on jeff buckley and music
an interview with jomana
On a particularly chilly evening in the early fall of 2022, I heard my dad blasting a concert from the living room. Curious to know who he was listening to, I walked into my living room and stood by the TV as a guy wearing a light blue blouse and a guitar around his waist was belting in a falsetto on the screen. “Have you ever heard of Jeff Buckley?” my dad asked me. His name immediately sounded familiar to me and for some reason, I remembered my dad telling me he had passed from years prior to that. I told him I hadn’t listened to him but that I knew of him. In that moment, I went back to my room and looked for him on Spotify. I then found ‘Grace’ and skimmed through the album in a haste (trust me, I’m still kicking myself for it...). Despite the quick and inattentive skimming, however, I ended up finding two songs I really liked — ‘Lover, You Should’ve Come Over’ which was the song my dad had told me was his favorite, and ‘Forget Her’, which, to my surprise, I later found out that Jeff himself had hated. I listened to these two songs on repeat during the following months of fall, but that was about it.
Then, as New Year’s Eve all of a sudden rolled around, I came across a short clip of Jeff reciting his poem ‘New Year’s Prayer’ and something happened to me... I was completely mesmerized by this poem he was reading out loud to a small audience in a coffeehouse, his choice of words and the way he carried himself all put me in a trance. My first reaction was ‘of course he wrote all of these beautiful songs...’. The following day, I was watching and reading every interview, listening to every song, and just trying to keep myself from going insane. From out of the blue, I had found the most incredibly compelling artist to ever grace the Earth. Everything he said, everything he sang, it all just made perfect sense to me. There was something so intriguing about him that stood out from the long line of masterminds behind my other favorite albums and songs. I loved how there was no filter to him, and how he would always speak his mind so eloquently. I loved the way he wrote in his journals and the way he chose to express himself through words and music. Everything about him was just so real.
I knew right from the beginning that it was more than just an obsession with a musician. Thanks to him, I was able to discover a whole different world of music. Without even realizing it, I was listening to everything with a whole new mindset. What excited me even more was that every single one of my favorite artists who I had been listening to prior to Jeff were also his favorites, or even friends of his — Nina Simone, Cocteau Twins, The Stone Roses, The Smiths, Led Zeppelin, Billie Holiday, and Björk, to name a few... This alone made me feel like I was meant to find him, to discover Jeff and his art in order to not only make better sense of myself, but also the music I was listening to. He has definitely helped me re-realize my love for music, and has inspired me immensely with my own. It was all just a matter of time.
Thanks to Jeff, I have also been lucky enough to find these beautiful people who view music the same way I do, one of them being Jomana. Because he is practically the basis of our friendship, I have decided to compose an interview in regards to Jeff and his music, to talk to her about what makes him such a special, one-of-a-kind artist, and why she is so captivated by him and his art.
I know that we could spend hours and hours talking about Jeff and music, but I want to start easy with you... What was the first song by him that you fell in love with?
It’s not really a song by him, but a song that made me realize that he was actually incredible was his cover of ‘I Know It’s Over’ since my sister was a huge fan of the Smiths, and I listened to Jeff’s cover instead of the original thinking that it was his song. But the first song by him that I loved was ‘I Want Someone Badly’. I think the reason why I loved it so much was because of how powerful his voice was. The first three seconds or so had already done it for me the first time I listened because of how incredible he sounded. It was unlike anything I’d ever heard before. I was shocked.
When it comes to Jeff’s music, what is it that resonates with you the most about it?
There’s so much I could say oh my God… But if I had to pick one thing it would probably be how authentic and real his songs feel, what with his honest lyrics and raw vocals. It’s like every song is a different emotional experience and it just makes them sooo special. Especially with some of his more quiet songs that haven’t been properly produced in a studio and all. It doesn’t feel like he’s just singing for his job, it’s so obvious how passionate he is about his music, and it sometimes almost feels like he’s singing for you, if you know what I’m trying to say… His songs feel so pure and not heavily commercialized in any sense, and I just love that so much.
What are your favorite Jeff lyrics?
That question is almost impossible to answer... But at the moment, I think my favorite lyric is “I love your voice and your dance insane” from ‘Dream Brother’ because it’s just such a beautiful way of wording what he was trying to say. I’m not sure how to explain, but he made a sentence that could’ve been so simple into something so hauntingly beautiful, especially the “dance insane” part. Also, the way he sings it in the song is beautiful and always gives me chills. My favorite Jeff lyrics are personally his most simple because they may seem super on the nose and not too deep when read, but with his delivery it gives those so-called ‘simple words’ such a unique and almost significant sound. It’s just incredible.
What is one song by Jeff you wish you could see him perform live?
Again, almost impossible to answer… But the first one that comes to mind is instantly ‘Mojo Pin’. No performance of that song is the same and he truly put so much heart and passion into every single live performance of that song. It is so beautiful and almost rewarding to hear — it actually feels like a privilege to hear and see how he makes the song truly come to life onstage. If I saw it live I genuinely think I’d pass out…
What is the most common set of emotions that you tend to feel when listening to Jeff’s music? Or is it different every time?
I’d say different every time in terms of super specific emotions that I feel, like I definitely don’t feel the same when I listen to like ‘Yard of Blonde Girls’ and ‘Lover, You Should’ve Come Over’… But I’d say that I always feel almost hypnotized by whatever song I’m listening to by him, it’s like his songs actually put me in a trance or something, and all I can focus on when I listen to them is the music. I can’t ever play his music as background noise because I’ll end up getting distracted from whatever I’m doing and I’ll just be completely focused on the music.
If you could go back in time and hear one of Jeff’s songs for the first time again, which one would you choose?
I’d say ‘So Real’. It was definitely the song that made me become super into Jeff. I had — obviously — previously realized that he was amazing through his other songs but ‘So Real’ is what made me realize that I needed to listen to ‘Grace’. It was completely unlike anything else I’d ever heard before, but not in like a weird way, more in like a “I didn’t know songs could actually be this good” way. I remember being in literal shock after I heard it. I had no clue what I was expecting but it definitely wasn’t something that incredible, and I’m so grateful that I ran out of skips that day so I had to listen to it…
If Jeff was still alive, what would you tell him if you got to meet him?
I would ramble on a lot, mostly about how incredible he is and how much his music means to me. Something specific I’d tell him is probably how impactful his music is for so many different people, all because of his vulnerability in his songs and records. I’d definitely tell him to keep being honest and real because that’s what makes people feel that strong connection to the music, and I would thank him a ton for how much his music and honesty has impacted me in so many different ways!
Finally, what is the most ideal way to listen to Jeff?
Personally, I’d say on any form of physical media — preferably vinyl because everything sounds better on vinyl — and with ‘Grace’ specifically, listening to it on vinyl with the lights off, and incense and candles lit is the most perfect way to fully experience the album in the way I believe it was intended to be listened to. Also no distractions! The music is too good and needs to be fully focused on to be truly understood and enjoyed. But honestly, anything that works is great, I mostly listen to his music on vinyl and CD, but as long as the music is being enjoyed it’s all good!
And Jomana is very much right about that last part, so don’t forget to take notes. There is nothing that could compare to the lingering scent of nag champa incense filling the room as Jeff’s fervent vocals and wailing guitar break through the smoke, causing your body, soul and mind to float into what seems like an alternate universe... To explain it in subtle terms, it is an otherwordly experience. I highly recommend!
photography by guido harari, 1995
