jarah riley.
I'm chalk full backbone and literary prowess.
![Q: How did you start Giant Hand and why did you choose that name?A: Giant Hand started as a relief from boredom, by myself in my apartment. I recorded some very poor songs with a second hand mic I had lying around. And without even realizing what had happened, I some how got a show and I haven’t stopped since. I chose the name Giant Hand because I sort of accidentally named myself that. In the very first song I wrote, when I still didn’t think I would play my music for anyone, there was a line “We’ll start our very own band/you on keyboard and me on strings/we’ll call ourselves Giant Hand/just cause we like what the name brings”. And I do like what the name brings. But when it came time to play live in front of people, and I was going to play that song, I thought it would confuse people if I wasn’t actually called Giant Hand.Q: How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard it?A: My music is probably classified as folk, but I don’t think it’s straight folk music. Some people have told me that it is “freak folk”. Which sounds cool to me. Not sure what it means though.Q: How long have you been playing guitar?A: I’ve been playing guitar for a little over a year now. One day after watching “The Devil in Daniel Johnston”, I went to a music store down the road from me, and traded some stuff in for an acoustic guitar. I went home and just started learning chords.Q: Do you play any other instruments?A: I mean, I can sorta play other instruments. I play the harmonica, glockenspiel, and I hit things. But I wouldn’t consider myself great. Just but passable. Q: How do you go about writing your songs?A: All my songs are written in my head at first. I sorta think of little verses here and there. And after a day or two, my mind has created this song. I usually obsess over words, and phrases until it all comes out.Q: Where do you record your songs?A: I record everything in my apartment. I don’t feel the need to go out and pay some recording studio to record my songs when it’s just me. I would feel like I was being watched or judged. At home, I can just relax and record everything the way I want to. Q: Are you going to add a full band ever or is it going to stay a solo act?A: I would love a full band. I have never played with anyone before though. I don’t know how well I’d do. But at a show this coming August, I am going to play my last song with a drummer. If I feel like it went ok, I’m going to try and form some kind of back up band.Q: Who are some of you favorite artists and do they influence your music at all?A: I have a lot of favorite artists. But the main one’s are Sunset Rubdown, Chad Vangaalen, and Timber Timbre. I would like to say they influence me. But the fact that I see them as these amazing artists, it’s hard to compare myself to them. But I listen to there music all the time and I feel like some of the sounds and imagery that I sing about is shared with them.Q: Is there any sort of concept to your album? A: Yeah. The album is kinda like a hidden concept album. Each song adds to the last one. The album’s about this journey. It’s about a man who leaves home for bigger things, and to run away from his fears. But along the way he is captured and put in a cave for his views on life. In the cave he dies, but comes back from the dead. He escapes from the cave and see’s what makes life so amazing. But I wont give away the ending which becomes clear in the last two songs.Q: What was some of your inspiration for the songs off of ‘Coming Home’? [any song]A: I find inspiration in the smallest things. Like a messy room, or a line in a movie. But one of my biggest inspirations for the album was in Paris, when I went to the Catacombs. You go down these tight spiral stairs, which seems to take forever and eventually you hit the bottom and you find yourself in these hallways of bones. There are all these plaques in French with these poems and proverbs. It was an amazing thing, and when I got out, and was outside again, I instantly had this song in my head, which I titled Catacombs. It was sorta the beginning to creating the album.Q: Tell us something about Giant Hand we don’t know. Let us get to know the man behind the black rimmed glasses.A: Something about me people don’t know… I have two feet that are different sizes.Q: So what’s next after the release of ‘Coming Home’? Any big shows or tour coming up? Anything you’re looking forward to? A: The next step for me is to play as often as I can. I am just starting to make a name for myself. I am playing this years Ottawa Bluesfest which is the biggest music festival in Ottawa. Amazing bands like Iron and Wine, and the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s are playing this year. And I am lucky enough to be playing the same festival as them. I am hoping to make a good impression there, and hopefully book some form of tour this summer, or fall.](http://25.media.tumblr.com/X9xpzlpQDp874ksxLzVKz6j1o1_400.jpg)
Q: How did you start Giant Hand and why did you choose that name?
