Hinging on Causatum – In Conversation With Jes Psaila
The date is Saturday 13th July, and Jes Psaila and his band, The Hinge Project, are going to take the stage at the prestigious Malta Jazz Festival later tonight, opening for legends in the international jazz scene –Trio Grande and Chief Adjuah.
It’s a well-deserved achievement for The Hinge Project, following the release and success of their new album, Causatum, which came out earlier this year on vinyl, with a launch show at the Valletta Campus Theatre.
Sitting somewhere between a jazz and prog album, with a touch of krautrock in there too, Causatum is a beautiful album and captures all the things I’ve loved about Jes’s music since his self-titled debut album ten years ago – lots of space and melodies that stick with you. And on Causatum, these elements of Jes’s music are more realized than ever before thanks to the wonderful contributions of the whole band, which includes Luke Briffa on drums, André Micallef on bass guitar, and Mark Attard on keyboards.
In this feature, I ask Jes about his evolution as a composer and bandleader, and the process of writing Causatum.
You released your first solo album in 2014. Ten years on, how do you feel your approach as a composer and band leader has evolved since then?
Jes: Composing has become a more natural process, particularly with the last album. Before this project, I focused more on achieving a complex or ‘out’ sound. I have now become more spontaneous and I’m always on the lookout for a hook. The most interesting solos are first take and the same goes with composing in my case. As regards being a leader, I would rather lay back and let things happen naturally and intervene only when necessary. However, I always have a very clear direction of where I want to go.
To me, Causatum is such an exuberant and joyful album. What were the emotions you were trying to convey in these songs, and how did that affect your choice of song titles and the album name itself?
Jes: I never consciously try to convey specific feelings, but I would agree that our music has a positive vibe. This is the way it flows. My approach is more focused on trying to create something beautiful, which, as cliché as it may sound, is possibly the most challenging result to achieve. If the music manages to emote a feeling in the listener then I’m satisfied.
Choosing names for instrumental music is just a bit of fun. A title can be very connected to the tune, usually relating to a personal situation when composing, as was the case with Bit in the Tail. Otherwise, it's just a casual phrase that catches my ear, as in the case of Under the Dante.
Causatum, or the effect, refers to Room with a View which I worked on during 2020, and which was recorded separately – well after the rest of the tracks on the [self-titled] first album, which was released as a digital download in October 2021. Room with a View also found itself on this vinyl release and represents a change in the way in which our music comes together.
I’ve always felt your music embraces space and repetition in such a beautiful way while remaining dynamic and full-sounding. Is this a conscious part of how you write?
Jes: My compositions either take the form of a song or break away from the verse/chorus and lean towards prog-rock structures. This usually depends on how the separate ideas evolve. Space and repetition, tension and release, varying sound registers, and simple/complex melodies are all things I'm thinking about, especially when I’m blocked. The full sound is attributable to the band’s collective effort.
While The Hinge Project is your band, you’ve assembled a wonderful line-up. Can you discuss the collaborative process when writing songs for The Hinge Project and whether they take on a new life from your original vision when you present them to the band?
Jes: The process is never the same but usually starts with presenting the melody, harmony, and rhythmic ideas of two parts, a sort of verse and chorus, to the band. Then, each musician will find the best way to complement these on his instrument. We usually jam around until the best arrangement 'dominates' the tune. It just all falls into place often with unanimous approval. It is a very natural balance between us as diverse individuals based on our affinities and the lack of them. This became a very efficient process with the four new tracks on Causatum.
For people who want to learn more about the music that has shaped Jes Psaila, what are the top albums they should listen to?
Jes: I'm lucky to have started listening to good music quite early on. I moved on to prog rock and fusion in my later teens and a fair amount of jazz after that. I can mention some of the albums I've listened to repeatedly in my formative years.
Pink Floyd – Animals, Led Zeppelin – Led Zeppelin II, Jimi Hendrix – Electric Ladyland, Santana – Abraxas, Genesis – Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Yes – Fragile, Rush – Hemispheres, Jeff Beck – Blow by Blow, Al di Meola – Elegant Gypsy, Yellow Jackets – Mirage a Trois, Larry Carlton – Sleepwalk.
In my twenties, I was listening to a lot of 50s and 60s jazz like Miles and Wes Mongomery, but my favourites in more recent years have been the guitarists John Scofield, Mike Stern, Bill Frisell, and Pat Metheny, who I feel are my biggest overall influence.