Getting a jump on Jump, Little Children

Band struggles to go independent route

Jump, Little Children took its name from an old Brownie McGhee/Sonny Terry song.

By Manashi Mukherjee
Special to CNN

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The name may sound humorous, but Jump, Little Children is a band of serious musicians.

The group formed about eight years ago when its members -- guitarist Jay Clifford, cellist Ward Williams, harmonica and accordion player Matt Bivins, and Matt's drummer brother Evan Bivins -- were studying at the North Carolina School for the Arts. The name came from a Brownie McGhee/Sonny Terry blues song the group covers frequently. JLC later added bassist Jonathan Gray.

The group got its start playing Irish music, but soon created its own unique style, with an emphasis on acoustic instrumentation. A handful of albums -- "The Licorice Tea Demos," "Buzz," and "Magazine" -- followed as the band built a fan base through incessant touring. (They also became known as "the band that drives around in an airport shuttle bus" for using an old Park 'n' Fly van as transport.)

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However, despite its popularity as a live band, Jump, Little Children remains on the fringes when it comes to album sales. Earlier this year, JLC's label, Breaking Records, was dropped from Atlantic Records in an effort to cut costs. Consequently, the band had to find an alternate way to get its latest project out. At the insistence of fans, they repackaged and re-released their first two albums on their newly created independent label, EZ Chief Records. JLC is currently on tour in support of its fourth album, "Vertigo."

CNN recently spoke to the band before a concert in Atlanta, Georgia.

CNN: At the beginning, you guys started playing Irish music; you still play a little bit of that. How do you think that things have changed?

Matt Bivins: I think when we first started doing this, we didn't have a goal in mind. And then we banded together, we had a very distinct goal.

CNN: What was that?

Matt: David Letterman. And now, I don't know that we have a goal.

... I mean, I think now it's more of a mode of self-expression and a way to put food on our tables and a way of doing something that we enjoy doing. I don't know. In being more honest with what we're doing, the Lettermans might come.

CNN: Your job requires you to do extensive traveling. Have you noticed any differences since 9/11?

Matt: I think some markets that we've played have been smaller. But not really, I think people are very ready to go and forget about things for a little while, to see entertainment of all kinds.

Jonny Gray: Except for action movies.

Evan Bivins: I think people are reacting in different ways. Some people are eager for a distraction. Some people are afraid to spend their money in any way. We're kind of fortunate enough to be in the entertainment industry, where at least we do provide ... a distraction. At least we try to, right?

CNN: Do you think having released your new album around that time, and having this tour to go out on around that time helped you cope in any way?

All: It definitely helped us.

Matt: It definitely helped me. I definitely needed a distraction. Not even as much of a distraction, as much as a way to deal. Yeah, some nights it is a distraction. Some nights, it's almost cathartic.

Jay: One of the difficult things about this whole business with us is that it's not something that we can, up on stage, talk about. ... We look at the people and know that they're here to forget ... because of that we have to keep the atmosphere of entertainment.

CNN: How do you feel about the new album being delayed so long?

Matt: The basics are that there was a big scare when Bush got into office. The stock market went down. (The record label's parent label, Atlantic, received a) demand to cut corners. It trickled down to all of us, so many peers of ours were affected. ... Financially it was very hard for us. It still is very hard for us financially. But I do think that things happen for a reason.

(Editor's note: Atlantic Records is owned by AOL Time Warner, which also owns CNN.com.)

Evan: We also don't have the promotion, money, or the muscle of a major label right now pushing. We're doing it all ourselves ...

Matt: We are doing exactly what Ani (DiFranco) did. We are attitude at a much lower level.