Interview with Jacques Brautbar

Jacques Brautbar is an LA-based songwriter, producer, and founding member/guitarist of Phantom Planet.

I talked to him about the typical day of a songwriter, music licensing, and getting signed to Geffen as a high school senior. Check out the interview below!

After The Show: You co-produced and co-wrote Jasmine Ash’s album Beneath The Noise, which has been so successful getting sync placements. Do you approach songwriting thinking about what would appeal to supervisors, or is licensing an after-thought, completely separate from the creative composition process?


Jacques Brautbar:  The licensing success for Beneath The Noise was a complete afterthought. She and I started the songs with no agenda. She and I just thought it would be fun to write a few songs and make an Ep as a sideproject. Then I got my friend and former bandmate, Sam Farrar, involved and we decided to make a full record. I find, if I try and write something “for sync” it never comes out well. I just write/produce the way I like, and it seems to be what supes [music supervisors] like too! So far…

What do you think about the future of music licensing/supervising? Will getting placements in film, TV, and commercials still be as lucrative or popular in 5 or 10 years?

I have no idea. If I knew, I’d make a killing in Vegas.

You’re a songwriter for EMI (now Sony/ATV?). What does your typical workday as a songwriter and producer look like? How many different artists do you work with at any given time?


I did switch over to SONY. I am constantly working with new writers and artists… A typical work day involves me drinking a lot of coffee and writing a song with a complete stranger. Which is totally bizarre. A lot of my writing sessions are like blind dates. Sometimes the chemistry is undeniable, while other times it’s best to stop early and get a bite to eat. I am, however, starting to have a balance of regulars and new people now in my rotation.

You’re also a music consultant for film and TV. What does that entail?

It basically means I help in whatever capacity the director wants. From authenticity in performance practice, to music suggestions for scenes.

What role has education (music or otherwise) played in your career? You started Phantom Planet at 15, so how did you balance the band with high school and homework? Did getting signed to Geffen & touring come after you graduated?

Phantom Planet got signed during my senior year of high school. By law, I needed to have a tutor at the studio on days I missed school. Other than that, it was just double duty. School during the day. Studio/rehearsal at night. Then homework late at night. We didn’t start touring until after I had graduated, so that wasn’t ever an issue.

What was your experience like at USC School of Music, especially as a musician who was in an already established, successful band?

It was great. I mean, I loved taking the music classes – music theory and music history especially. I never actually graduated though. Phantom Planet’s touring schedule kept me pretty busy. I went to USC off and on as a part-time student for a few years… over about a 7 year period.

You played guitar and toured with Uh Huh Her. How was that? What was it like going from a main band member to a more anonymous backup guitar player?

I had a lot of fun on that tour. At the end of the day, though, I didn’t like being a “hired gun” because I had no real connection to the music.

What songs did you write for Phantom Planet? My impression was that Alex was the primary songwriter, but you’re also credited as a songwriter. How did the band divvy up writing lyrics and music?

Alex was the primary songwriter. I wrote songs earlier on in the band’s career… mostly stuff on our first record Phantom Planet Is Missing and some things on the Polaroid collection.

Thanks Jacques. Check out Jacques Brautbar’s Twitter + Black Unicorn Music bio.

Phantom Planet: Reunion Shows

On June 13th and June 14th, Phantom Planet are reuniting to play two shows at the Troubadour.

Both shows are already sold out, unfortunately. Stay tuned for more news/possible additional shows!

Jasmine Ash

New Year, New Music: 10/20

Jasmine Ash, the lead singer of Oh Darling, is releasing her debut solo album on Valentine’s Day. Beneath The Noise was produced and co-written by Phantom Planet and Buckley alumni Sam Farrar and Jacques Brautbar.

I got the chance to listen to the album early, and highlights include “Killer” and “Echoes” as well as “Give A Little Less.”

Check out the song “Starlight” in the Ferrero Rocher commercial:

+Website

New (Old) Phantom Planet Cover

Alex from Rome recently uploaded a rare song on YouTube of Phantom Planet doing a lulling cover of “Tonight You Belong To Me” in 2004.

It’s so nice to discover old songs that resurface online many years later.

Using Music to Learn Vocabulary: Part 2

“Using Music to Learn Vocabulary” (read part 1 here) is back with a second installment.

1. Jackalope: “We’re All Stuck Out In the Desert” by Johnathan Rice

A jackalope is a mythical animal of North American folklore described as a jackrabbit with antelope horns or deer antlers and sometimes a pheasant’s tail (and often hind legs).

2. Polystyrene: “Something Borrowed, Something Blue” by Ben Lee

Polystyrene is a rigid clear thermoplastic polymer that can be molded into objects or made into a foam that is used to insulate refrigerators.

