Description
Erin Osmon presents a detailed, human account of the Rust Belt-born musician Jason Molina-a visionary, prolific, and at times cantankerous singer-songwriter with an autodidactic style that captivated his devoted fans. The songwriting giant behind the bands Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co. had a knack for spinning tales, from the many personal myths he cultivated throughout his life to the poems and ballads he penned and performed. As with too many great musicians, Molina's complicated relationship with the truth, combined with a secretive relationship with the bottle, ultimately claimed his life. With a new foreword from singer-songwriter Will Johnson, Jason Molina: Riding with the Ghost details Molina's personal trials and triumphs and reveals for the first time the true story of Molina's last months and works, including an unpublished album unknown to many of his fans. Offering unfettered access to the mind and artistry of Molina through exclusive interviews with family, friends, and collaborators, the book also explores the Midwest music underground and the development of Bloomington, Indiana-based label Secretly Canadian. As the first authorized and detailed account of this prolific songwriter and self-mythologizer, Jason Molina provides readers with unparalleled insight into Molina's tormented life and the fascinating Midwest musical underground that birthed him. It's a story for the ages that speaks volumes to the triumphs and trials of the artistic spirit while exploring the meaningful music that Molina's creative genius left behind.
About the Author
Erin Osmon is a music writer based in Chicago. Her work has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines, websites, and journals dealing with music and culture. She also writes long-form liner notes for reissues of historic albums. A native of Evansville, Indiana, Ms. Osmon grew up in the Midwest underground music scene. She discovered Jason Molina's music in 1998 after the song "Vanquisher" from the first Songs: Ohia LP made rounds on a mix tape among her high school friends. This is her first book.
Reviews
The anecdotal details from Jason Molina: Riding with the Ghost are what ring most vividly, exposing a side of Molina that rarely came through in his melancholic music.... Riding with the Ghost also enriches his songs, illuminating their characters in their own words and supplying context to the places they were set. * MTV *
Among Riding with the Ghost's most memorable passages are instances of Molina's fandom, from his unconditional love for Sade and his evangelizing of Kraftwerk to Damien Jurado, to his edict to bandmates to study Neil Young's After the Gold Rush. Molina's passion rings through these pages, nowhere more distinctly than in the retelling of the fateful interaction that launched his career while studying at Oberlin College (where he was known as 'Sparky'). * Pitchfork Media Inc. *
Jason Molina: Riding with the Ghost delves into each period of the artist's life: from his first high school punk band Chronic Insanity, to his last days with heralded alt-country act Magnolia Electric Co., and the numerous iterations of his beloved folk-leaning band Songs: Ohia, as well as solo material and unreleased demos unkown to fans. It's a fascinating look at one of the last pre-internet indie successes and the underground music scene that supported his meteoric rise. The book also examines the origin story of Bloomington, IN-based Secretly Canadian, and how the record label and Molina became inexorably linked in a nearly 17-year run as label and artist, despite major ideological and technological shifts in the landscape of independent music. It's a book not just for Molina fans, but for music fans - a story for the ages that explores the triumphs and pitfalls of a very pure artistic spirit. * Glide Magazine *
Jason Molina: Riding With the Ghost absolutely communicates just what Molina's life meant to family, friends, collaborators and fans.... Osmon does an excellent job of painting a nuanced portrait of a complex human being.... Her interviews with former band members and those involved with the production process yield a lot of wonderful insight into Molina's singular and demanding creative process and his prolificacy.... It was already clear from his immense output that there is endless meaning to be gleaned from Jason Molina's body of work, but Osmon takes the story of his short, bright time on Earth, warts and all - just like a Songs: Ohia record, 'no overdubs!' - and puts it in the context of a real human life. And that unveils depths to his music that we're only now able to explore. * Winnipeg Free Press *
