New Release – Maka Wish (album) by Jeff Roberts, part II

Jeff Roberts is a multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter from Charlottesville, Virginia (USA). His album ‘Maka Wish’ will be out April 19th. It’s a musical distillation of a life spent listening to The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, James Brown, David Bowie and a whole lot of others.

Did you have to overcome any difficulties with the writing or recording of the album?

“I don’t want to make the gods angry but the writing comes fairly easily. For someone working alone as a writer and performer who then has to render a finished project within the limits of a home studio, there’s a real challenge trying to put an objective ear to production and mix decisions.”

Is it important for you to have control over all aspects of a project?

“Hell yeah. As pretentious as it sounds, I’m trying to make art. There are better ways to make money if that’s your goal.”

Are you planning any videos for your music?

“Yeah, I do my own home brewed videos. I already have one I made for ‘Ghost Love’, and I’ll be producing others. I often use archival footage, which is a fascinating and rewarding culture dive all its own.”

You use archival footage from films for you music videos. What film should feature your music and why?

“Well I think Nick Hornby’s movies are already spoken for, but I’ll confess that I wrote ‘Regret’ shortly after seeing Juliet Naked. I wrote a soundtrack for a German indie film a few years ago called Das Leben ist Meer. Anything where there’s an honest look at life and characters that aren’t stylized cartoon figures, which basically excludes all large budget American films, quel dommage.”

Is there a sense of excitement or panic for this release?

“I’m excited because with Phoenix Records, in France, I’ve got a distributor and publisher who has a track record of getting music *heard* which, once it’s recorded, is the main thing and a persistent challenge in the saturated musical environment we’re in now.”

Final question, what message do you hope your music sends to listeners?

“I’ll refer back to ‘Penny Lane’ again, and say that I hope it would inspire listeners to look at the fascinating depth, sadness, and beauty that are hiding in plain sight in our everyday lives.”

“I want my music to find listeners who enjoy it. Full stop.”