The Van Jets’ fourth album takes listeners on a wild ride
The Ostend-Ghent band The Van Jets have turned to an unlikely source for inspiration for their new album as they concentrate on touring closer to home
Next exit Wonderland
“We didn’t copy the beats or incorporate typical hip-hop rhymes,” says Johannes Verschaeve, the singer and main songsmith of the Ostend-Ghent foursome. “There’s a dual influence. First, hip-hop is often very experimental in the way it combines sounds, be it music or not. That’s what we’re trying at various points on this album.
“Second, it made me freer as a lyricist, using puns and playful elements. At times, I’m less singing than speaking rhythmically, without it being rapping.” Fans of rock music shouldn’t despair, though, since The Van Jets haven’t forgotten their musical roots.
The Van Jets rose to fame by winning Humo’s Rock Rally in 2004, defeating the big favourites, Absynthe Minded. “It was only after winning that we decided to fully concentrate on music,” Verschaeve explains. Since then, they’ve released four albums, including Welcome to Strange Paradise.
That paradise is not a specific place, explains Verschaeve, 34, who studied philosophy. The title refers instead to an attitude. “It’s looking at the world and its problems with crazy, cartoonish eyes, instead of singing a dead-serious protest song,” he says.
Playfully serious
On the new album, Verschaeve (pictured, second from right) covers a diverse range of subjects, be it the pollution of our seas with plastic debris, the overpopulation of the earth or the overconsumption of psychiatric medication. “I don’t sing about how regretful these things are, but how great. Of course, that’s not what I really think about them. For me, this irony gives the songs a Pop Art twist. We’re taking the listener on a wild trip.”
Not that Verschaeve is against raising those issues, he says, “but I think that should be done at a conference, not in music.” He has a weak spot for artists who think along the same lines: David Bowie, Grace Jones, Beck and Gorillaz, to name a few.
That cartoonish aspect comes up in their shows, too, which are quite theatrical. “Indeed, that springs from the same idea,” Verschaeve says. “The moment I write a song, I’m already thinking about how it would look live. I think very visually. Just playing the music isn’t enough. Of course, it’s not always easy to find a balance between a rock concert and theatre.”
A surprising source of inspiration for Verschaeve is the experimental musical theatre of American Robert Wilson. Still, making musical theatre themselves would be a step too far for The Van Jets. Verschaeve: “You’d lose the spontaneity that’s so characteristic for rock music – a trait I really cherish. The mayhem a band can create on stage would become impossible.”
Creating a bubble
After having recorded in Paris in the past, The Van Jets went to London this time. It’s the home-turf of the album’s producer, Leo Abrahams, but there’s more: “We like to create our own bubble when we’re recording an album, without any distractions,” says Verschaeve. “Recording an album, for us, is creating a parallel universe. Daily worries would break that spell; that’s why we like to go away.” And where will they go for the album number five? “Berlin would be cool.”
English is the lingua franca of rock artists in Flanders, and The Van Jets are no exception. “The music we play is linked to the English language. When playing that music, you start singing in English without much thought.”
The moment I write a song, I’m already thinking about how it would look live
Singing in Dutch never has been an option for Verschaeve. A few years ago they were asked to work on a cover album of songs by Flemish music icon Will Tura. “It sounded fake. So I switched to the Ostend dialect: that language is much closer to my heart than Dutch.”
For Welcome to Strange Paradise, The Van Jets moved from PIAS, a Belgian independent, to a big label, Sony Music. “They have an international network, but that wasn’t the reason for the move. We always worked well with PIAS, but a change felt like the right thing.”
The Van Jets have attained a level of realism in their international ambitions. In the past, the foursome toured a lot in most parts of Europe, though they generally took the stage in small clubs. “We have learned that we should focus more on some target countries. Apart from the Benelux, it will be France and Germany. The idea is to attain something more than just a nice little tour in those countries.”
That’s for the autumn. First, they invite Benelux audiences to their Strange Paradise.
8 May, Ancienne Belgique, Brussels, and 9 May, Putrock, Beringen
