Joel Jeschke Discusses His Music and New Record ‘Time & Place’

Well-known and highly regarded for his work on behalf of other artists, Joel Jeschke is taking this opportunity to branch out and define himself as a musician. The drummer is set to release his debut solo album, Time & Place, on November 22nd. This is his first time carrying a whole record as both a composer and bandleader. Featuring nine tracks, Time & Place is a dynamic new release with a very diverse sound. Many of the time signatures are asymmetrical, while harsher moments are evenly balanced with lonely, yearning melodies. As his debut full-length release, Jeschke has used it as an opportunity to try different things. It’s a showcase for imagination and experimentation by a wonderful young Canadian musician.

Outside of recording his own music, Jeschke is a hot commodity as a drummer for hire. He has played and recorded with many high-level jazz and rock acts who look to him for his diverse drumming abilities. To date, Jeschke has played with rock bands such as Royal Tusk and Whale and the Wolf and modern jazz artists like Aretha Tillotson, the Stephanie Urquhart Quartet, and Brett Hansen. The diversity of this experience has positioned him well to possess the skills, knowledge, and experience to make it as a solo artist.

Today, we are pleased to be joined by Joel Jeschke to discuss his music, his new record Time & Place, how he records, tours, and more.

How would you describe your own music?

Joel Jeschke: “I would describe it as an instrumental blend of contemporary jazz, metal, and avant-garde. It’s very intense and plays with extremes; asymmetric time signatures, fast tempos and atonal free-improvisation, but also moments of soft, singable melodies and even pulse.”

How would you describe your creative process?

“My creative process is essentially a series of experiments, or if you prefer, trial and error. I’ll usually mess around on the piano and try and find a melody or a bass line, or maybe some sort of riff and then build off of that. Once I have an idea that I like I’ll try and flesh it out with chords and a groove and see if I can develop it and take it to some different places. I have a tough time finishing ideas, so I usually book a show and force myself to finish one new idea per show.”

Who are your biggest influences?

“For this album in particular, I was influenced by the European artists Phronesis, Emile Parisien Quartet, and Sun-Mi Hong’s Quintet. Sun-Mi and the drummer from Phronesis are both composers themselves which was super inspiring to me as a drummer/composer.

“I take a lot of influence from metal artists as well, bands such as The Number Twelve Looks Like You, Misery Signals, The Dillinger Escape Plan, and Between the Buried and Me.”

Joel Jeschke ‘Time & Place’ album artwork

Tell us more about Time & Place. What was your experience of making it? What went on behind the scenes?

“Time & Place is my debut record under my own name. I’ve been a part of many records over the years, but making one that was entirely my own was very daunting. Luckily I had a great team of musicians, engineers, and a wonderful producer, Mark Segger, who helped me throughout the process. I had been writing music for this album for the past several years, slowly collecting tunes that I felt were finished and would work well together.

“After I finished the arrangements, we did three days of rehearsals and then moved into Studio Bell at the National Music Centre in Calgary. We spent three days in the studio tracking everything live off the floor. The turnaround time was pretty quick after that. August Wanngren mixed it in Denmark and Sofia Von Hage and Thomas Eberger at Stockholm Mastering mastered the album in Sweden. Then it was moved into manufacturing about a month after tracking.”

Which do you enjoy the most, writing, recording, practicing, or playing live?

“It’s a toss-up between recording and playing live for me. Recording is fun because you can get so specific with sounds for each particular song, however, the energy of a live show, especially with an engaged audience, is such a special thing that can only be experienced in that context.”

When you write, do you do so with the live setting in mind, or do you write a song just for the song’s sake?

“I always write for the song’s sake first, however as this record is an instrumental album with lots of improvisation, I do consider creating solo sections for my various band members that they will enjoy stretching out on in a live context.”

Joel Jeschke, photo by Michaela Gilchrist

What is the story behind the name of the new record?

“The album is comprised of songs written about and dedicated to significant times and places in my life. For example, the tracks ‘Koskela’ and ‘Nuuksio’ are both dedicated to places I visited in Finland while studying abroad during my undergrad. Other pieces like ‘The Number Twelve’ and ‘Mammoth’ pull from my teenage years when I was playing in metal bands.”

Is there anywhere you would like to go that you have not been?

“I would love to take this band to Europe. So many of the artists and musicians that inspired the music are based there and I think the music would be well received. I also would love the excuse to travel to Europe and playing some music while I’m there would be a treat.”

Do you have any touring plans in support of the new recording?

“I have a short release tour starting with a hometown show in Edmonton, followed by shows in Calgary and Saskatoon.”

If you were stranded on a deserted island and could only take three CDs with you for eternity (assuming there was a solar-powered CD player), what would they be?

“I would take Life To Everything by Phronesis, The Great Misdirect by Between the Buried and Me, and Dreams by Fleetwood Mac.”