Interview: KJ Jansen from Chixdiggit on 25 years as a band
The seminal Canadian pop-punk band Chixdiggit are coming to Ottawa on their 25-year anniversary tour.
I listened to Chixdiggit a lot growing up and still smile every time I listen to them. The band from Calgary was and certainly still is one of the best Canadian pop-punk bands out there. Ottawa Showbox is thrilled to have had a chance to interview lead singer KJ Jansen ahead of their September 22nd show at House of TARG with BOIDS and Pistols at Dawn (more information about the show here) Check out the interview below and I hope to see many of you there with me Thursday night.
What is the secret to staying together as a band for a quarter century?
Jeez, when you say “quarter century” it sounds like a long time. I think it helps that it’s not our full-time gig. I love to do it, but I know that I’d hate it if we did it all the time. It’s just not the way I’m built.
What would present KJ tell 1991 KJ? (Band or life related)
Nothing? I think we have more to learn from who we were then who we’ve become.
Can you tell me a little about the story behind the new EP 2012 and why you decided to do what you did?
It’s a 24-minute double album with 23 songs. It’s a tour diary of the entire year of Chixdiggit shows in the year 2012. I starting writing it when our guitar player Mark O’Flaherty was leaving the band. It’s a tribute to him.
What was one of the wildest moments of that tour?
Just a whole bunch of stuff that I’m not allowed to talk about. I really wish I could, but I can’t!
Do you have any special memories of Ottawa from your 25 years of touring?
One night we were playing the Dominion Tavern and they basically gave us the key to the beer fridge. We took advantage of that. Everyone drank a lot. At the end, a member of the Groovie Ghoulies and I found a power screwdriver and took apart the mens’ washroom. All the stalls and everything. At about seven in the morning the owner came down to tell us we had to leave and noticed that we had piled all the stuff from the stalls neatly in a pile. Of course he made us put it back together. It took us a while but we managed to get out of there by noon.
Your name and band comes from days of making T-shirts for the then fictitious band, were there any other names considered? And what was the motivation behind being in a fake band?
There were a few. One was The Riff Randells, which is funny because it’s the band that my wife is in. We also considered Bum Sweat and Tears and The Missed-Erections. It says a lot about where we were at the time.
I had the pleasure of seeing the Tragically Hip play Ottawa during their final tour, do you have any connection to The Hip?
We opened for them, four bands before them or something, and all the bands were given trailers backstage to hang out in. There were lots of bands hanging out and they were all right there hanging out with us. I remember one performer was a guy who had a couple hits, someone who clearly wasn’t as big as the Hip. He had them put extra security around his trailer and he sat there and moped. Wouldn’t hang out. If he had he would’ve learned a few things from those guys. Later when they played, Gord [Downie] said our name a bunch of times. I think he thought it was a funny name. I remember being happy he did that.
What would you do if you ever came face to a chupacabra?
I’d give it the biggest hug and a can of Chixdiggit beer.
How did the partnership with Big Rig come to be? What is your favourite beer of theirs not Chixdiggit related?
Our manager Melanie Kaye was working with them and figured that we’d be great friends. Just a friend introducing you to her other friends. We’re really excited to be friends with them. As for the beer, I like the Big Boot one. I’m a fan of wheat beer, which explains why my abs lack the shred that they should have.