3. Carpetbagger: “Carpetbaggers” by Jenny Lewis

A carpetbagger refers to a northerner who went to the South after the Civil War to profit from the Reconstruction & refers to a political candidate who seeks election in an area where they have no local connections.

4. Aztlán: ”New Yorker Cartoon” by Jenny and Johnny

Aztlán refers to the mythical ancestral home of the Nahuas, one of the main populations in Mesoamerica.

5. Tucker Telephone: “I Don’t Mind” by Phantom Planet

Tucker Telephone refers to a torture device used at Arkansas’ Tucker State Prison Farm in the 1960s. The device, designed using parts from an old-fashioned crank telephone and batteries, administered electric shocks.

Alliterative Songs

Here is a collection of good songs with alliterative titles:

“Silvery Sleds” by Army Navy:

“Coughing Colors” by Tilly and the Wall:

“Bratty B” by Best Coast:

“Little Lungs” by An Horse:

“Demon Daughters” by Phantom Planet:

“Sunny Sunday” by Leona Naess:

Honorable Mentions:

“Daisy Duke” by Rooney

“Why Worry” by All American Rejects

“Get Gotten” by Ben Lee

“Runaway Run” by Hanson

“Big Brat” by Phantom Planet

New Ways to Listen to Old Songs

Sometimes it’s fun to listen to songs you like in new ways. In addition to listening to live versions of songs you already like, you can also use YouTube to find slowed down or sped up (chipmunk) songs, reversed songs, 8-bit songs, remixes, changed pitch songs, and demos. For example…

8-bit song – “Recently Distressed” by Phantom Planet:

Slowed down song – “Nobody’s Home” by Avril Lavigne:

Sped up (chipmunk) song – “Self Machine” by I Blame Coco:

Reversed song – “Make Some Noise” by Hannah Montana:

Remix song – “Bed Intruder Song”:

Changed pitch song – “Love Song” by Sara Bareilles:

Demo – “Sweetness” by Jimmy Eat World:

JJAMZ 2011 Show

JJAMZ – the supergroup consisting of members of Maroon 5, Rilo Kiley, Phantom Planet, The Like, and Michael Runion – will play their first show in a year on Tuesday, March 29th at The Satellite.

To get tickets, click here.

The Art of the Set List

A set list is a sheet of paper, usually taped to the floor of the stage, that lists the order of songs that a band intends to play during a particular concert.

Band members use set lists so that they can briefly glance down and determine what song to play next.

As we’ll see below, set lists can look quite different from one another — some are handwritten, some are scribbled messily, some have misspellings, and some are typed.

In addition to ticket stubs, set lists can be great souvenirs of a concert, and people at the front often snatch the set list when a show ends.

Some set lists include pre-determined songs for the encore, indicated below by the dotted line and the diagonal line:

Figure A:

Figure B:

As we see in the above set lists (Rooney and Ben Kweller, respectively), it’s interesting to see how an artist will abbreviate certain song titles. For instance, “ISHBAY” in Figure A is shortened for the song “I Should Have Been After You.” Similarly, “Tree” and “Sun” in Figure B are short for the songs “Family Tree” and “Sundress.”

Another interesting abbreviation is the portmanteau in the second song, called “Badd Business,” in Phantom Planet’s set list below. The question marks also leave flexibility to cater to either the performer’s whim or suggestions from the audience.

If you’re lucky enough to be at the front of the crowd (and are able to read upside down), you can know what song the band is going to play next before anyone else in the crowd. Even more useful, you can determine if you should hold out hope for an encore (or encores), as the Nada Surf set list below indicates:

One band can have variety in its set lists from show to show. How rushed a band is before the show can mean that song titles are further shortened, as they are in the first set list below.

Set lists can also be typed and display the band logo, requiring the use of a printer which may not always be available at the venue. Good examples of professional-looking set lists are from Eisley and Tegan and Sara:

Finally, the most intricate set list I’ve ever seen belongs to Kaki King. In addition to listing the songs, it has alternate guitar tunings next to each song as well as the different instruments (ovation guitar, banjo, 7 string guitar) needed for each song:

Sleep Songs

Below is a collection of good “Sleep Songs.”

To qualify, the word “sleep” must be in the song’s title. Evoking feelings of somnolence and relaxation = optional.

“Sleepy Head” by Eisley:

“Sleep on Fire” by Holly Miranda:

“Sleep Machine” by Phantom Planet:

“We’ll Never Sleep (God Knows We’ll Try)” by Rilo Kiley:

“In Sleep” by Lissie:

“Sing Me To Sleep” by Fran Healy:

“Sleep Better” by Pete Yorn:

Honorable Mentions:

“Sleep” by Nada Surf

“Sleepwalking” by Ben Lee

“Sleep Song” by Rooney

“Sleep” by Azure Ray

“Sleep All Summer” by Crooked Fingers

“Get Your Sleep” by Ben Lee

“Everytime I Go To Sleep” by Holly Miranda