Iain Baker

1) Do you think you’ve made your best album or are you still hoping to make your best album? If you feel you have made your best, then which one is it?. (Derek McDonald)

It’s a bit of an obvious answer, but i’ll say “wait until the next one”. We’ve done loads of things, and it’s difficult, after so many years, to view the records with anything like fresh ears. In fact, how I feel about the albums, and which one I think was best seems to change from day to day!

2) What’s your goal today as a band? Get a #1 record? Have fun? Something else? And how has that changed from when you first began? (Todd Rosin)

Have fun is definitely at the top of the list. For me, I think it’s about doing what we used to do, but trying to hang on to the memories, and drink in the entire experience. We still get to do gigs, tour, play abroad – and i’m determined to enjoy all of these as much as I always did, and hopefully even more. Being able to still play feels like a bit of a privilege, and i’m more aware of that, as the years go by.

3) If you were to revisit the period of 1989-1993, what advice would you give to yourselves? (David Marsh)

don’t be such a dickhead

4) Back in the late eighties – early nineties what were your most memorable gigs both in europe/UK and North America? (Scott Moon)

Loads, and Loads. In the UK, the shows at the T&C, in Kentish Town. The Hummingbird, in Birmingham, and JB’s, in Dudley. In Europe? There was one in a tiny bar in Zurich, that should have been a disaster, but was really incredible. In the US? There was a show at the Academy in NYC where the energy level was quite unbelievable. Also, The first time we played at the Metro in Chicago. that’s the show that was released on CD, you can hear how mad it was. Also, the two shows we did back-to-back in SF, for a radio station. Two in a row nearly killed us, but by the last few songs, I was totally euphoric, just functioning on absolute adrenalin.

5) What are each of the band members’ favourite songs (both your own and by other groups)? (Tim Yoder)

JJ tunes – Maryland, Broken Bones, It’s The Winning That Counts. WWYK, for live gigs. Other peoples stuff – anything by Lowgold, The Flys, Wim Mertens, Bill Nelson’s Red Noise, Gloria Mundi & Ultravox!

6) You were influenced by house,hip hop & hard rock originally , are those specific influences still there? Do you still listen to bands like public enemy, acdc, etc and who (if any) are your current favs? (James Fletcher)

Still listen to PE, though for classic hip-hop, I prefer the earlier albums. AC/DC? Same again – earlier is better. Current favs? Run The Jewels, New Pornographers, Lucius.

7) Shadiest hotel stayed at while on tour ? Most ‘interesting’ backstage area at a venue ?

Hotel? Hello, The Sandpiper, in Manchester. There were bolts on all of the room doors, should have had one on the main entrance, to stop you getting in, and staying there. It was an absolute shithole. If you ever tried to trash the place, you ended up improving it. Backstage? Europe seemed to have backstage areas that were rather poor, but that’s probably because we were playing toilet venues to begin with.

8) Now that you are older and possibly wiser, do your answers to the questions: Who am I? Where am I? Why do I feel this way? and, Do you feel real? differ significantly from your answers when you first sang them? (Lee Chetwynd)

I have less answers to those questions than I did, all those years ago – but the difference is that now, I don’t care, that I don’t know.

9) Would you encourage your children to wear some of your questionable wardrobe from the early days? Who was the most reluctant to conform with the clothes choice? (Stephen Eales)

Jerry always seemed slightly reluctant, but that’s because stylists always seemed to earmark him for the daftest outfits. Would my kids wear the clothes? Well, mine spend most of the days dressed as Batman, or Ninja Turtles – so they probably wouldn’t bat an eyelid.

10) What was the first record you each bought and do you think it had any influence on what became Jesus Jones? (Marc Yeschant)

Single – In The City, The jam. Album – the Clash – the Clash. We don’t really sound anything like those tow, but I think they made me who I am, and I guess that feeds into the band, somewhere.

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