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As August draws to a close, I'm not sure how I feel. While I'm excited to start a new season of HOS in September, it also means a great time is coming to an end. After traveling to Spain and France, I returned to LA and started working on Yard Of Blondes' new record. Getting up early and spending the day listening to music, writing and demoing new songs has become a habit for me. And I have to say I’m pretty happy about it. I actually started working on that record last year, but scrapped everything I had because I didn't think it was good enough. There is a saying that a second album is always harder to write than the first, and it's true. There is a delicate balance between not repeating yourself and not alienating the people who support you. In the end, though, I think this shouldn't be on your mind since you can't write songs with other people in mind. The only way to carry something relevant is to be honest. I think I tried too much on the first songs I wrote last year. Putting pressure on myself wasn't helpful. The time I spent in Europe helped me relieve that pressure and when I returned home I was finally ready. Damn, I’m excited! The project isn't finished yet, so we'll see where it goes. At the moment, I'm taking a short break to record voices for an upcoming French band that my friend David Gitlis, the boss of Nowhere Records, has just signed. That’s exciting too. You might not know it but we started our podcast as a hub for Nowhere records. I'll talk more about this soon, as things are beginning to take shape.
Anyway, here we are at the end of my Hanging On Sunset Summer special recorded at the Pioneertown Film Festival. It’s a very short interview but It’s a very interesting band we got here. The Sons Of The Pioneers are the oldest band in the entire fucking world! It dates back to 1933. Can you believe that? Let me give you a little context and history here… Because the story of this band is tied to Pioneertown itself. 1946 saw the creation of Pioneertown by two of the biggest names in Western films, Gene Autry and Roy Rogers. Over 50 films were shot here in the 1950s at their film studio near Yucca Valley. Roy Rogers wasn't just an actor. He was a singer and he was the one who originally formed the Sons Of The Pioneers. Despite the fact that none of the founding members are alive today, the band has never stopped playing. Whenever a member retires, he is replaced by a new member. The same timeless arrangements are used for the same Western great songs to this day. In the town named after them, the Sons Of The Pioneers closed the festival. That was really moving. Many people in the audience burst into tears (including my friend Victoria Smith, the amazing rock photographer). It was truly magical. Their closing performance at a festival celebrating Western culture could not have been more appropriate. Hopefully they will return next year for Edition number 2. That's all for now! Let’s do the show and see you in September for a new season. Have a great end of summer, everyone.
- Vincent Walter Jacob
The Sons Of The Pioneers at the Pioneertown Motel. By Vincent Walter Jacob.
The Sons Of The Pioneers at the Pioneertown Motel. By Vincent Walter Jacob.
The Sons Of The Pioneers at the Pioneertown Motel. By Vincent Walter Jacob.
The Sons Of The Pioneers performing at the Soundstage, closing the Pioneertown Film Festival. By Vincent Walter Jacob.