Sep. 06, 2006 - Issue #568: Sex in the City

The Jaguar leads the way to the light at the end of the tunnel

Rob Higgins, Dearly Beloved’s frontman, began writing the most honest songs of his life as a mode of self-therapy while his father was battling cancer. Although Higgins’s father’s illness is largely the inspiration for Dearly Beloved’s new album, You Are the Jaguar, no mention is made of this on the album’s liner notes.

“Before he passed away, I wasn’t really comfortable talking about it,” Higgins confides. “A lot of my close friends didn’t even know he was sick or dying. I didn’t want to put that on too many people. I was careful about how I handled that information, because it was so hard on me, and I didn’t want that to end up on anyone else in my life. Once he passed, it was easier to talk about, and it feels good to talk about.”

The inspiration for the material may be tragedy, but Higgins didn’t want the songs to be mired in self-pity. “We focused to make it upbeat, and something that you could shake your ass to,” he says. “I didn’t want to make a mopey record. I’m sick of moping. And I don’t want to be bummed out. When I was living with my dad’s illness, I made a decision to be productive and to help him as much as I could, instead of becoming too messed up.” At first glance, the album’s title might seem somewhat cryptic, but Dearly Beloved’s webpage explains that Ancient Mayans viewed Jaguars as a symbol of strength, and as companions in the spirit world.

“I’ve always been interested in ancient civilizations, especially Mayan culture,” Higgins elaborates. “When I read about the term jaguar, I just connected with it. You Are The Jaguar is like the name of the band, Dearly Beloved. It’s just a reminder to myself about how loved I am and all the love that is in my life. It helped get me through the last 18 months.

“You Are the Jaguar is also a reminder to myself of how much strength we all have, and of the strength I had to pull out of myself to get through those times,” he continues. “I think that message works for people who are listening to the record as well. I would love for people to remember that they are strong, and that they have an enormous well of strength to draw from, beyond what they’re aware of.” V

Tue, Sep 12 (9 pm)
Dearly Beloved
With Aide-de-Camp, The Populars
Sidetrack Café, $5

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