• the217
• Music
• Catching up with ... Jet W. Lee

Related Media

Related Venues

Canopy Club »
Address: 708 S. Goodwin Ave. Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 367-3140
Show on map

Formed partially out of the ashes of recently defunt locals Post-Historic, Jet W. Lee is the latest project from CU guitarist/vocalist Jesse Johnson. With a clever name and a Pogo Studios produced album in the works, Johnson and co. are preparing for their first headlining show as Jet W. Lee at the Canopy Club on Friday, Oct. 23.

buzz: Jet W. Lee is a fairly new project. How did the band get its start?

Jesse Johnson: The project actually just started over the past summer. We are a trio made up of guitar, drum and bass. We’re just recording our first album at Pogo Studios across the way. In the past, I had played with Pat [Mangan] in Post-Historic, so when the band broke up, we decided to start (another) band. Pat plays just about everything instrument-wise, so it worked out well.

buzz: Is there any significance to the band name?

JJ: After Post-Historic broke up, I played solo under my own name for awhile. I didn’t really like doing that, and there are already a couple other musicians with the name Jesse Johnson, so I was using my middle initial, W. There is this movie, The One, with Jet Lee where in a memorable scene Lee fights with these other versions of himself. Whenever he beats one of those other versions, he gets more powerful. I was joking around with a friend about how it reminded me of the situation with my name and I said I wanted to be like Jet Lee with the name. He suggested Jet W. Lee, and I just ran with it.

buzz: The band is currently working on an album as you mentioned before. How is that going? Can you give us any details?

JJ: The album is about 70-percent done. It’s definitely more than halfway done. It’s 10 songs that are all pretty rock and roll, more rockin’ stuff than Post-Historic did. It’s just really guitar heavy, straight up rock and roll.

buzz: What influences did you have going into the work?

JJ: I’m a huge, huge Neil Young fan. As far as modern bands go, I’m into bands like Metric, My Brightest Diamond. Post-Historic’s last show was at the same time as My Brightest Diamond’s Pygmalion set, so I missed her the last time she was in town. I also like Cat Power, Jack White.

buzz: The band has done a really good job of creating a presence online already with outlets on pretty much every form of social networking that is currently available. Why do you feel this is important for musicians?

JJ: Since this band is all my songs, taking the reigns in this aspect was really really important for me. It’s really tough when you don’t have a ton of fans and you’re new. Nobody will come see you unless they know who you are, so you have to get your name out there.

buzz: What do you have in store for your show at the Canopy Club on the 23rd? Is there anything special fans should look out for?

JJ: We’ll be playing with a Chicago band and locals JigGsaw, so that’ll be cool. This is our first big show and we’re going to play a lot of songs from the upcoming album and a few new songs that actually aren’t going to be on the album. We want to start playing a cover at every show, and we already have plans for Buffalo Springfield at this show. Also, we’re going to have free stickers!