JEREMY GLOFF PRESS ARCHIVE
Out Music Insider Interview
-by GreenThumb
-appeared on OutMusicInsider.com (March 2009)

OMI & greenThumb are back again to bring you another exclusive interview!
This time we speak with the electro-funky-maniac-messiah that is....Jeremy Gloff!!!

WAKE UP People!

OMI) Jeremy we see you are located in Tampa Fl. What’s the music scene like there? What sort of places / events do you perform at?

J.G) I love Tampa. We have been throwing really fun warehouse parties here at Rat Soap Studios, and there's an up and coming gay district called GayBor. I just love the weather, and the people I run with are sincere and forward thinking without the elitist and pretentiousness you get sometimes in other places.

OMI) Tell our readers about your live shows, and what to expect.

J.G) Well for my last album, the dance album 1987 I had backup dancers and theatrics and stuff. Prior to that I did a lot of acoustic and indie shows. I believe I am going in a direction that sort of is a happy medium between those two.

OMI) You tend to focus on the 1980’s in your music, what makes the 80’s an important era for you?

J.G) It's when I came of age, and I truly believe that even a lot of the pop performers from that era were truly eccentric artsy people. They weren't just gimmics. Today, instead of the kids who were "weird at school" getting out of their small town and getting famous, you now have cheerleader type girls getting groomed for pop stardom. What a let down, and how boring.

OMI) Where’s your upcoming tour/show schedule going to take J.G. this year?

J.G) I am playing MondoHOmo in Atlanta, Homo-A-Go-Go in San Fran, doing a bunch in Tampa. I hope to get up to Ohio to shoot a video with Unecc and play some shows up there. And who knows what else might pop up. I'm pretty spontaneous, and I'm terrible at booking shows. I am fortunate to have friends who think of me and invite me to come along with them.

OMI) Tell us a little more about your extensive discography that spans over the last 10 years.

J.G) My first album came out in 1993, and since then I've released a total of 15 albums. Each album is different, and each chronicles what I was going through in my life at the time.

OMI) Do you perform all of the music / instruments on your recordings’?

J.G) Depends on the album. My last "1987" I did every single note on the album except backups on one song -- I wanted to do it like those old Prince albums where he basically did everything. But take an album like my 2001 "America Is Lonely Tonight" and I invited basically a who's who of the Tampa music scene to play on that album -- it depends on my mood that year I guess.

OMI) You also did a small piece on Penn and Teller’s “Bullshit“ the series. Tell us how that came about?

J.G) I found out they were going to be in Tampa recording a segment. I pulled some strings and got the producer's email, and wrote an email telling them my deal, and offered to appear on the show. They accepted my offer.

OMI) How do you feel about being coined an “out“ performer? Does that impact your music, or limit you in any way?

J.G) Finally, I think society is getting to the point where being "out" isn't a huge divider anymore. Sure, it's rather blatant I'm gay...but I think I'm remembered more for my quirkiness or eccentric vibe more than my sexuality. I can truly say I've been lucky...never in my career have I ever felt really discriminated against... Except in the music press a couple people called me "sissy" or something. Well fuck 'em. lol.

OMI) Tell us about your new album 1987?

J.G) Well I'm a terrible promoter. As '1987' is finally starting to gain steam, I find myself on to the next thing. I have studio time booked and I am starting my 16th album mid-April. 1987 was a campy fun electro album...and it was really easy and accessible to peform as the "campy gay guy singing dance songs wearing a boi" -- but my whole career I've been repelled by the idea of being boxed into a certain genre... It's tempting to do another dance album because people responded so well to my last one -- but the world has gotten a bit darker and sad and that's the kind of stuff I'm writing. And so I will follow my muse over my desire for howls and applause.

OMI) Any shout outs?

J.G) Oh I know so many wonderful people and artists and characters and stuff. Basically to anyone who has crossed my path, I am thankful to have you in my life. greenThumb, keep up the good work on this site it's good stuff. Thanks for thinking of me to do this, I appreciate it.