A Q&A with Jesse Roper
Canadian artist Jesse Roper delivers blues-rooted rock fusion
What’s the title of your latest release, and what does it mean to you?
‘Green Eyed Lady’. It’s about a sex dream I had when I was a teenager. I dreamt I was a superhero fighting crime. I met a leather-clad catwoman-like superheroine. Together we’d fight crime and then fly up to rooftops and make love. It was the best dream and night’s sleep I ever had.
What was the hardest part about putting this release together, and why?
I suppose the hardest part was just writing it. I don’t get to try these out with a band before I take them to the studio so there’s a lot of guesswork on my end about dynamics and feel.
Who produced the release – what did they bring to it? If you produced it yourselves what do you enjoy most about producing your own material?
Gus Van Go produced it and brought it to its current dreamy soulful state. He added the B minor chord in the verse and that really made a difference to the song. He also instructed me on some of the dynamic low parts. He’s a colourful guy and the imagery he used in getting me to picture certain moments was hilarious.
What do you want the listener to take away from listening to your music?
I want the listener to take away the feeling that they want to see my show live.
How does a track normally come together? Can you tell us something about the process?
Usually I write the songs just acoustic. Then I take them to the studio and play them for Gus. Then we get creative and start finding tones and a vibe. I’ll lay a scratch track and a guitar track and we start building around them. It’s like taking a sketch to the art class and then filling it all in with colour.
What band/artists have influenced you the most since you started this project, and why?
Black Joe Lewis. That guy’s music gets me fired up and he’s funny. I really want to see him live one day.
What countries would you like to tour? Are there any standout venues you’d like to play in?
I’d like to tour every darn country in the world!! What a thing it would be to get to the end of your life and say “I played music literally everywhere!” There’s so many cultures to experience and beautiful places to see. I want to see everywhere. Including the moon. I’d play a show on the moon for the Martians – I come in peace!!
If you could pick one track for our readers to listen to in order to get a taste of your music, what would you pick, and why?
‘Green Eyed Lady’! It’s my new single and I’m trying to promote it! Plus, I think it’s great.
What ambitions do you have for the band/your career?
I would like to get to a point where I could pay my guys enough that they could buy houses. Houses bought with hard work, excitement, adventure, and determination. We’re gonna get there.
Finally, as you leave the stage, what are your parting words?
I’d like to die with a guitar in my hand, a smile on my face, a pile of happy people filling up the space, at my show.
Find out more about Jesse Roper at jesseroper.ca
