INTERVIEW: Justin Gallego (of J.R.C.G.) on New Record ‘Ajo Sunshine’

Of the local acts I’ve had the honor of catching over the last decade, Dreamdecay are on another level entirely. I’ve seen them twice: once at the Black Lodge on Eastlake Ave and once at a DIY house called Pizza Palace, and that’s the one that sticks in my memory.

I think I might have been one of the oldest people in the room, although I have no evidence to back it up except for memory-based snapshots of an audience clad in ill-fitting lapels and dresses, as though they had just escaped prom. I remember watching Justin Gallego pound away at the center behind a minimal drum kit, his eyes closed as a torrent of distorted doomsaying escaped from his lips and swirled with the band’s mixture of screaming guitar and leaden bass. Alex Gaziano’s tired eyes stared down at a bevy of effects that cut his guitar into delayed segments that covered Gallego’s pounding like a ragged blanket. I could swear the house was swaying: we were ocean-bound.

They have some presence, some je ne sais quoi, that beguiles me. Some bands captivate because you can sense what each individual member is bringing to the overall experience, and some bands are so locked in to each other that they become one entity, like they’re pouring themselves into a funnel and coming out a totally different color. To me, Dreamdecay are the latter. They specialize in texture and rhythm and gravity, and I don’t know how they pull it off. Practice, I guess, and adhering to simplicity. Despite the volume level and the multiple layers of noise baked into their sound, the band’s players understand how to keep their songs uncomplicated. They design little trips into hell and then give you an escape rope – whether it’s a propulsive snare-tom combo or a sharp series of receptive chords – so you can climb yourself out of them.

Gallego’s new record under JRCG, Ajo Sunshine, is markedly different from Dreamdecay’s rock-based compositions in how cinematic and atmospheric it leans. The basic ingredients, however, are all there: it’s loud, it’s ominous, and it’s undeniably impactful. In fact, I think it’s a significant step-up for the artist. The spaces are stranger, the textures are lusher than ever, and Gallego’s enigmatic vocals are less anchoring than painterly, just strokes on a broader canvas. In its brevity, terse titles and myriad entries of found sound the record signifies mystery, and the songs are strong enough that unearthing those mysteries feels like a compelling endeavor.

Or you could just lay back and ease (uneasily) into the queasy synths of “Rainbow” and the swirling crescendo of “Love is a Drum,” perhaps following the askew, pied-piper drum line of “Lowrider” or jolting awake at the sudden ear-piercing screech embedded in the title track. Like salt in a dessert, Ajo Sunshine balances atonality and melody, noise and bliss, in a way that heightens each element.

I got the chance to send Gallego some questions about the new project. Check them out below!

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–What kickstarted the project? Is this a side project from Dreamdecay, something meant to accompany it, or something in situ?

You know, Dreamdecay is a very collaborative and democratic band.  We’re really committed to only doing things we agree on as a group. We all make music outside of Dreamdecay and J.R.C.G. is music I made alone.

With that said, all of Dreamdecay have been involved in the live performance of this record, with the addition of other collaborators. That’s been a cool opportunity to bring our collaboration into the fold and use it as a launching point for a collective approach, hence billing the shows on the most recent tour under “J.R.C.G. Performed by Dreamdecay Music Group”. J.R.C.G. and Dreamdecay both live under the same creative umbrella that is DDMG, so less of a side project and more of an expansion or accompaniment of what’s happening within the collective at this moment. 

–Tell me about the recording of the project: where did it happen? Though you recorded most of the music yourself, were there any elements of collaboration? Were there any particular parts of the record that were challenging to record, or was it mostly a fun 

I recorded Ajo Sunshine at home in Seattle and Tacoma.  I have a small studio thrown together in my basement, I’d say 90% of the record was done there.  My dad, Mark Gallego, recorded the field recordings in Tucson, my hometown.  I come from a long line of cowboys, and yeah, I just asked him to record himself doing his thing at home and at rodeos.  I’m not sure if he’s had a chance to listen to the record and I’m sure he had no idea how the recordings would be used but lucky for me he was a good sport in humoring me and sending those.

