In April, news broke that seminal ‘90s all-girl band Jack Off Jill would be reuniting for a one-night only concert in Asheville, North Carolina. In celebration of this reunion, the band members will also be hosting a weekend-long party in Asheville with some of their favorite people in music and art. Recently, we caught up with Jack Off Jill’s lead vocalist Jessicka Addams, via phone from her home in Los Angeles. She spoke about how the band came back together after a tumultuous break up, what their loyal and dedicated fan base can expect to see in Asheville, the possibilities of other Jack Off Jill concerts around the world, and so much more!
mxdwn: How did the reunion of Jack Off Jill come to fruition?
Jessica Adams: Well, I blame social media, and I blame social media for most good and bad things.
And, I think maybe in the last three years or so, the original drummer, Tenni [AhCha Cha], and the original guitar player, Michelle [Inhell], and I have been talking. And, it just has been going really well, and we started working out some of the things that broke up the band initially. A lot of it was hurtful, and we had to accept responsibility, and a lot of it was a little silly and childish, and now we’re all a lot older. So, we can see past a lot of those things. Then, we’d been talking about a reunion and none of us had time to do it. I mean it’s crazy, but we all really like our day jobs; so, it was really difficult to take any time off.
And then, in 2013, I got really sick with an undiagnosed disease, and woke up on a respirator, and it kind of got me thinking: now or never.
So, a year ago, Tenni sent me a photo of a picture of Jack Off Jill on a west Asheville ladies’ bathroom, and she thought that was a sign that we needed to get back together to play a show in Asheville. And, that was enough for me, ‘cause I’m that crazy.
mxdwn: How or why was Asheville, N.C., chosen as the location for this reunion concert?
Addams: To be honest with you, I love Los Angeles — I’m not going to talk crap about my city –- but, getting a gig, being inactive with this lineup for 18 years was very difficult, because we didn’t have a booking agent. And, my drummer lived in Asheville, and she also works at the venue where we’re playing. They were so amenable, and so kind to us, and gave us everything that we asked for – it just happened so easily, that that’s the reason why we picked Asheville.
I haven’t been yet, but from what I know about the town, it’s very progressive and tech savvy and there’s a lot of great restaurants. And, everyone’s super friendly, and we wanted to do a one-location show in the United States, and Asheville won.
The name of the club where we’re playing is The Orange Peel. And, actually, what’s really crazy is it sold out very very quickly.
mxdwn: Have you and the other Jack Off Jill members given any thought to the possibility of making this one night only reunion into more than just the one concert in Asheville? (i.e. perhaps a tour?)
Addams: I know that people have been asking us why we’re not touring. It’s not because we’re mean, it’s not financial, it’s more that we all really do have other careers that we’ve set in motion, and this last four or five months, we’ve kind of taken off for Jack Off Jill. So, we’re thinking about doing one European date and one date in Japan. It’s just we feel like if we open Pandora’s box and did a Los Angeles show, then would we have to do New York? Then wouldn’t we have to do Boston?
It’s kind of like let’s just do the one show, keep our word, and if we were to do anything else, in the United States it would be if we jumped onto a festival or something, because it’s just really not fair. And, that’s just how we want to make the show so special and a celebration of what was and what should’ve been, and that’s why we invited all of the special guest that are going to be there as well.
So, it’s more of a three-day event for all the people that are flying in, rather than just our one reunion show. We figured if people are traveling, and flying in to see us, then we wanted them to enjoy Asheville, ‘cause there’s a lot to see there. But, also, have some really fun shows and DJ nights to go to if they feel like it. We wanted to provide a three-day weekend for everyone to have fun. And, mostly – selfishly – it’s for us to have fun, because we invited our favorite people on the planet to come celebrate our reunion with us.
mxdwn: Any word on the possible U.K. show that you put feelers out for on Facebook?
Addams: I feel like that would be the only other thing that we would do, would be the U.K. and Japan. That’s what we’re discussing, because we didn’t realize what a large fan base we had in the U.K. And, once we figured out that we did, we thought that we would do the same – it wouldn’t be a festival-type situation, where it would be three days – but, we would just do one large show in the U.K. and that would be it. Because, to be honest with you, I’m still not 100% well; so, I need to be cleared by a doctor for travel and a few things. So, it’s more like Jack Off Jill is a very young persons game, there’s a lot of screaming and motion involved, and years later it’s difficult. And, I want to put on the best show that I can; so, I don’t know if I’m even capable of doing multiple shows, and that’s really where we’re at right now. I can’t wait to do the show in Ashville, and I would love to do one show in London, and I would love to do one show in Japan. And, that’s what we’re talking about, but as far as the United States, this is it.
mxdwn: And, how did Japan enter into the conversation?
