Jad Fair (Half Japanese)

Performance Anxiety

Today’s guest makes me feel honored. It’s Jad Fair and he doesn’t do many interviews. So when we were able to make this happen, I was thrilled. Jad is one half of Half Japanese (¼ Japanese?). And he’s not even actually Japanese! I learned that and a lot more in this episode. OK, I knew he wasn't any Japanese before doing this podcast. But what I DID learn was how Jad creates his unique music. It began when he and his brother David began creating music back in Michigan in the early 70’s. That music came to the attention of a pre-Teller Penn Jillette.

But Penn isn’t the only collaboration Jad has had. In fact, that was just the beginning. Jad has played with some amazing people like Moe Tucker, Steve Fisk, and Daniel Johnston.

And Jad’s music isn’t the only unique art he creates. He draws, makes paper cuttings that become album art, and even designed his own guitar that is held together by rubber bands and can be folded in half to make it easier to travel. We also touch on the different hurdles there are to getting noticed in music and how that has changed since Half Japanese started recording.

Follow him on Instagram @jad.fair. Find his music on Kill Rock Stars, Joyful Noise, Fire Records, and Moon Records, and Bandcamp. Follow us @PerformanceAnx on X & Instagram. Merch is at performanceanx.threadless.com. Send a cup of coffee at ko-fi.com/performanceanxiety. And prepare to enter the magical world of love songs & monsters with Jad Fair on Performance Anxiety on the Pantheon Podcast Network.

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