An Interview with Jimmy LaValle of the Album Leaf

Life on the road can be tough for a musician. But for Jimmy LaValle, also known as the Album Leaf, even a continuous year-and-a-half of touring isn't burdensome.

"It's a pretty fine line between [touring and recording]," LaValle said in a telephone interview. "I like them both."

His contentment with both aspects of the music industry could be in part from the contacts he's made in his career, namely indie superstars Sigur Rós. The Icelandic quintet invited LaValle's then side project (as the experimental rock group Tristeza was, at the time, his bread and butter) to open on their first US tour.

"Touring with Sigur Rós was always a good thing," LaValle said. "Their fans are amazing."

The gig paid off, and LaValle was invited to work (at least in part) on two of the four Album Leaf albums at Sigur Rós' Sundlaugin, an old swimming pool converted into an analog recording studio.

The results: 2004's In a Safe Place (which featured instrumentals from members of Sigur Rós) and Into the Blue Again, which was released last month on Sub Pop.

Much like its closest predecessor, In a Safe Place is an ambient blend of electronic sounds and analog arrangements, creating a sound often likened to (by critics and LaValle himself) rocker Brian Eno.

"It's hard to say because I don't really rip anybody off," LaValle responded when asked about influences on his sound. "Brian Eno's always been a big influence of mine as far as his view of music, and Nick Drake for guitar work."

LaValle certainly has cultivated a unique sound in a "do-it-yourself" sort of way. Nearly every instrument - with the exception of several string instruments and some of the drumming - is played by LaValle, from synthesizer to guitar to glockenspiel.

The Album Leaf's unique style has earned the attention of fans worldwide, as well as several commercial enterprises. Compositions from In a Safe Place have been used by CBS, NBC, and Showtime, as well as being featured in a Hummer commercial and six episodes of FOX's "The OC."

LaValle has a love-hate attitude toward such uses of his music.

"It's kind of fucked up in a way, and at the same time, I'm a musician, I've gotta make a living," he said. "With things like 'The OC,' when you just suck it up and let it do what it does, it brings more people, more fans."

The Album Leaf's success seems to grow with each new release. Into the Blue Again reached the number 33 spot on the Billboard indie charts, the highest rank the solo project has achieved.

The tour to promote the new album began earlier this month and will end early next year in Tokyo.

"We do really well in Japan, and we do relatively well in the states in bigger cities," LaValle said. "But there's definitely the star factor in Japan, lots of autographs, lots of pictures and all that shit. It's cool."

After making big-name contacts and receiving international notoriety, it's not hard to see why Jimmy LaValle doesn't mind touring for long periods of time. But the artist behind the Album Leaf still feels he has a lot to achieve.

"I'd like to tour with someone like Flaming Lips, or Radiohead or even Beck would be really, really cool" he said.

If things continue as they are, LaValle just may get his wish.