Addams: I have a booking agent that I use for my current band Scarling, and he brought it into the mix. And, he’s also the one that’s dealing with the U.K. date. So, he just said, ‘well, what about doing a festival in Japan in 2016?’ And, I said, ‘I love Japan, I’d love to go there, and let me talk to the band.’ But again, everything’s still up in the air.
The other thing I want to bring up is that we plan on filming this show [in Asheville] as if people were actually there; so, like the crowd reaction. We’re going to document this show for anybody who wasn’t able to make it, because we want to make sure that they are able to see it. We haven’t figured out exactly how we’re going to do that, but we are going to edit it down, and make a really great presentation of what it was like being there. So, that’s our gift to everybody that’s like ‘why didn’t you play here? Why didn’t you play there?’ You know we can’t, but we do promise to document it so well that you’ll feel like you are there.
mxdwn: That is an amazing gift.
Addams: Well, we have some pretty amazing fans, you know, they’ve stuck with us through 20 years of crazy. And now, we have fans that were born the year that we broke up. It’s been a pretty incredible ride for an underground band. To meet people that are 16 years old and are huge fans is pretty wild.
mxdwn: In the PledgeMusic campaign, you and the other band members’ state that this reunion is an opportunity to “celebrate what was and what should have been;” so, what in your opinion “should have been”?
Addams: I honestly think if the circumstances were presented properly, and we weren’t sabotaged by the industry that is music; then, Michelle and Tenni should’ve stayed. They didn’t get any publishing, and they didn’t get any recognition, and they wrote all the songs on Human Teenage Mediocrity and a bunch of the songs on Sexless Demons and Scars, and they walked. And, I understand why they walked, now, years later. Hindsight is 20/20, but I believe that they deserve their show.
They deserve it, they worked their asses off for it, and I don’t think enough people know that they’re the original members, and that they were the ones in the band touring with my ex-bass player and I. And, that’s what I think should’ve been, I don’t think it should’ve been a revolving door of members. I truly think that they should’ve – I mean Michelle came back when we were doing Clear Hearts Grey Flowers, but then she left again for personal reasons. So, it just never lined up, and it finally got to line up.
Unfortunately, the only way that it could line up was without our original bass player [Robin Moulder], because she played some dirty pool, and we all agreed that we wanted to have [bassist] Helen Storer from Fluffy and Thee Heavenly Music Association join us onstage, because she is a perfect fit for our band. She is a really incredible woman, she is kind, and she is a great musician. We all really get along with her; so, again, if it’s easy, you should go with it, and it’s really easy with Helen.
mxdwn: I’m sure you get asked this a lot, but: why get back together 15 years later for a special one night only concert?
Addams: I just really believe that, I personally – I mean I can’t speak for the other three women in the band, but I wanted to be onstage with my friends again. And, as selfish as that sounds, that’s really what we initially, you know… And, honestly, Pledge had helped so much, because we didn’t think it was feasible to do, because Michelle lives in Denmark, Tenni lives in Asheville, Helen and I live in L.A.; so, it made practicing next to impossible, and Pledge has helped us with all of the costs that it takes to rehearse for a show like this, and to fly in. Just tickets from Denmark are super expensive; so, just that we were overwhelmed with the idea that of being together in the same room again. And, we’ve rehearsed already, and it’s been difficult financially, but Pledge has really really helped. And that’s the reason why we didn’t do it sooner, because we didn’t know how we could financially do it with everyone living in different countries and different states.
mxdwn: Is there something significant about the time frame, or perhaps something going on culturally in 2015 that made you decide that now’s the perfect time to reconvene?
Addams: Listen, we have been planning this, I was in ill in 2013; so, we have been planning this since 2013. And, I know a lot of people believe that we are following the trend of female musicians getting back together, but honestly, we were already planning this.