Osmon's biography is a must read for anyone who has more than a casual relationship with Molina's work; which, in my guess, would be anyone who has heard Molina's work.... Osmon pulls back the curtain and shows us Molina the man. * 37 FLOOD *
Never short on details, it's a ravenous fan's dream.... Osmon provides the deepest of glimpses into Molina's worlds. All the trinket-filled mysteries left behind by one of the greatest songwriters who ever wrote a note are captured here.... Thanks ... Osmon for a guided tour of Molina's mythological palette, warts and all. * Popmatters *
If Jason Molina has ever been important to you, then you need to read the book, because Osmon did a magnificent job detailing Molina's life, struggles, music, and demise. So many lingering questions are answered, and questions you'd never considered are answered as well. Read it. Now. * Third Coast Review *
In her new book, Riding With the Ghost, writer Erin Osmon accomplishes a tricky feat regarding the late Jason Molina... She presents Molina, whose work can so often mythic, as if carved from ancient stone, fully as a person, with faults, desires, humors, and failings. She doesn't strip his songs of their mystery or allure, but rather illustrates the idiosyncratic and personal details that led to his remarkable words and melodies. In doing so, she gives us the gift of more fully knowing Molina, as well as his companions and friends, those who traveled alongside him through life. * Aquarium Drunkard *
Riding With The Ghost...captures the heaviness and levity that coexisted in Molina's personality, and it enriches a moving and inexhaustible artistic legacy. * Decoder Magazine *
[E]mpathetic and informative.... Erin Osmon is a great biographer, writer and critic. She has used new interviews to weave an empathetic and informative story around Molina and his music, without turning him into a martyr, without trying to make him even more of a cult figure than he has become. She does not condone or condemn, simply tells it straight. Here is the story of one creative spirit who could not cope. Here is how he lived and made the music he left behind. Read and listen: it is the story of how music is made. * International Times *
Erin Osmon paints an empathetic and deeply human portrait of Jason Molina, both the artist and the man. A biography that's as beautifully haunting as one of his songs. -- Bob Mehr, author, "Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements"
In Jason Molina: Riding with the Ghost, Erin Osmon gives us a riveting biography not only of a great musician whose work deserves to be much wider known, but a well-rounded portrait of a fascinating human being, as well as a glimpse into the creative process. It's a ride well worth taking. -- Jim DeRogatis, co-host, "Sound Opinions," and author, Let It Blurt: The Life and Times of Lester Bangs
During his all-too-short lifetime, Jason Molina created some of the most emotionally stirring, soul-enriching, and thought-provoking rock this side of Neil Young, Lou Reed, and Nick Drake. First time author Erin Osmon has crafted a meticulously researched biography infused with both passion and a keen analytic eye. During his lifetime, Molina was criminally under recognized. In a perfect world, Osmon's loving tribute will play its part in rectifying this. -- Rob Bowman, Grammy Award-winning author, Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records
Jason Molina: Riding with the Ghost accomplishes a tremendous feat-an examination of Molina's life and work as rich, complex, and fearless as the music he made. Erin Osmon unpacks the mythology and gives us a portrait that is human, tangible, and deeply moving. -- Jessica Hopper, author, The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic
Book Information
ISBN 9781538112182
Author Erin Osmon
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Rowman & Littlefield
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield
Weight(grams) 395g
Dimensions(mm) 230mm * 155mm * 19mm
About the Author
Erin Osmon is a music writer based in Chicago. Her work has appeared in dozens of newspapers, magazines, websites, and journals dealing with music and culture. She also writes long-form liner notes for reissues of historic albums. A native of Evansville, Indiana, Ms. Osmon grew up in the Midwest underground music scene. She discovered Jason Molina's music in 1998 after the song "Vanquisher" from the first Songs: Ohia LP made rounds on a mix tape among her high school friends. This is her first book.
