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Jimmy Eat World: Having Fun With It
by Dave Cohen

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Arizona’s finest are at it again. With the recent release of their new record Futures, Jimmy Eat World are back out on the road, giving fans yet another glimpse of how much success hard work brings. Guitarist Tom Linton took a few minutes out of their hectic schedule to chat about the new record, working with a new producer, and the music that fuels them out on the road.

In ’99 Jimmy Eat World delivered their sophomore major-label album Clarity, which turned into the album that gained them a well-deserved respect and top spot on the indie-rock circuit. Consequently, the label that released the groundbreaking record would be the same label that dropped the band. It was a blessing in disguise, however, allowing the band to do things their way. They toured forever on support of the record, built a gigantic underground following, recorded a new album on their own bill, and found themselves once again with labels pounding at their door. With that, they had the freedom and power to find a home at a label that they felt most comfortable with, and one that would care about them the most.

They decided to go with DreamWorks Records. They were then able to release Self-titled/Bleed American and find success in the mainstream. Just recently DreamWorks actually folded into Interscope records. This sort of change can be scary for some bands, but it seems to be working out well for Jimmy Eat World. Tom commented on this change, saying, “…So far Interscope has been doing a really good job. More than we can ask. We like the record and they’re working pretty hard. Especially when so many bands are on the label.”

Futures is turning into their biggest success to date, not only in numbers but in quality as well. Many are even comparing it to the groundbreaking quality of Clarity. “Every record we do we try to beat out the last record and I think we…you know…we definitely did,” said Tom. When asked about the comparison to Clarity, Tom said, “I’ve heard quite a few people say that and compare Futures to Clarity. I think I can…yeah, I can kinda see how people can compare the two records because Futures kinda lends itself to songs like Clarity songs. Songs that have some layers on them.”

Perhaps one of the reasons Futures turned out the way it did is due to a huge change in the album-making process. Since their first release, Jimmy Eat World has put their songs in the hands of super-producer Mark Trombino. With Futures, Jimmy Eat World decided to change things up a bit and go with producer Gil Norton (Foo Fighters, Pixies, Counting Crows). Such a change is pretty drastic for a band, especially after working with someone for so long. “It was a little weird at first, but you know once we kinda got to know each other a little better, it ended up being a lot of fun,” remarked Tom.

Although Jimmy Eat World decided to try something new with Futures, they have plans to stick with their reputation of touring and go with what they know. The band plans to be out on the road for at least the next year to year and a half. Tom gave a preview of the next month or so, saying, “This [next] run we are just playing some radio shows. Were playing with Franz Ferdinand, Cake… The cool thing about it is playing in front of people who haven’t heard you before…live. So that’s kinda fun. Most of the times we play those, a lot of our fans come out too so it ends up being fun.” They should be back around the Bay Area sometime this spring.

Being on the road for that long only allows for the development of some pretty eclectic taste in music. When asked what music gets Jimmy Eat World through some of their long drives, Tom laughed, “…Kinda all over the place. The new Elliott Smith, Wilco, Yo La Tengo, Spiritualized, Slayer…” It seems more than appropriate to throw some Slayer up in the mix of influential musicians like Elliott Smith and Wilco.

Jimmy Eat World is quickly becoming hall of famers for this generation of music and there will be many who desire to follow in their footsteps. For this, Tom gives some good insight as to exactly how Jimmy Eat World did things for themselves: “I think the main thing is first of all just finding a band that you can get along with. Like the guys or girls and…the second thing I suggest is make the music you like and have fun with it.”

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