Prompted by their recent Jade Tree album release, So Much Staying Alive and Lovelessness, Chicago-based Joan of Arc has been touring the U.S. for the past five weeks. Joan of Arc is a project by instrumentalist and vocalist Tim Kinsella (Cap'n Jazz, Owls) including an ever-changing lineup of artists. Their sixth full-length album was released on February 4th.

I sat down with Tim Kinsella of Joan of Arc on Tuesday, March 18th for an interview before their show at the Ann Arbor bar The Blind Pig. Kinsella was friendly but seemingly "out of it" as if he had already performed and was unable to stay focused. We ventured to the upstairs to be greeted (or not) by the other band members, all equally apathetic.

When asked how he would describe his music to someone who had never heard it before, Kinsella paused and replied with, "broken..", a word he "just read off of the wall." His response was just about as broken as his whimsical songs that "break" free of any real structure, including tempo changes, random noise and anything unexpected or experimental.

His response could also be metaphorical for his band's entire state of being. Joan of Arc's current lineup has only been together for the past 5 weeks, according to Kinsella, who says the band is in constant "flux" due to frequent member changes and revolving.

Having no preference about show sizes, Kinsella says that any venue that has a private bathroom for the band works fine for him. As for musical influences, Kinsella replies with "transcendence and redemption," and goes on to describe that certain bar of music under pressure where the music goes from nothing at all then takes off into a loud dramatic sound. He feels neutral about being called "emo" and also feels neutral about other younger artists with similar music. A friend of his once brought him to a Dashboard Confessional concert, but he doesn't remember feeling one way or another about it.

Spawned off of Kinsella's former band Cap'n Jazz, which included singer/guitarist Davey von Bohlen who moved on to form the indie-pop/rock band The Promise Ring, the guys of JOA continue to be a part of other musical projects. Some include Friend/Enemy, Owls, Pinebender, Rabbit Rabitt, Owen, An Automotive and Ghosts and Vodka. JOA has been signed with Jade Tree for 8 years, originally finding them through friends of friends. "It was very natural, we were around them a lot," said Kinsella.

Any and all negative (or "neutral") opinions I formed about the band were entirely changed upon their performance. As one fan I talked with pointed out, the guys aren't into the other side of music, the glamour; and it shows. Other bands might have a lot more to say about their own music, about what makes them special, but Kinsella and his troupe know that they don't need words to back up what they've got going--And it is truly something remarkable. Some songs will leave you teary eyed and reflective where as others may leave you just plain confused. This type of candid pop music isn't for everyone but Kinsella's vision is certainly worthy of respect. Joan of Arc aren't afraid to take chances and mix things up. Letting their creative intuition lead them, the result is a mature and distinctive mix of emotion and raw talent.

SUJ: Compared to your other albums [note: How Memory Works (Jade Tree, 1998) and A Portable Model (Jade Tree, 1997)], So Much Staying Alive and Lovelessness is said to have a somewhat different sound. Do you recognize the change?

Tim: The album was just made to keep ourselves interested. You never want to get too much into a routine. [The new sound] wasn't really a decision, it just came about. Instead of using computers and technology as much.. it's just more acoustic.

SUJ: You've been around for a while and must have a pretty loyal fan base. Do you anticipate that you'll attract new fans with the new album and more acoustic sound?

T: No, we were just aiming to keep ourselves interested. Not to say that we don't want new fans, or anything..

SUJ: Who plays what instruments in the band?

T: When we record, we all just play whatever. I play guitar and sing. On the records there are 15-20 people playing. We really just sit around and switch instruments, whoever feels like playing what, and it brings about new ideas.

SUJ: So it's the most natural creative process, then...

T: Right.. We'll be like, "do you want to play drums now?" "Nah." Then it's like "oh, check this out.."

SUJ: You write the majority of lyrics on the album, right?

T: On the two recent albums out of 25 songs I wrote all with the exception of 3, who were written and sang by someone else.

SUJ: What comes first, the lyrics or the music?

T: The songs are written really separately. Then the music and lyrics mesh together. It's a lot more collaborative. We take fragments of things then put them together.

SUJ: How has the tour been, and where are you headed next?

T: It's been really good. We toured the west coast for a couple of weeks, after this we're headed to the east coast. For this half we're with The Love of Everything, who has our guitar tech, Bobby, and we back the band. [note: Bobby says JOA are touring Europe next.]

SUJ: Are there any musical acts you'd like to collaborate with in the future?

T: I like bands like.. Lung Fish, Can, Dollhouse. I'm a big fan of like, Neat New Body, which is out of Philadelphia, and Hella who's out of California. Those are bands that speak to me the most.

SUJ: You've been compared to Gastr Del Sol a lot. What artist might you compare your music with most closely?

T: Probably.. Led Zepplin.