This time a year ago, we were living it up at Barcelona’s Sonar festival, discovering new acts and artists. But in 2020 Corona had other plans so we’re reaching out and speaking to some of our favourites instead, like Planningtorock aka Jam Rostron.

As Planningtorock, Jam has already released four deeply personal albums that deal with current political issues but also their own life experience. They presented their last album, Powerhouse, as a performance piece in the middle of Berlin’s Berghain and their latest, PlanningtoChanel, is a specially-commissioned piece, by fashion icon Michel Gaubert, to accompany Chanel’s Autumn/Winter 2020 show.

PlanningtoChanel will now be released 22nd August with a percentage of the proceeds going to anti-racist organizations including Marsha P Johnson Institute.

So Jam, where are you right now?
I’m in my favourite café here in Tallinn, Estonia. It does a great coffee. My girlfriend is here and I’ve been recording in Estonia during Coronavirus.

It must be strange releasing a new album into the world right now. 
It felt very different – in terms of Black Lives Matter. I’ve always used my music to face issues, both personal and public ones. Planningtorock is about my life and stories. So with this release I was like, ‘OK, how can I, as a white person, use this platform of mine to help the fight against racism?’
PlanningtoChanel has been about creating a moment in a show for a creative legend – Michel. He asked me to write the music with a certain agenda and I really loved facilitating another person’s vision. Artistically and creatively, it’s a really great challenge and a great way to have a break from myself! Haha…

In 2018, you said ‘I think it’s quite irresponsible to make sad music right now.’ A lot has happened in the two years since then! How do you feel about this now?
Even more strongly! I believe we have a sense of responsibility as to what we put out in the world. Back then I really felt like I was surrounded by, and I have to say specifically, white people having the privilege to write melancholic music, just for the sake of it. But there is so much tragedy in the world that we actually need the opposite. I was really wanting to put my skills towards something that makes people feel good. This is what we really really need.
You can be dancing to an amazing track on a dancefloor somewhere, and on that track there can be this fantastic message, something that makes you think. Dancing with friends, feeling good about yourself is such a great time to think about things.

Has it been strange not having that same political motive behind your music on PlanningtoChanel?
Yeah and that’s why I love music. It can do anything. You can make music to open up a political discussion or to play during a massage! I’m inspired by a lot of political music, but I like other types too. Music doesn’t always have to have a message. When Michel was talking to me, I was already thinking of drama, suspense…

Did he share the Chanel collection with you beforehand too?
No! Michel is a wikipedia of music. He has this crazy archive of CDs, records, albums. He basically gave me two tracks as a point of departure and I just wrote from that. One was the theme from this 1970s film called Donkeyskin. It’s a bit weird but the soundtrack is fantastic. It’s just all these 70s-style, over-the-top vocals. A bit like The Swingle Sisters, a choir that did vocal interpretations of Bach. Really melodramatic.
Then Michel gave me another track, ‘Désenchantée‘ by 80s French pop artist, Mylene Farmier and that really inspired ‘Jam Fam’ because there is no bass in 80s music production. It’s all very high and light, so I wanted ‘Jam Fam’ to be like that as well.

Was Karl Lagerfeld’s spirit in the room when you were creating PlanningtoChanel? 
I felt for Michel because it’s not long ago that Karl passed. They had a decades-long friendship. It’s really sweet though because Karl was a fan of Planningtorock. When I released my first album in 2006, he was making various compilations and included a couple of my tracks. He was always a supporter.

You are currently going through a non-linear transition. That sounds deeply personal, unique and not easy! 
You’re absolutely right, it isn’t easy at all. It is easy in my head but then I step out on to the street and then it’s like, ‘Oh fuck!’ and all I see are norms, norms and norms.
What really helps is creating allies online. I have made a lot of friendships through social media – and I am very grateful for all of them. We share our stories and try to make them as visible as possible to help others.

You’ve spoken in the past about how your recorded vocals have altered as you’ve progressed through your transition. Did that have any connection to PlanningtoChanel?
There are vocals but there are no lyrics on it, only staccato sounds. I recorded myself doing lots of ‘Hah hah hah’ sounds then pitched them down to queer them up, or down, a bit! It created this queer virtual choir with a super urgent sound.

Coming from Bolton, recording in LA, living in Berlin and now being in Estonia. That’s a lot of moving, something I have done a lot of too – growing up in Melbourne, living in London and moving to Barcelona. How have you found the experience of moving so much?
Some people blossom when they are in familiarity…personally, I don’t! I find not being in it keeps me on my toes a bit. How has it been for you?

I’ve found the need for stability and familiarity has gotten stronger as I have gotten older. Have you?
That’s a good question. I think as I get older I want less drama. I definitely worked hard at getting that out of my life! Haha…But I’ve lived in Berlin for more than twenty years now, almost longer than I lived in the UK. I love my English friends and family, but I’m not nationalistic. I’m not interested in that sort of identity at all. How is it living in Barcelona? My friend Arca lives there.

Yes, that’s true! Her new album Kick I is sounding great.
Oh it’s so good. Obviously I love ‘Nonbinary’, it’s amazing. But also the artwork and the visuals – she’s just on fire.

How did you meet?
We both played the Donau festival in Austria in 2015. Back then I used to wear this facial prosthetic when I performed live. Then half way through the show at Donau, the prosthetic started sliding off my face, so I turned back to the audience, ripped it off and was like, ‘Who wants my nose?!’ This cute little voice went, ‘I do! I do!’ So I threw my nose and it was Arca! We’ve been friends since then. She’s lovely. She actually sent me a photo again the other day saying ‘Look I’ve still got your nose!’ She’s a rascal.

Now we are named after the infamous Mariah Carey song. So we always ask – what is your favourite Mariah Carey song?
Oh my God, that’s so hard. I follow her on Instagram. Haha…I’m going to be really cheesy and say her Christmas song because I’m of that age and I remember when it came out. She looked hot in the video and it was really cute. There’s also always been this thing about people questioning whether she really wrote it – but she did!

Being a woman in pop, well, being a woman in music in general, people seem to be very quick to be dismissive. 
Definitely. Even with Powerhouse, my last album, I produced all of it. One track is called ‘Much To Touch’ and I had made an electronic beat for the track. But at that time, my friend Olof from The Knife and I were in the studio together and Olof was like, ‘Oh I think I could play that beat live.’ It sounded amazing. That is mentioned, and rightly so, in the press release. But then all of the press were like, ‘Yeah, Olof wrote the album…!’ This one mention of a male-identifying person and that’s his album suddenly. So ‘All I Want For Christmas’ may not be that inspired but it is one of my favourite songs of Mariah Carey.

PlanningtoChanel is released 22nd July via Human Level.
www.planningtorockofficial.com
A percentage of all proceeds will be donated to anti-racist organizations including Marsha P Johnson Institute.