In Memory of Erik Jarvi

I met Erik Jarvi when I was twenty years old though I don’t remember exactly where. At the time I met a lot of new people in the record industry who I found off putting but not Jarvi. Even from the very beginning he stood out as a different breed. He was someone who truly loved music and happened to work in the industry. Usually it was the other way around. From the very start he was supportive of not just the band but of each of us as individuals. He would be concerned about diabetes matters on my behalf at a time when I didn’t really share that side of my life with people. He just … cared.

Over time he sort of became our honorary big brother. He wasn’t that much older than us but had worlds more life experience. This was especially true when it came to the music business. Although he did work for a record label and he did want to sign us he was really more of a friend and advisor. He taught us terms like “key man clause” when negotiating with a label, the kind of thing four young Midwesterners would never have heard of. Jarvi was very much our “key man”. When it came time to sign to a new label it really wasn’t Mojo that we wanted to work with so much as Erik.

It was for this reason that the negotiations were so difficult and ultimately fell apart. I don’t think that Mojo appreciated what a talent he was and how much he was the real secret sauce as to why they were successful. It broke my heart to have to tell Jarvi that we weren’t going to sign with Mojo, that we weren’t going to be able to work with him. He was disappointed, probably hurt, but understanding. He never held it against us, he knew how difficult the situation had become and he only wanted us to do what was best for the band. He saw potential in us but it wasn’t secretly for his own gain, he genuinely wanted us to succeed with our without him. That kind of person is a real unicorn in this line of work.

I wrote the lyrics to “The Company Dime” about Erik. How important a friend he was and how I didn’t want to lose that after the label deal went south. I regret that I stated it in a such a juvenile way that “I’m still waiting for you to get over this” which sounds condescending but I really meant it from a place of love. I wanted us to get past this and stay friends, which thankfully we were. In the end I was glad that he liked the song. Though, his favorite of ours was probably “Woodson” which always frustrated me because it’s the first song we ever wrote. I like that one but surely we can do better I would tell him. He didn’t care, he liked what he liked and I loved him for that.

He never stopped supporting us, never stopped being our big brother. When he got out of the industry, when he became a dad, even when he got sick he was always a positive force. I wish I could put on as brave a face as he did, it’s something to aspire to.

Goodnight my friend. I hope that now you can rest.