If you want to see an arrow fly, you have to pull back on the string. I think that’s what people like about it. I’m not the fastest, I’m not the trickiest but my playing is intense and has soul. Playing with other guitar players that I think are really good and seeing them have difficulties with some things that I find easy helps me recognize what’s good about my guitar playing. I’m proud of what I’ve done musically but I never thought I was all that great a guitar player. But the whole reason I started playing guitar and writing songs was to hide from people because my own perception of myself was never that grand. All those things help a person with their self-esteem. I saw the results of putting in effort and hard work saw how it pays off. So I learned to save money and to set goals. I wanted a better guitar, so I got jobs washing cars and doing yard work. I put the time in and I noticed that I was evolving and it helped build my confidence. I had an older brother who was always kicking my ass. The funny thing is that my confidence as a person is built off of playing music. Maybe you remember when we did that interview last year, and I said, “ I feel that we need more guitar solos from you!” Jack Endino said something similar but you hired a guitarist for ‘Walking Papers’ and you only focus on singing. He mentioned that, ‘Jeff is a great songwriter, Jeff is a great singer but you have to know Jeff is a great guitarist.’ I did an interview in the morning with Jack Endino and we talked about the second Walking Papers album and you. Later on they grow into mature, adult songs.

The recording is just a picture of them when they still have crooked teeth and acne because they are still young. The songs have another life after they’re recorded. And for this tour, we’ve got horn sections building the songs and making them even bigger. We have a whole new part now after that chorus where it breaks down into a real quiet part and it does a whole thing. Some of the songs from the first record are so much better now than they were when recorded. Also when you play certain songs live they evolve. Just a guitar tone here or there or maybe I would have lowered the key or sang it in a different register, a little bit faster or slower Things like that. Yeah because we’re experimenting, you know? We’re scientists with music and electronics and some experiments prove you wrong, but it’s nothing major.

I would have done a few things differently.

I’m really proud of the record but now that I’ve lived through it. It’s like looking at pictures of yourself when you were a kid or something. When I listen to the record, I hear where I was then. So, every time I listen to one of my records, I already know that I’m better than that record. So, the reviews were really good but when I make a record, I come out the other side with the experience of having made that record. There are a lot of great albums that hard-core music fans love but they don’t always resonate with the general public. But good reviews don’t amount to record sales. I’ve been pretty fortunate to not have not had many bad reviews in my musical career. Yeah, man, the reviews were great! Both albums got really good reviews. I’ve read a lot of reviews about WP2 album and everybody said, “Yes, it’s fantastic!” but what are your feelings about the album? Yes, he played saxophone on the ‘Mad Season’ album. I knew who they were already because Skerik plays with them sometimes. They said they had a gig and invited me to come and sing some songs with them. He had a private party in Spokane and invited us and the jazz band to play over there and that’s where I met them. He’s from Seattle but he plays soul music.

We played with them over the weekend in Spokane with Allen Stone. What did you do at the club yesterday? Were you invited by the local jazz musicians? We were at a jazz club last night where you played a couple of songs. I buy parts for bulldozers and that kind of stuff. I’m good, just doing my Seattle thing which right now is building a theatre. Jeff Angell (Photo credit: Ernie Sapiro) “Making the record made me better” Jeff Angell, the frontman of Walking Papers talks to last Alice in Chains/Walking Papers tour, the new WP2 album and his nearly future plans. So that’s probably the smart thing to move forward with”. The band names are like an address for the music and I think Walking Papers is easier for people to find than the others. “If you were looking to find my songs, Walking Papers has an address on the main street where you might need elaborate directions to find Staticland or the Missionary Position, and there might be construction going on and you might not find them ‘cause they are through an alley, down some stairs, in the basement with no sign on the door.

Jeff angell walking papers