A: Giant Hand started as a relief from boredom, by myself in my apartment. I recorded some very poor songs with a second hand mic I had lying around. And without even realizing what had happened, I some how got a show and I haven’t stopped since.
I chose the name Giant Hand because I sort of accidentally named myself that. In the very first song I wrote, when I still didn’t think I would play my music for anyone, there was a line “We’ll start our very own band/you on keyboard and me on strings/we’ll call ourselves Giant Hand/just cause we like what the name brings”. And I do like what the name brings. But when it came time to play live in front of people, and I was going to play that song, I thought it would confuse people if I wasn’t actually called Giant Hand.
Q: How would you describe your music to someone who hasn’t heard it?
A: My music is probably classified as folk, but I don’t think it’s straight folk music. Some people have told me that it is “freak folk”. Which sounds cool to me. Not sure what it means though.
Q: How long have you been playing guitar?
A: I’ve been playing guitar for a little over a year now. One day after watching “The Devil in Daniel Johnston”, I went to a music store down the road from me, and traded some stuff in for an acoustic guitar. I went home and just started learning chords.
Q: Do you play any other instruments?
A: I mean, I can sorta play other instruments. I play the harmonica, glockenspiel, and I hit things. But I wouldn’t consider myself great. Just but passable.
Q: How do you go about writing your songs?
A: All my songs are written in my head at first. I sorta think of little verses here and there. And after a day or two, my mind has created this song. I usually obsess over words, and phrases until it all comes out.
Q: Where do you record your songs?
A: I record everything in my apartment. I don’t feel the need to go out and pay some recording studio to record my songs when it’s just me. I would feel like I was being watched or judged. At home, I can just relax and record everything the way I want to.
Q: Are you going to add a full band ever or is it going to stay a solo act?
A: I would love a full band. I have never played with anyone before though. I don’t know how well I’d do. But at a show this coming August, I am going to play my last song with a drummer. If I feel like it went ok, I’m going to try and form some kind of back up band.
Q: Who are some of you favorite artists and do they influence your music at all?
A: I have a lot of favorite artists. But the main one’s are Sunset Rubdown, Chad Vangaalen, and Timber Timbre. I would like to say they influence me. But the fact that I see them as these amazing artists, it’s hard to compare myself to them. But I listen to there music all the time and I feel like some of the sounds and imagery that I sing about is shared with them.
Q: Is there any sort of concept to your album?
A: Yeah. The album is kinda like a hidden concept album. Each song adds to the last one. The album’s about this journey. It’s about a man who leaves home for bigger things, and to run away from his fears. But along the way he is captured and put in a cave for his views on life. In the cave he dies, but comes back from the dead. He escapes from the cave and see’s what makes life so amazing. But I wont give away the ending which becomes clear in the last two songs.
Q: What was some of your inspiration for the songs off of ‘Coming Home’? [any song]
A: I find inspiration in the smallest things. Like a messy room, or a line in a movie. But one of my biggest inspirations for the album was in Paris, when I went to the Catacombs. You go down these tight spiral stairs, which seems to take forever and eventually you hit the bottom and you find yourself in these hallways of bones. There are all these plaques in French with these poems and proverbs. It was an amazing thing, and when I got out, and was outside again, I instantly had this song in my head, which I titled Catacombs. It was sorta the beginning to creating the album.
Q: Tell us something about Giant Hand we don’t know. Let us get to know the man behind the black rimmed glasses.
A: Something about me people don’t know… I have two feet that are different sizes.
Q: So what’s next after the release of ‘Coming Home’? Any big shows or tour coming up? Anything you’re looking forward to?
A: The next step for me is to play as often as I can. I am just starting to make a name for myself. I am playing this years Ottawa Bluesfest which is the biggest music festival in Ottawa. Amazing bands like Iron and Wine, and the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s are playing this year. And I am lucky enough to be playing the same festival as them. I am hoping to make a good impression there, and hopefully book some form of tour this summer, or fall.
