From Blog Contributor Mari Silva:
I first laid eyes on Brass Tax’s self-titled debut in KCRW’s Music Library, where I work weekly as a volunteer.
DJ/Librarian Eric J Lawrence introduced me to the record not only because the music was farm fresh (think a zygote of early No Doubt and Aimee Mann) but he too was captivated by the cover and knew it would catch my interest as well.
The image of a woman staring off into the distance with a plate of 13 over easy eggs sandwiched betwixt ample sized silverware had us completely fascinated. Who was she? What was behind her expression? Was she gearing up for a breakfast summit with Ron Swanson?
I couldn’t stop thinking about it and, each time I looked at it, ideas about the photo kept hatching and the backstory I created for this woman became more and more detailed.
I could feel my curiosity getting the better of me and after finding Brass Tax’s Facebook page, I was at a crossroads: do I send an email inquiring about the origin of the picture that continued to lay grandiose ideas in my head, or do I let the woman keep her Mona Lisa secret and my own personal interpretation intact??
I decided to reach out and, much to my amazement, Brass Tax lead singer/songwriter Jada Wagensomer — and, as it turns out, the woman in the picture — actually wrote me back. Here is her note:
“The story behind the picture is pretty funny, I had no idea what to put on the cover so I asked my friend from Spain, Fernando, who took the cover photo and who I know really likes my music what he thought of when he listened to my stuff and he said (in a very Spanish way)”I see you…. and 13 fried eggs” so I said alright, fry em up!
I didn’t know at the time but in retrospect the cover really makes sense with the music itself because on the surface it’s pretty normal pop music but it’s the lyrics and the arrangements that make it unusual, just there is nothing special about fried eggs but when there is 13 of them on a platter… and I’m pretty well known for my ultra dead pan expression in any situation.”
And just like that, the Caper of the Captivating Cover was closed.
Check out Brass Tax April 12 at Harvard and Stone, and May 13 at The Bootleg Theater. You can snag a copy of the album by clicking here.