j.k. livin productions was created by Matthew in 1996. He designed an atmosphere where he practices making a living with his life and supports those under this roof to do the same. He brought on long time partner Gus Gustawes in the same year, and the two set up shop at Warner Bros for two solid years. Shortly thereafter, Mark Gustawes was brought on, and the three have been dedicated to the company slash life mantra for over a decade. Independent for the 8 years, j.k. livin signed an overhead deal with New Line Cinema in September 2006.
Filmography:
Hands On A Hardbody - The Documentary
The Mancha Blanca - The Documentary
Overlooked - Behind the scenes of TIPTOES
Sahara - Executive Producers
Day 73 with Sarah - Short Film
Coming Soon
Surfer, Dude
Curtis Myluv (development) Independent
The River Road (development) Independent
Arrested Development (development) New Line Cinema
Dear Delilah (development) Paramount
Dirty Little Secret (development) Paramount
The Bone Game (development) Independent
Contact info:
jklrecords@jklivin.net
Mishka photo by Roxanne Haynes.
MISHKAâS new album TALK ABOUT
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Plum TV in Aspen interviews Mishka on ABOVE THE BONES and writing songs for SURFER, DUDE.
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EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW!In a recent interview McConaughey and Mishka sat down and talked about how they met, working together, and the album.
McConaughey, when did you first hear Mishka's music?
McConaughey: I got turned on to your music by Cole Hauser new years 2000. I hadn't slept for 3 nights and I could hear an album playing downstairs and I was tossing and turning trying to sleep. And then this album came on and I slept like a baby for 5 straight hours. When I got up and asked who was on this morning, it was like a lullaby, Hauser said "I think that was Mishka. We listened to it, I said "that's itÂ! Got turned on to your music right there. For me I heard a truth you were speaking. It was a very personal album. What I heard was more so about your personal life and things going on in your life at that time. There was a grace in that you talked about pain and half way thru the song, most artists go and talk about it, saying "damn you for doing it. How dare you! You're all f*#cked up! But you never make those judgments in that first album. You have an opinion but you never condemned. After that we were all saying "We gotta find this cat!Â. I wonder where he is. Documentary started there, "where's Mishka?!" I wanted to meet you and say "you're that singer and song writer!" Way to sing beautiful, true music that can make sense to everybody. The grace with which you talk about pain and that spot before you get into anger. How you observed life, as it was, hard and easy, easy and hard. I could dance to it. And I could sleep to it. It was the first album I loved to get up and jam to and play when I'd want to go to sleep...It's the only album I could sleep too like a baby. You weren't easy to find, bro. I came back, made phone calls, the closest I got was in 2002, and somebody in some company that I called said, "I know Mishka! I saw him in Portugal 8 months ago."
Mishka: Which is funny 'cause I haven't been to Portugal!
McConaughey: Anyone heard of Mishka???!!!! Let's find him!I'm out of the country and I get a call from my friend Mark Gustawes. He says "this guy named Mishka is playing at the House of Blues on the Sunset Strip." I said, "see if it's him and get me a number where I can talk to him." At that point, I never even thought we'd be working together. I just loved your music. I just knew that this cat makes sense, this cat is on it. This is great music. I want to find that person. I thought, "There won't be anything I need to know. I already know it. He made it known in that first album.I called your manager and then I called you. I called you every few weeks. We basically talked about your music. You didn't know anything about me. But I felt like I knew you very well. I lived with your album, where you spoke from your heart, for 4 years. My favorite album is your first album. Greatest Salesman in the World is my favorite book, yours is my favorite album. It's a good combination, Greatest Salesmen and your album. You and I became acquaintances over the phone, I knew your music and then as I got to know you, I felt like we got each other's respect, as humans, over the phone. You invited me to stay with your family. I was looking for an adventure. I put on a backpack and was down at your place 2 days later. We had a ball, we talked music, we'd go to the waterfall, climb a tree, walk a plane or just do anything or nothing at all. Sit around and talk, philosophize, laugh a lot. We became friends over that trip. There was respect that turned into friendship. I came back and I just wanted your music to be heard by more people. I don't know if we can work together but I'm a friend of yours, in music for life. Whether we work together or I give you comments. Any time, if you want me to listen to anything. More ears should be pleased by your music. And down the line from there, we talked, you kept writing, your management parted ways. I just formed a record company, and said, let's get the paper work out of the way and do this.
Mishka, when did you first hear about and meet McConaughey?
