Joining the Club: An Interview with Jordan Weinstock of american poetry club
By Alexandra Henriques
Source: american poetry club on Bandcamp
On February 9th, I had the honor of speaking to Jordan Weinstock, the lead of the bands american poetry club and Here For You. Recently, american poetry club released a soundtrack for a short film titled Years in a Year by Jojo Bossman, and Here For You has just performed its third show. I wanted to delve into these projects, so I arranged aninterview with Weinstock to discuss their work!
american poetry club is a “conglomeration” of people who play and make music together when they have the chance, though Weinstock described the “classic line-up” as Connor Sbrocco, Sang-jin Lee, Andy Lewis, Kaley Macleod, and Zoë Finkelstein. american poetry club, or APC, went to Washington University in St. Louis together, and most of them met through their college radio station, KWUR! The band name, american poetry club, came from a history class at their university after Weinstock learned about a poetry club in Ming China. They liked the idea of a “club” where many people contribute, and often, there are no set roles, so they chose to call themselves american poetry club.
APC goes by the phrase “the sound of self-esteem,” which means that they are proud of the music they create and follow the motto of “do it together,” meaning that community is so important. Weinstock grew up on Long Island, close to New York City, though they did not feel like they were a part of it. Once they went to St. Louis, they found that community. One of APC’s goals is to encourage people to follow their hobbies and dreams without worrying about perfection or other people’s opinions. Weinstock encouraged people to focus less on how their work is consumed, and more on the pride that they feel toward that work. They said that not putting pressure on themself made the music-making experience much better.
During the interview, Weinstock talked about Years in a Year, the score for the short film of the same name. They said it was different from their other albums, as “most APC albums are not thought through, they were always just like, ‘Well, we got 8 songs, and that’s an album!’” However, for the film, APC had mood boards and clips to work with and had to make sure the music fit the film. The short film was not completed at the time of the score’s recording, so APC did not have the entire movie to work with. Additionally, it was an all-instrumental soundtrack, so they had to figure out how to give a song dynamic without a lyrical narrative. Years in a Year was recorded in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, so the process was done remotely. It was a challenge to make the album “sound like a collaborative process when it was really more like ‘I’ve done this, now you add your thing,’” though APC overcame these challenges to make a beautiful soundtrack.
Jordan discussing their experience with college radio over zoom.
Afterward, Weinstock talked about some of the highlights of their time in APC and Here For You, including APC’s tour with Trust Fund, Weinstock’s favorite band, this past summer. “I am incredibly honored and grateful to have had this experience,” Weinstock expressed. They also discussed their band Here For You, a new project with a 4-song EP in the works. “It’s the first time I’ve written songs with real choruses,” Weinstock joked. Plus, all the band members of Here For You live near each other, which makes it easier to produce music.
At the moment, APC is on a pause as they are geographically scattered among the United States. Weinstock would love for a reunion soon, but there is nothing planned for now.
To conclude the interview, Weinstock expressed how their goal for their music career is to “keep writing stuff that makes someone say, ‘I can do that too.’” APC achieved so much more than Weinstock ever imagined, and they said that they are honored.
You can listen to american poetry club and Here For You on Bandcamp, Spotify, Apple Music, and other music streaming services!
