Ian Jackson

Name: Ian Jackson
Age: 30
Location: Toronto
Craft: guitar/vocals in Persian Rugs

Tell us about your instruments
I have a bunch of instruments. Mainly guitars that I've acquired over the years. In high school, I got a 90s-era Fender Telecaster deluxe (pretty much directly because of Jonny Greenwood, with the same pickups and everything), and later on I bought a somewhat modified Fender Jazzmaster (see: Thurston Moore, Kevin Shields). I have a beat up acoustic guitar whose main selling feature was that it was the cheapest model that the company - Seagull - made at the time. As well, I have a couple other cheap guitars from the 60s that look bad ass but don't stay in tune worth a damn, so they just hang around and look cool most of the time. Oh, and there's my... piano. It's a tiny grand piano that sounds sort of bell-like and is painted silver. It looks like something Elton John might have played when he was a little boy.

What is your creative process?
I tend to happen upon things. I don't have a specific process really. Usually random noodling on guitar is involved and I'll stumble onto something I like, then try to fashion it into something song-like. Writing just happens when it does. If I sit down and try to force myself to come up with something it's usually fruitless. It all comes in fits and starts and hopefully eventually something coherent forms out of it. Lots of keeping notes of words or phrases or small musical ideas and building on them. Often taking a small bit of music to the band will, very much with everyone else's help, turn into something more and we just go from there.

What are your three favourite spots to get inspired?
The edge of my bed. Our hovel of a practice space. The shower.

Are the best things in life for free?
Some of them.

Do blonds have more fun?
Oh yes.

Tell us about a time you felt on top of the world!
On top of the world? Well, I went up the CN Tower recently. And had oysters afterwards. That was a good day.