NITE JEWEL with GLASS CANDY at Wrongbar (1279 Queen West), Friday (January 23), 10 pm. $15. rotate.com.
Ramona Gonzalez hasn’t considered changing her name to Ramona Ramone. First off she’s not a fan of three-chord punk, and second, despite her deep affection for 80s electro-rap and glossy pop freestyle (Lisa Lisa, say, or Debbie Deb), the Nite Jewel moniker just sounds cooler.
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The L.A. native started Nite Jewel as a one-woman band, recording her hazy dance pop on 8-track cassettes and putting out a slab on Human Ear. More recently, Glass Candy’s Johnny Jewel (related through disco imagery only) picked up on Gonzalez’s charming strangeness and will drop a split release on his Italians Do It Better label.
“Johnny likes people who are true to themselves,” she says. “He attaches himself to artists who are weirdos, who don’t make apologies and do their own thing.”
She’s also caught Deerhunter’s attention and was offered some recent opening slots, prompting Gonzalez to add a Cult Jam element to Nite Jewel before heading out on tour.
“I’m a two-woman band now – me and my friend Emily Jane. It’s not very fun to play by yourself. Who are you going to look to to get energy from? I really wanted to be with someone I could vibe with onstage.”
Interview Clips
Gonzalez discusses her methods of recording on analog tape decks.
Nite Jewel talks about crossing genres, scenes and playing in a variety of contexts.
