Jim Andralis is known for his poignant narratives, diving deep into the human experience, and exploring the darker corners of the heart to find profound beauty and offer solace. He began his musical journey with the NYC punk band The Isotoners, eventually branching out into solo projects and collaborations that have garnered critical acclaim. Andralis also co-hosts the country music variety show Grand Ole Pubry at Joe’s Pub, where he performs regularly alongside his husband, Larry Krone. His latest album, Ghosts, is his fifth LP, continuing his exploration of the nature of haunting and the interplay between love and music.
SJ: Hey Jim! We’re excited to dive into your new album!
JA: Hey! Come on in! The water is sad but also pretty!
1. SJ: How has your musical journey evolved from a NYC punk band, The Isotoners, to co-hosting a country music variety show called "Grand Ole Pubry"?
JA: I tend to shift between two gears. This new record is really an exploration of my own grieving process, and an attempt to connect with how deep, fucked up, and beautiful it can feel to love people who aren’t physically here anymore. The other gear is adolescent silliness with a whisper of filth. The Isotoners and Grand Ole Pubry both work those muscles. You’re with your friends and you want to give one another and the audience a good time. I also just really love Country music. It’s so fun to sing, and there’s a lot of heart there too! So I toggle back and forth. Those two gears definitely exist in relationship and reaction to each other. I go deep and sad, then I sing "Hit the Ground Fuckin’" with my friend Bridget. And on it goes!
2. SJ: Your new release is your fifth LP titled, Ghosts. The album grapples with the questions: "Is New York City haunted?" "Is this planet haunted?" Or, "Are these apparitions mere constructs of a mind grappling with grief and seeking comfort?" So what were your findings? Is everything haunted?
JA: TOTALLY. While I must say that my findings are anecdotal, yes. Everything is haunted. I take a lot of comfort in that, when I can remind myself to be open to whatever is around me. I feel my ancestors, my friends who’ve gone, generations of queer people who still feel like neighbors. But when I’m going through something and fighting my own reaction to it, I lose access to all of it and all of them. I’m all jammed up and I just feel left. And that experience is definitely represented on this record too.
3. SJ: Where did you find your inspiration for the themes and storylines across the record? Was there a specific moment that sparked your interest and inspiration for this record?
JA: The loss of my friend and vocal coach Barbara Maier Gustern was a huge one. She was 87 years old and possibly the most engaged, vital person I knew. And she was taken very violently. I am one of many who are still very messed up by her death. While I miss her beyond my capacity to express it, I also feel her around all the time. And I feel really clear that wherever she is, she is fine. I’m not, but she is. So a big inspiration is definitely her, but also whatever that thread is that appears between our dimensions. Just yesterday, I was walking to the post office thinking about my own death, and I swear I felt my friend Anastasia piping in to say, "I already did it. I’m good. You’ll do it and be good too." And I believe it was her.
4. SJ: What was your songwriting process like for this record? Recording process? Were there specific musical influences that helped shape this record?
JA: Most of these songs had an urgency about them, like they were demanding to be exorcised from my heart. So they came quickly. I was processing and living though several big losses, and this seems to be how I do that. My friends and I had just done our record release show for my last record, and I remember my friend Julie laughing when I said, “I think I already have the next one.” I also remember the first day we recorded the band. I apologized to them and my friend Tom who records and produces all my stuff. The songs felt so dark, and I felt so raw sharing them. But something about their human and musical gifts really helped the songs transcend the feeling I had when I wrote them. It’s the best experience when people you love transform something you wrote in your darkest moments into something hopeful and beautiful.
5. SJ: How has your process and musical style maintained the same or differed from your previous records?
JA: I think I have taken baby steps over the years toward believing that what I have to express is worth hearing. And as my confidence grows, I think my songwriting gets better. I trust my heart more, and trust that it will make sense to others if it makes sense to my little heart. But it’s still me. I do not know how to play tons of chords, but my emotional vocabulary is vast!
SJ: What is one song you wish Jim Andralis wrote?
JA: In general, I feel more appreciative than jealous when I hear a song I could never write. I really do believe each of us has something unique to offer and impossible to duplicate. However! Every time I feel the exaltation and catharsis of a key change, I know that my limited guitar skills may prevent me from providing that flavor of joy with my songs. So, I guess "People in Love" by Lou Johnson and "Down So Low" as sung by Dee Dee Warwick. If you are reading this, please listen to both of those now!
SJ: What’s next for Jim Andralis?
JA: I’m really going to try and take some kind of break before recording more music, but I have a hard time doing that. I have the songs! I’d really love to spend some time living in the world of this record and playing these songs for as many people who would care to listen.
SJ: Thanks so much for taking the time to chat with us!
JA: Oh my God thank YOU. I really appreciate these questions!
Cover Art: Larry Krone
Listen to Ghosts below!
Credits:
Words and Music: Jim Andralis
"Song for a Vampire" - Annie Lennox
Recording, Production, Mix: Tom Beaujour at Nuthouse Recording
Master: Alan Douches at West West Side Music
Syntonics: Julie DeLano, Leslie Graves, Susan Hwang, Jessie Kilguss and Larry Krone
Guitar: Tom Beaujour
Bass, Keys, Strings: Joan Chew
Trumpet: Matt Colbourn
Drums: Ray Kubian
Guitar: Josh Lattanzi
Accordion: Jim Andralis
Comments