I think it’s just a great paradigm shift that these strong women are coming back to kick ass, because it’s needed and wanted. And, there needs to be role models for women that feel helpless, and they get to see these women who have kind of disappeared as far as culturally and now they’re back. So, young girls can have a choice between liking a pop star or liking a band like Jack Off Jill, or Babes in Toyland. Or, they can like both, but at least they’re able to see what it was really about for us in the ‘90s. And, that’s what we plan on doing for our show is to be as genuine as possible.
We were more of a theatrical band, Bikini Kill was more of a political band, and Babes in Toyland just kicks ass. So, I mean I get it. Sleater Kinney’s back. It’s a good thing, a really good thing. I don’t know why or how the stars all lined up, and everybody was getting back together all at the same time. It wasn’t like we had some secret discussion of female musicians, and decided that we should all do it. It just sort of happened. And, if we did have a discussion, I’m not going to tell anyone about it, I mean that’s totally a secret.
mxdwn: Yeah, you’ve got to keep some things to yourselves. (Laughing.)
Addams: I mean really, we’ve got a club, you know, we’ve got to keep it close mouthed a little bit. (Laughing.) But let’s be honest, it all happened.
I was lucky enough to see the Babes in Toyland reunion with my drummer Tenni and my bass player Helen, and it was so inspiring. And, Lori Barbero has always been just such a huge inspiration and such a good friend to our band. And, she’ll be at the show, and I love Kat [Bjelland], I love Maureen [Herman]. I couldn’t be more proud to watch them play. It was like my 15 year-old self was just like screaming, and I was so excited.
So, I hope that that happens for people with our show, I really hope that that’s the reaction. I’m nervous, but I hope people have a really good feeling after they leave the show, because I know that’s what I had after I left Babes in Toyland, for sure.
mxdwn: What can fans attending the Asheville show expect? Any surprises?
Addams: Well, any Jack Off Jill fan will know there will always be surprises! They can expect JD [Samson] to be awesome, because she’s DJ-ing. Lori Barbero from Babes in Toyland, and Allison Wolfe will also be DJ-ing the night of our show. We have asked a band called Kitten Forever to play with us from Minneapolis, and I got to see them in Los Angeles and they are incredible. And, I believe that they are the new wave of feminism, and what maybe girl is; so, all of those things are pretty awesome in my book.
And, as far as the rest of the weekend, there’ll be a signing by L.A. artist Camilla Garcia. She’s also going to be doing a mural at the Odditorium. One of our closest friends, Daisy Berkowitz – a founding member of Marilyn Manson – is playing on Friday night [July 17th, 2015] with my old roommate’s band, Notch Above Kafka, and this other band from Asheville, called Kreamy Lectric Santa, that used to be a South Florida band. I mean there’s a lot going on, and then, Sunday, there’s a big dance party.
There’s a lot going on, all good, super positive. I just want to put this out there: it’s an everybody event. Super positive. So, if you are racist, homophobic, or if you hate women, don’t come, because it’s not about that. It’s really a celebration, and again, what should have been? Everyone is welcome, and they are welcome to have a good time with us, ‘cause I know I’m going to try to have the best time onstage I can.
mxdwn: That’s a very good sentiment, and I hope that it translates well among the fans.
Addams: Absolutely, you know, there can be mosh pits without real violence. Like if everybody can just be cool, we can have a really great time! And, I think Asheville is such a cool city that the environment will kind of help with that, because it’s already such a progressive cool city, and that’s why we chose it. We really want to impart that this is a show for everybody. Every fan. No one should feel left out, because there’s a place for everybody at this show.
mxdwn: Looking back on the 8 years that Jack Off Jill was active and together, what are some of your favorite moments?
Addams: Oh boy. Well, it’s interesting, Tenni had some Kodak videotapes – yes, I said Kodak videotapes – that we got burned onto DVD, and we’ve been watching some stuff. And, I have to tell you, some things you just can’t unsee! (Laughing.)
I mean there is some embarrassing stuff, but I think there is a moment where Tenni and I are arguing about the fabric that we wanted to put in our crappy van, and we almost come to blows, physical blows, about fabric; so, that should be great and ridiculous. Michelle is in a towel with a summer sausage – it’s a type of sausage – and she knocks on Marilyn Manson’s door, in her underwear under a towel; so, there’s that.