Mishka: I first heard about you in 2000 a few months after you couldn't sleep. Somebody asked you what your favorite music was and what you'd play at your wedding and you said "Mishka". So that's when I first heard about you and heard you were into my music. But then it was like 4 years later that I was playing here in L.A. and Mark Gustawes came down to the show and got in touch with my previous management. I think you got my number, I got your number and you called me up and we just started talking. Just about the time when we made "One Tree for the 2nd album. You came down to visit me and my parents and Tara and the kids in Nevis. We had a blast. Jamming some tunes, Bob, Steve, Irene, good times, you know?
McConaughey: Yeah
Mishka: It was bout then that I realized, oh, he's a movie star, he's in a bunch of movies. Maybe I should watch his movies. Watched a couple and I was like wow, he's been in a lot of movies."One Tree" came out, that spring, I was touring around for a year or so. Things fell apart with the other manager. You called me up you're like, "you still into making some music? I said "yeahÂ. I had an album half made, we did a few more tunes on it and almost another year, getting an album together, came the first j.k. livin record.McCoanghey, how has the album recording process gone for you?
McConaughey: This is it, "Above the BonesÂ. And here we are in the mixing sessions and we had a week of recording and we came out with 15 tunes. Now we're in our mixing phase. Six days into the mixing section, 11 tunes mixed. This album is less about one other person. This is ABOVE THE BONES; A love song to humanity, to yourself, to your lover, wife, your father, your mother, your brother, your sister, your past, to people in the past you knew, people in the future you've never met, mother earth, time, in general. There are environmental love songs, songs to humanity, songs about being the best we can be to ourselves and to each other. Where does the inspiration for the songs come from and how do you choose what to put on the album?Mishka: A lot of has to do with having kids. A lot of prayerful thoughts and inspiration come from them. A lot of the songs are older songs that have never been recorded. The oldest one is "Mountains Meet The SeaÃÂ. I consider it a hopeful album that is reflective but hopefully gives people a positive outlook, perspective on things.
McConaughey: Very hopeful
Mishka: A long road, reflection on reincarnation, many levels and phases of life and existence. Many realities that culminate into one; one here and now.
McConaughey: You don't put up a wall or a boundary anywhere. Not on those who may have done you wrong. You don't condemn or put up a boundary, you don't give yourself a gate or bars to get out of or someone to get into in your area.
Mishka: Walls are an illusion. Walls you put up in yourself, they'll all fall eventually. How was the process of making this album?Mishka: I've seen it grow from something really small into something bigger. We got the full band, all together at once, a good studio, where everything works. This experience in L.A. has been great. It was a like a musical highlight of my life, aside from live stuff. We were really seeing a vision come to reality. I can't believe my ears. I have to go back. I'm just giving thanks. Tell us more about Coastline Journey the song you wrote for SURFER, DUDE?
McConaughey: I sent u the script, and I think all I said was, "have a read, see what you thinkÂ.
Mishka: I thought it was really funny and it reminded me of my life in many ways. Especially when I was recording my first album, hanging out on the beach in Nevis, windsurfing and then straight into London, studios, tour busses, management, record companies. I could draw a parallel to Surfer, Dude and the reality house. I related to it instantly. The script came with a note from you: " thinking we want some songsÂ.There was line in the script, "I wonder why mother nature behaves like it does? It inspired me to write that song. "Your guess is as good as mine. Oceans currents and breeze: beyond the predictions of human beingsÂ.
McConaughey, what are your thoughts on this album and producing?
McConaughey: My favorite things about Mishka's music are that it's a love song to the kids, to the elders to those who have moved on, and to those who are yet to come. And here we are now mixing and we got an album that I'm really honored to be a part of. I'm honored with this album. We have it. The first time I went in the music studio was in Atlanta. I was nervous and anxious about how the playing field was. I didn't know the tools, the vernacular. And then I got going and it's not really a science, however you get it across, you are talking to musicians who know how to feel words. We don't even have to speak English to the get the point across. Rumor has it, McConaughey had some interesting dance moves during the recording process, true?
Mishka: You were excited and into it. As you did your "ballet" you gave the band a visual to work off. I heard that a lot because you really danced the dance. On one song he brought it up to a peak and brought it down slowly, slowly, practically ending in a child's pose.
McConaughey: It was fun. It was really fun. There is an instant gratification. You hit it. You may think you hit it, but when you hit. Daryl [producer/guitar player] said he paraphrases with you as a singer. He answers you. He puts you up on a pedestal, he just accents it. Sometimes it just a rose petal. You don't even have to look at each other to pull it off. Y'all do a beautiful dance together. I know the essence of what I love about every song and its also cool to get in there and someone will get hot, like on a certain segment, great to kick back and go, "He's tracking it the whole it wayÂ. Or sometimes I'll feel something; I already know exactly where it will go. It's neat when it makes sense that way. They know what they are and where they want to go. I'm having a ball.
Mishka: Me Too.