It worked out that mixing took place while in quarantine –  already feeling kind of desperate for connection I reached out to some friends to bounce mixing and sequencing ideas off of,  a couple of those convos led to contributions on woodwinds and guitar from some friends.  Overall the recording was pretty playful, I tried to keep the mood light though I did have a goal of pushing myself in the back of my mind – for whatever reason I felt pretty aware of things in the past that had maybe become my default creatively.  I suppose being alone with those decisions made it so I had an opportunity to question them and give myself a shot at moving past those comfortable spaces. 

–On the premiere for debut single “Rainbow,” BrooklynVegan states that Ajo Sunshine borrows from psych and krautrock acts a la Can and Robert Fripp. Could you expand on that? Are there any specific influences, like albums or songs, that went into the decision to pursue such styles?  

Yeah I love all that stuff, tons of music directly influenced this record but to be honest this was the first time I made a mood board for a record and I referenced that way more than any specific piece of music.  I used to do a lot of art for people and other bands on the side, the visual aesthetic of a record goes such a long way with me  – having a road map that carried a vibe for that end of the record served such an important role for me creatively, I felt really tethered to the vibe of the record the whole way through making it.  For Ajo I had Teen Angel drawings and clippings, Guy Le Querrec photos, old covers for Lowrider Magazine, photos and handouts during the Chicano Moratorium, Nick Blinko drawings, and photos of my grandfather team roping at rodeos.

–On that thread, are there any themes or ideas you’re exploring in this record specifically? Considering the title, how does the heat of the Arizona desert factor in, if at all?

Ajo Sunshine to me means carving out peace, in ways that can be positive or negative, out of love or out of desperation, but there isn’t necessarily an overarching theme that guides the record or a story or anything. And to be honest I was more motivated by what was going on sonically being the centerpiece of the work.

-Though you handle drums for Dreamdecay on top of vocals, J.R.C.G. showcases your skill at playing and layering multiple instruments. Considering Ajo Sunshine is driven by drums, do you still consider yourself a drummer primarily, or do you prefer to be known as a multi-instrumentalist?

I think whether I like it or not I approach every instrument I play from the perspective of a drummer.  Rhythm is always at the center, even in something more abstract like drone or noise.  I’m flattered to be known as either though.  Drums really were often the start of many of the ideas on the record – probably 60/40 between a synthesizer being the seed.  

–Tell me how the band lineup came about. Are these people you’ve played with before, and is there any crossover with Dreamdecay?

At this moment our collective [Dreamdecay Music Group] is performing Ajo Sunshine live, everyone in Dreamdecay is involved along with other DDMG collective members.  I am so lucky to be surrounded by these incredible musicians.  When I finished the record it was no question, these people would obviously be the first I’d ask to help make it a real living thing.  

–You’re releasing this record on Castle Face, which founded by Osees’ bandleader John Dwyer. Considering how the record’s psych-based fuzzy jams line up with other Castle Face acts – including King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, Ty Segall and Osees themselves – this label feels like an ideal home for J.R.C.G. Tell me how the arrangement came about. Was this a coincidentally kismet pairing, or did you intend from the get-go to pursue Castle Face for this record?

Yeah I definitely feel fortunate to be working with Castle Face on this.  I met both Matt and John through touring.  An earlier solo record I did kind of caught their ear and they always asked about more of it coming out whenever we would cross paths.  When I finally had a new record coming together, it felt right to have them involved.  Much love to them. 

–Do you think Ajo Sunshine will likely be a one-off release, is there more planned for J.R.C.G. in the future?

Definitely more to come.  From J.R.C.G. and Dreamdecay and from other collective members under the DDMG umbrella.  

–Finally, any acts you’d like to shout out, whether related to the album or not?

Shout out to all the homies. All the other BIPOC people holdin it down in punk. Anyone who’s ever supported me or listened to my music. Thank you!