Jason Pierce

HE CREATES COMPLEX, EPIC SOUNDSCAPES WITH SPIRITUALIZED, BUT CALLS HIMSELF AN “INEPT” GUITARIST. “IT'S ABOUT THE SOUL,” JASON PIERCE SAYS, “NOT THE ABILITY...”

- Tim Tucker

Jason Pierce spent the 1980s co-fronting Spacemen 3 as J. Spaceman, with whom he developed a minimalist psychedelic sound inspired by Iggy Pop, The Velvet Underground and 1960s garage rock. The band split in the early 1990s and Pierce went on to form Spiritualized, under which name he still records and performs today.

The band’s second album, Pure Phase, broke sonic boundaries with its blend of space rock, guitar drones and shimmering effects. 1997’s Ladies and Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space gave the band its mainstream breakthrough and the NME awarded them album of the year (beating Radiohead’s OK Computer). Since then, Pierce has worked with artists as diverse as Dr John, Yoko Ono, Ariel Pink and Black Rebel Motorcycle Club. He released a solo album, Guitar Loops, composed music for the 2007 film Mister Lonely and has had his songs featured in movies including V For Vendetta and Vanilla Sky.

April 22 sees the release of Spiritualized’s ninth album, Everything Was Beautiful. It’s a return to a more live sound, blending elements of blues, rock and roll, country, gospel and free jazz. Still the scale is huge, with Pierce himself playing 16 different instruments and employing over 30 musicians, to create the expansive soundscapes the band are renowned for.

He has an experimental approach to guitar which, as he explains to TG, was forged at an early age…

Find your own path.