Being my first time hosting an interview for anyone I was naturally nervous. I had gone over everything I could find of Auto’s music online including the video of her song Rattlesnake Rose which she included in her email. The song was such a great sample of roots music and the kind of high quality production Victoria boasts that I thought no way is my little fledgling blog going to be good enough here.

Rattlesnake Rose by Auto Jansz on YouTube

But from the moment Auto showed up I knew things were going to be fine. She was really friendly and down to earth, the kind of person you want to hang out with and drink coffee. So that’s exactly what we did, at Gorge-ous Coffee on Gorge and Tillicum across from Gorge Park. It’s an eclectic and sunny room with movie rentals, old furnishings and you wouldn’t expect that it was becoming a busy venue for live entertainment. It is, and Auto has played there going up solo or with some friends backing her up.

Funny how going over my notes from searching, Auto did mention that she was part of the band Barley Wiki which toured for ten years. That band received all kinds of wonderful critical reviews including the winning of Album of the Year in 2004 at the Vancouver Island Music Awards.

It’s pretty cool I think when I add that in post and someone of that calibre straight away gives me a free copy of her recent cd. It’s called Gray Days Acoustic and if you can, you definitely want to get yourself a copy as well! Produced by Auto and Jonny Miller at Freak Mountain Studios on Pender Island it starts with the intimate, sounds of her guitar and voice on the title track the album begins like a quiet morning at home until it starts to move into the more coffee-house sounds of Is You Is by Louis Jordan which includes a really fun double kazoo by Jansz which gives it a great New York sound that wouldn’t be out of place in Goodfellas. Lots of great tracks on here including the whistling and hip swinging Right Now which is like a little naughty wink before the final, acoustic subtle anthem of After We’re Here.

So here is the interview that I did with Auto Jansz on November 22^nd at Gorge-ous Coffee!

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