We are the wild beast

Indian Jewelry is an extremely talented psych/electro/rock group based in Houston.  Let's get to know Tex from Indian Jewelery, shall we?

Hi, this is Tex. 

What is the art/music scene like in Houston?

Here, everything is feast or famine.  Art with a capital A has lots of money.  Music, at least our kind of music, doesn't attract that money. But a lot of our musician friends also have strong visual aesthetics.  As much as I hate to say it (I don't like to encourage the art world since it has done very little to encourage me) we all have some of that art mixing with the mercury in our blood.

How did you meet one another and did you start making music right away or was it a gradual process?

We fell in love in 1999.  After that we started working together.

Can you discuss the album art for Totaled and Free Gold (i.e. who did the art/photos, the symbology, etc.)?

Our friend Domokos Benczedi (Future Blondes/Rusted Shut) made the art for Free Gold. I think it was meant to be a sigil, a spell to take us all to Europe and to Africa. The original lettering read "EU IJ." We switched it to "FU IJ" trusting that our meaning would be clear, and subsequently went on a psychologically punishing tour of Europe. We never made it to Africa. That's what you get for messing with magic.

For Totaled, we took a different route. Erika and I came up with the idea of a photograph of us standing beside a wrecked white porsche.  We liked the image. I don't know what it means exactly- the lie of appearances, the collapse of glamor, time's winged chariot drawing ever near....  Anyway, as soon as we had the idea we called our photographer and friend, Aaron Farley. We've been working with him off and on for five years, he photographed us in 2005 for the cover of a LA alternative magazine, and he photographed us again in 2006 for our "Invasive Exotics" publicity stills on horseback. This time, per usual, we told him what we wanted and we told him we had no money for props.  He, being resourceful, found the car within an afternoon. 

Where do you think the best music scene is right now?  Have you been there/played there?

We've been touring with this band for seven years now, so we've played in a lot of cities in the US. I don't mean to cop out, but it is always changing.  The midwest in 2004-2005 was truly jamming and exciting.  The Coasts (Pacific, Atlantic, Cook County-Lake Michigan, seldom the Gulf) always get attention, I think most of the magazines and labels are based there. Occasionally that attention is justified.  Our friends here in Houston do an awful lot of great things for almost no return. Anywhere, the work of a few tireless creative people can set an entire city reeling. 

Who is your biggest inspiration, creatively speaking?

Nicanor Parra, Willie Nelson, and my mother.

What are your touring plans for the next year?

When the whip cracks the bear in the tutu will dance.

Do you have anything else you'd like readers to know?

Get off the internet and meet your neighbors.  When you can't do that: read about some of our friends here: http://swampbats.wordpress.com  Thanks!

Love and peace,

Reniazen