiatus in 1999. In 1999, Farrar was invited to participate in thetribute album forMoby Grape co-founderSkip Spence, who was terminally ill with cancer. The album,More Oar: A Tribute to the Skip Spence Album (Birdman, 1999), was an album ofcover versions of the songs on Spence's only solo album,Oar (Columbia, 1999). In 2005, the band re-formed with a different lineup and has released seven additional albums.
In 1995, Farrar collaborated with Kelly Willis on the song "Rex's Blues", which appeared onRed Hot + Bothered, anAIDS benefit album produced by theRed Hot Organization. As a solo artist, he has released two full-length albums, two EPs, one film score, and various live recordings. His full-length albums areSebastopol (2001) andTerroir Blues (2003), the first released on theindependent record label Artemis Records and the second released on his own label, Transmit Sound.
An EP of songs from theSebastopol sessions, entitledThirdShiftGrottoSlack was released in 2002. His score for theindependent filmThe Slaughter Rule (2002, directors Alex and Andrew Smith) was released in 2003 on the independent record label Bloodshot Records. Farrar formed his own independent record label in 2003,Transmit Sound (formerly called "Act/Resist Records"). In 2004, Farrar released a six-song live acoustic EP entitledLive EP. Also 2004 marked the release of the live CD/DVDStone, Steel & Bright Lights.
Farrar worked closely with keyboardistSteven Drozd ofThe Flaming Lips during the recording ofSebastopol. Eric Heywood,Mark Spencer from theBlood Oranges, and the rock groupCanyon have often accompanied Farrar in his solo recordings and performances. Spencer is now a full-time member of Son Volt. In 2006, Farrar announced the formation of a new band,Gob Iron, with Varnaline's Anders Parker. The songs which would make up their debut album were recorded in autumn 2004, while Farrar was in the process of recording a new Son Volt album. In April 2019, Parker and Farrar released a7-inch single using the Gob Iron moniker.
Farrar collaborated withBen Gibbard (of the indie rock bandDeath Cab for Cutie) to create all of the music for the soundtrack for the 2009 documentary filmOne Fast Move or I'm Gone, aboutJack Kerouac's time spent atBig Sur. Thesoundtrack was released on October 20, 2009.[2] In 2012, Farrar along withWill Johnson,Yim Yames, andAnders Parker collaborated on theWoody Guthrie archive project,New Multitudes.
His musical style ranges from sparse, unaccompaniedfolk music to fullrock and roll band arrangements comparable toNeil Young orDinosaur Jr. His solo recordings also often include sound experiments, reminiscent of psychedelia, with a distinctEastern bent. One of the hallmarks of his sound is the use of alternate tunings on theguitar. His love forWoody Guthrie inspired a custom guitar made byCreston Lea ofBurlington, Vermont. The guitar was made from artifacts Farrar gathered from the site of Guthrie's childhood home.
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