The other day I came across a wonderful CD called Jacques Labouchere. It bears the French name of it’s creator who is an American living in Göteborg. Jacques Labouchere makes simple, melodic songs about love and life. Modest and ambitious at the same time. If I’m forced to make a comparison I would say very much in the spirit of Damon Gough.

I sat down with Jacques at Språkcaféet the other day where we talked about his music and the life in Göteborg:
I came here almost two years ago. I was studying Swedish in the beginning because I couldn’t get a work permit. I then found myself playing in the streets to make money. I started working with different bands in town but I hadn’t really thought of getting into recording. But last winter I talked to Martin Molin from Detektivbyrån and said: Let’s get together. Originally it was supposed to be a solo album; just me and my guitar but in the seven days we recorded it, it became a full instrumentation. We also asked Anders Thunarf of the Oholics to play sitar on couple of tracks.
Monthly: You made it in only seven days?
Well we spent some weeks planning, you know, getting together and talking about it, Martin and myself. But he’s so busy recording and then of course with Detektivbyrån so we put aside seven days and then we had three days mixing and mastering.
I heard someone have been comparing you with George Harrison...
Yeah! That makes me very happy, it’s a huge compliment. I don’t know about that though. I have always been a Beatles fan and I’ve always loved Harrison’s songs. But I was pretty much raised on the Beatles. Evan Dando from Lemonheads is also a really big influence of mine. But I love so much music. You know – you want to sound like a certain band and you say: I want to capture this sound. But while doing that you completely destroy every option of a song just happening. So I don’t know about influences but that’s a wonderful compliment. Lou Reed is also one of my main attractions. I love the simplicity of his songs and the presence they embody.
Tell me about Göteborg...
I think it is a very warm and friendly city. I read an article in the NY Times where they said that Göteborg is the hippest, coolest place in the world, and I was telling everybody that at the time when I moved here. Not because I was living here but because I started to meet some great musicians, like Detektivbyrån and Oholics. People who wanted to create a community where there wasn’t so much of a competition. You know, bands that wanted to get together and help to promote and support one another whether it’s getting upon stages and playing an extra instrument or just being up there in the front row and bringing more people out. I think that the town is really nice in that sense for the artistic community and everybody being so supportive of one another.
You’ve been making music and playing around town. What’s your favourite venue to play?
I think the best venue is Pustervik. And it’s world renowned! I know a lot of touring acts from the US, friends from bands that always mention it as the best venue in Sweden. I don’t know much about the clubs in Stockholm, but in Göteborg I think definitely Pustervik. And I think one of the best culture clubs / club nights to go to in town is Koloni. It brings a great mixture of bands from many different countries, people that you’ve never heard of so you never know what to expect when you go to a night at Koloni.
But you’re settling in Sweden?
Yes, this is definitely my home. I have thought about it many times if I could move back to the US but there is nothing really there for me any more. I am very happy here and I’ve met so many great friends. In Sweden everybody is such a great listener and communicates so much better than in America. You know, in the States you can express your opinion but it always turns into an argument. Here people tend to listen more – I think it’s more of a European thing. But I want to make it more of a home here and try to make more of an effort to speak the language. I’ve only been here two years and it takes a longer time than that…

Monthly says: You can buy Jacques Labouchere’s CD in Bengans Skivhandel at Stigbergstorget. Also check out MySpace.com/labouchere.

By: Hjörtur Einarsson