Reviews
The anecdotal details from Jason Molina: Riding with the Ghost are what ring most vividly, exposing a side of Molina that rarely came through in his melancholic music.... Riding with the Ghost also enriches his songs, illuminating their characters in their own words and supplying context to the places they were set. * MTV *
Among Riding with the Ghost's most memorable passages are instances of Molina's fandom, from his unconditional love for Sade and his evangelizing of Kraftwerk to Damien Jurado, to his edict to bandmates to study Neil Young's After the Gold Rush. Molina's passion rings through these pages, nowhere more distinctly than in the retelling of the fateful interaction that launched his career while studying at Oberlin College (where he was known as 'Sparky'). * Pitchfork Media Inc. *
Jason Molina: Riding with the Ghost delves into each period of the artist's life: from his first high school punk band Chronic Insanity, to his last days with heralded alt-country act Magnolia Electric Co., and the numerous iterations of his beloved folk-leaning band Songs: Ohia, as well as solo material and unreleased demos unkown to fans. It's a fascinating look at one of the last pre-internet indie successes and the underground music scene that supported his meteoric rise. The book also examines the origin story of Bloomington, IN-based Secretly Canadian, and how the record label and Molina became inexorably linked in a nearly 17-year run as label and artist, despite major ideological and technological shifts in the landscape of independent music. It's a book not just for Molina fans, but for music fans - a story for the ages that explores the triumphs and pitfalls of a very pure artistic spirit. * Glide Magazine *
Jason Molina: Riding With the Ghost absolutely communicates just what Molina's life meant to family, friends, collaborators and fans.... Osmon does an excellent job of painting a nuanced portrait of a complex human being.... Her interviews with former band members and those involved with the production process yield a lot of wonderful insight into Molina's singular and demanding creative process and his prolificacy.... It was already clear from his immense output that there is endless meaning to be gleaned from Jason Molina's body of work, but Osmon takes the story of his short, bright time on Earth, warts and all - just like a Songs: Ohia record, 'no overdubs!' - and puts it in the context of a real human life. And that unveils depths to his music that we're only now able to explore. * Winnipeg Free Press *
Osmon's biography is a must read for anyone who has more than a casual relationship with Molina's work; which, in my guess, would be anyone who has heard Molina's work.... Osmon pulls back the curtain and shows us Molina the man. * 37 FLOOD *
Never short on details, it's a ravenous fan's dream.... Osmon provides the deepest of glimpses into Molina's worlds. All the trinket-filled mysteries left behind by one of the greatest songwriters who ever wrote a note are captured here.... Thanks ... Osmon for a guided tour of Molina's mythological palette, warts and all. * Popmatters *
If Jason Molina has ever been important to you, then you need to read the book, because Osmon did a magnificent job detailing Molina's life, struggles, music, and demise. So many lingering questions are answered, and questions you'd never considered are answered as well. Read it. Now. * Third Coast Review *
In her new book, Riding With the Ghost, writer Erin Osmon accomplishes a tricky feat regarding the late Jason Molina... She presents Molina, whose work can so often mythic, as if carved from ancient stone, fully as a person, with faults, desires, humors, and failings. She doesn't strip his songs of their mystery or allure, but rather illustrates the idiosyncratic and personal details that led to his remarkable words and melodies. In doing so, she gives us the gift of more fully knowing Molina, as well as his companions and friends, those who traveled alongside him through life. * Aquarium Drunkard *
Riding With The Ghost...captures the heaviness and levity that coexisted in Molina's personality, and it enriches a moving and inexhaustible artistic legacy. * Decoder Magazine *
[E]mpathetic and informative.... Erin Osmon is a great biographer, writer and critic. She has used new interviews to weave an empathetic and informative story around Molina and his music, without turning him into a martyr, without trying to make him even more of a cult figure than he has become. She does not condone or condemn, simply tells it straight. Here is the story of one creative spirit who could not cope. Here is how he lived and made the music he left behind. Read and listen: it is the story of how music is made. * International Times *
Erin Osmon paints an empathetic and deeply human portrait of Jason Molina, both the artist and the man. A biography that's as beautifully haunting as one of his songs. -- Bob Mehr, author, "Trouble Boys: The True Story of the Replacements"
In Jason Molina: Riding with the Ghost, Erin Osmon gives us a riveting biography not only of a great musician whose work deserves to be much wider known, but a well-rounded portrait of a fascinating human being, as well as a glimpse into the creative process. It's a ride well worth taking. -- Jim DeRogatis, co-host, "Sound Opinions," and author, Let It Blurt: The Life and Times of Lester Bangs
During his all-too-short lifetime, Jason Molina created some of the most emotionally stirring, soul-enriching, and thought-provoking rock this side of Neil Young, Lou Reed, and Nick Drake. First time author Erin Osmon has crafted a meticulously researched biography infused with both passion and a keen analytic eye. During his lifetime, Molina was criminally under recognized. In a perfect world, Osmon's loving tribute will play its part in rectifying this. -- Rob Bowman, Grammy Award-winning author, Soulsville U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records
Jason Molina: Riding with the Ghost accomplishes a tremendous feat-an examination of Molina's life and work as rich, complex, and fearless as the music he made. Erin Osmon unpacks the mythology and gives us a portrait that is human, tangible, and deeply moving. -- Jessica Hopper, author, The First Collection of Criticism by a Living Female Rock Critic
Book Information
ISBN 9781538112182
Author Erin Osmon
Format Paperback
Page Count 256
Imprint Rowman & Littlefield
Publisher Rowman & Littlefield
Weight(grams) 395g
Dimensions(mm) 230mm * 155mm * 19mm
