Starflyer 59's Jason Martin Looks to the Future but Waxes Nostalgic

I’ve been a fan of Starflyer 59 since the affectionately titled “Silver” (officially self-titled) released in 1994. So when offered the chance to interview Jason Martin in advance of their new album Lust for Gold, I jumped at the chance. Always known for being brief in interviews, he still managed to be substantial in his correspondence.

LH: The response to the new single “909” has been incredible so far, with many people commenting how the sound hearkens back to 90s-era SF59 with the later style of vocals. Was this intentional, or more of just a result of natural inspirational processes?

JM: Thanks, we’re very happy people seem to like the new song. It was intentional to try to go back in time a bit for this record. It was 30 years ago so obviously it’s hard to put yourself in the same mind space as when I was 21, but this is about as close as I could get.

LH: The video for the song is powerful, clearly dealing with the juxtaposition of middle age feelings of nostalgia vs being ‘in the moment’ with one’s close relationships—spouse, family, etc. If you can feel comfortable commenting, how much of this is autobiographical?

JM: This video is all Mr. Christy. He puts forward a storyboard and script, and we pretty much let him roll with it. We have worked with him before, and we have trust in his vision. I think he did a really great job to capture the mood of the song.

LH: The mix of nostalgia and present moments has been a recurring theme at least since “Young in My Head” and possibly earlier. One of the lines that served as an emotional gut punch for me personally (as a music fan who is now 50), was “I wanna work with my kid, record all of his songs, cause mine are all gone.” The idea of passing on the torch to your children, and taking more pleasure in what they do than perhaps in what you do for yourself. What’s it like seeing The Rocky Valentines take off?

JM: When I was young I could write 5 songs a day and not really run out, the process is a bit slower for me now but I still enjoy doing it. After each record is finished I usually think it will be the last one, but then slowly some ideas come up and I want to do another. I’m stoked my kid is now making records, and like when I was his age he can write ’em in bunches and never seems to run out. I think the torch has been passed in a way. It’s actually more fun for me to work with him on his songs than to work on my own.

LH: This is probably a dumb question, but for the sake of our readers, are there any chances whatsoever of you touring or playing any live shows or festivals with the new material?

JM: It’s gonna happen at some point, just don’t know when. We would like to do a run of about 5 shows in a few cities to put final closure when the band is officially done . . . but again we have no official plans in any way for that right now.

LH: I have a 21 year old daughter whom I’ve successfully passed down some of my music tastes. She was at a local punk/hardcore gig recently making new friends, and the conversation turned to shoegaze and that whole field of indie rock. Her friend, who presumably knows nothing of the Christian indie scene, all of a sudden namedrops Starflyer as a band she likes. How does it feel to be accepted as part of the true ‘canon’ of artists in an influential subgenre that is making the rounds again? Have you witnessed anything cool or special in that regard?

JM: That’s really cool new people are hearing the band, there does seem to be an uptick in plays for some reason which is strange to me. When we started doing this 30 years ago all I wanted was to be able to put out records . . . so to be able to still be doing that after all this time is all I could have hoped for and I’m thankful we can do that. Anything else is just icing on the cake.

LH In regard to the Christian indie scene, Starflyer 59 has always had a unique approach to faith and art. Lyrics have never been preachy, though there have been hints at faith from time to time (“Jesus in your hands, always/I love your ways”). Has this been a deliberate approach or just something that evolved naturally? Has music or creativity ever felt like a calling? If not, how would you describe it?

JM: My faith in Christ has always been the most important thing in my life, or at least I want it to be . . . so it has never been something that I’ve wanted to hide. Most of my songs are just snapshots of my life in that particular moment. Some songs have more meaning to me than others . . . so my faith and music are not separate to me, just sometimes might be more straight forward in some songs than in others depending on that moment in time.

LH: Thanks for your time in answering these questions. Do you have any parting shots you’d like to leave with IVM readers?

JM: Thanks for the interview, and thanks to the people that keep listening. We appreciate it.

The new single “909” is out now on all streaming platforms.

The full length Lust For Gold releases on 8/16 on cd (in a classic long box), cassette, and black, pink, or green, vinyl (black, pink, or green). Additionally a hardcover book is being released, and an entry ticket for a gold bar! Check out Velvet Blue Music for pre-order info!