Kate Jacobs
started writing songs in the pre-gentrified Hoboken of the late 80’s, and teamed with neighbors Dave Schramm (Yo La
Tengo, The Schramms) and James McMillan (The Cries, Water Music) to perform and
record them. Kate released four albums with Bar/None, and recently opened
Little City Books in Hoboken, a neighborhood bookstore that often hosts
readings and musical events.
KATE JACOBS: In 1992 I made an album, cassette-only, and
sold it out of my kitchen. I’d been playing around Hoboken and New York for a
couple of years and had a really good local band — including James MacMillan of
Water Music and Dave Schramm. I’d got my band down to SXSW a couple of times,
had collected some respectable indie press reviews — so I wasn’t being lame
about it. One night at Maxwell’s, Glenn asked me if I’d like to put my album
out on Bar/None, with a few extra tracks. In those days I was caught up in the
hustling musician dream of getting a record deal, so I thought that was really
easy.
Glenn had a reputation as a frugal maker
of records. He had a favorite
saying that we often quoted in our recording
sessions over the years: “Is the amp on? Is there a mic near it? Roll
tape!"
Bar/None at the time was in the historic
Hoboken Land Building, a beautiful 1889 industrial brick building down by the
river and train station, with a wonderful back stoop that caught river breezes.
It was next door to the Post Office, which was very handy because there was a
tremendous amount of mailing to do. I commuted to my day job on the PATH, and
when my album came out, I would often stop at the Bar/None office on my way
home to help with copying press releases, drilling holes in promo jewel cases,
stuffing jiffy bags, stamping, and carrying boxfuls of packages to the PO. I
spent many afternoons sitting on the floor with Tom, stickering and stamping
mountains of jiffy bags going to press and radio.
Glenn’s wonderful daughter Gina came after
school and set up her homework in the corner. She was little. Tom (Prendergast)
would say he was going to hang her upside down over the Hudson and she would
say, “No, you’re not. God wouldn’t let you!”
Kate Jacobs - http://www.bar-none.com/kate-jacobs
You Call That Dark: http://www.bar-none.com/store/kate-jacobs-you-call-that-dark
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