And, oh, a friend of ours who passed away recently, named Bobby Load, I decided to leave the stage and he took over singing for Jack Off Jill; so, that was a pretty great moment. It was just amazing, everything we saw on those tapes, it just brought us back to how much we just didn’t care, you know? And that, people thought that we were doing it consciously, but our shows just evolved with the participation of all the crazy people that were kind of following us around. So, that’s what really makes a Jack Off Jill show happen.
And lastly, there is a lovely gentleman out there named Chuck Loose, and he’s in a punk rock band, and is the South Florida punkist guy. And, I would mercilessly tease him onstage, and he took it. He’s such a good sport, and he’s been posting photos from back then, and I just want to give him a shout out. Because, I literally made his life a living hell. Sorry, Chuck, love you! And, it wasn’t one of the greatest nights, but it was one of the saddest.
We played with Babes in Toyland, 7 Year Bitch, and The Livid Kittens at Cameo Theatre in Miami, and that was the day that America found out that Kurt Cobain died. It was so bitter sweet; we were looking so forward to playing that show, and everybody was so sad. That was a really intense moment for us, that Kat had to get that phone call and still play a show. And, we were just so young and so excited, and then they had all lost their friend, because 7 Year Bitch is also from Seattle. And, it was just so bitter sweet, but incredible, one of my favorite memories for sure.
mxdwn: That had to have been an incredibly poignant moment.
Incredibly poignant moment, indeed. And, I think it could have been, because of certain circumstances, the beginning of the end of that lineup. There were a lot of things that night I wish I would’ve done differently that I’ve talked to the ladies about, and there’s a lot of things that they wish they would’ve done differently. I think we should’ve stuck it out, but I don’t know if we would be in the careers that we have, now, if we would’ve stuck it out. So, I’m of the opinion that everything happens for a reason, and that not many people get a do-over. So, the fact that we do; I’m thankful and grateful.
mxdwn: Now, earlier in our conversation, you were mentioning that you and the other band members have other projects that you’re all working on. And, you personally, have described yourself as being “Much like a cat, I have a need to escape, adventure, and sometimes even disappear for long periods of time…”; so, what have you been up to in the last several years?
Addams: I was and still am in a band, called Scarling, with my husband. We started the band in 2002, and when we got married we took a hiatus. Then, we released a single in 2013, right before I got sick. And, I have also been a fine artist this entire time. I do art shows in New York and L.A., and I’m hoping to do one in London in 2016. And, I am just a full time fine artist. What I meant by I disappear at times is artists are very solitary people. They spend 14 to 20 hours a day in a room by themselves; so, yeah, that’s where I’ve been. I’ve been hiding in Los Angeles making art and doing art shows.
Before I joined Jack Off Jill, I wanted to go to art school, and my parents did not want me to go to art school. I rebelled and started an all-girl band instead. So, actually, it was strange that after taking a break from music, I actually got to do the thing that I always wanted to do, and become a full time artist. Michelle works for a theatre company, and Tenni is awesome – that’s what she does – she works for the Odditorium and The Orange Peel. So, her job is just being awesome. And, Helen is working for a high-end hotel. We all do have jobs that pay our bills, and that we like doing.
So, that’s where I’ve been, and that’s where everybody else has been. And we’ve taken some time off from our so-called day jobs to do Jack Off Jill. Then, when Jack Off Jill is done, we will go back to our day jobs.
mxdwn: You’ve said that you have the band, Scarling, with your husband, and your visual art as well; so, apart from the Jack Off Jill reunion, what are you working on in the near future, or within the next several years?
Addams: So, the Jack Off Jill reunion is taking up a lot of time, and I’ve been working with Pledge. My husband and I have a record that we’ve been sitting on that we are going to release soon through The Committee to Keep Music Evil in Los Angeles. But, it’s one of those pet projects, where it’ll be done when it’s done. We have no release date. And, I have a show in Los Angeles in February 2016.
mxdwn: And, in closing, do you have any additional comments?
Addams: I just want to say thank you to everybody for their enthusiasm, and for people making it feel like it was okay to come back and embrace the absurdity and tongue-in-cheek-ness of Jack Off Jill. And, I guess this isn’t very rock star of me, but I’m very grateful and thankful for our fans and the support. I’m really happy that I’m going to be able to get to see my closest friends again, and that this show facilitated that.
Photo by Albert Sanchez
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