Hideaway (Tempe) a few times later. That was a good spot for us. JA: Hollywood Alley (Mesa). ZL: Hollywood Alley was an important place. Like-minded local and national bands we liked would come through. We definitely played a lot of important shows at the Nile. We opened for Sebadoh there (Feb. 18, 1995). Our A&R guy from Capitol saw us play for the first time at the Nile. Interestingly, we’re having this conversa- tion about 29 years and a week after the release of “Static Prevails,” your Capitol debut. How do you remember that record and those times? ZL: A whirlwind. It was our first time in a studio making an album for a major label. Sound City in L.A. was way nicer than any we’d been in before. So many amazing records made there: Fleetwood Mac’s “Rumours,” Nirvana’s “Nevermind,” Tom Petty’s “Wildflowers.” We were in awe. Being in those spaces was a bit of a mindfuck. We tried to do the best we could and put our best foot forward, but we were so inex- perienced. We knew enough to know that we didn’t know what we were doing. For me, it was a mixture of being scared, excited and frustrated. But looking back, “Static Prevails” was a huge creative step forward. We were very proud of the end result. You entered the majors at an interesting period. The Internet was used primarily as a marketing tool, and the digital upheaval was still a few years away. Things were changing, yet I still picture guys at meetings saying, “If this record doesn’t make first-week projec- tions, it’s dead.” ZL: I don’t think we were talked about at any morning meetings. We were so below the radar they weren’t even consid- ering week-one sales. We’d show up at Capitol and say, “We’re here. We’re Jimmy Eat World,” and they’d say, “Who? Who is that? Who are you?” They barely knew we were there. Obviously, it was frustrating for us back then because we at least wanted to feel like we were part of the label, valued, appreci- ated and supported. A small handful of people were very supportive of what we were doing. But it was a blessing in disguise, because had there been all this expectation, or had anyone been genuinely worried about our week-one sales, we would have been so cooked. As we moved into “Clarity,” we took our “Static Prevails” experience and incorpo- rated it into our way forward. It was totally night and day: We’ve done this before and kind of know what we’re doing. We’ve learned a lot. But we were kind of in the same position with the label. No one cared. No one knew what we were up to. I don’t think our A&R guy came to the studio more than once. But we were getting support and kind of getting away with something. We made a record we were proud of, put it out, and that helped us get to the next step: becoming a drawing touring act. We could go to Philadelphia, New York and D.C. People began showing up at our shows, which was not the case when we made “Static Prevails.” Capitol released “Clarity,” but then released you. Weirdly, the song “Lucky Denver Mint” then took off, and “Clarity” became both a classic and a launching pad. (The band celebrated its release Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 27-28, 1999, at Tempe’s Green Room.) What do you suppose would have happened had that first disc sold well and Capitol kept you after the initial two- record deal? JA: It’s hard to say. I think that would have been a very negative long-term devel- opment. It was valuable, like Zach said, to have time that is impossible to have now to develop anonymously (laughs) and just learn. We were definitely getting away with a major heist. Everything we were able to take was for the sole purpose of reinvesting in ourselves. We took our work and the opportunity to work very seriously, but it’d be ridiculous to take it seriously, like, “This is going to be our career. This is something we can expect to support ourselves on” (laughs) in those times. We wouldn’t have made the records we made had it gone any other way. ZL: When we were dropped from Capitol after “Clarity,” we signed with DreamWorks. I know this for a fact: We wouldn’t have had the same support and push on a third album for Capitol. The way it worked out for us was perfect in terms of allowing “Bleed American” to be on a different label with a different staff, people who were excited about and valued the band. That fresh start and new scenery were what “Bleed American” really needed. Why do you think “Bleed American” reso- nated the way it did? ZL: The songs are strong. We’re playing them now, and they all have some kind of hook that ended up meaning something to people. Tonally, it’s a bit more rock ’n’ roll and straightforward. Compared to “Clarity,” it’s maybe even more focused. That was just a step in the band’s evolution, putting together an album in a very inten- tional way. >> p 20 Enjoying the Process from p 17 (Jimi Giannatti) Jimmy Eat World live, 2025. (Jared Christiansen Photography)
