Jamie Stewart of XIU-XIU

Listen to  'Helsabot of Caraleebot'  Jamie Stewart is playing his McElroy 00 into a single mic and vocals by Caralee McElroy from their 'Fleshettes' CD

Xiu Xiu, "Gayle Lynn" in Toronto, 3/17/08, Jamie Stewart playing his McElroy Guitar

Jamie Stewart has music in the blood. The frontman of Xiu Xiu, is the son of the late Michael Stewart, who led the 1960s folk-rock band We Five ("You Were on My Mind") and produced smash albums like Billy Joel's Piano Man. Meanwhile, uncle John Stewart was in the Kingston Trio and in 1979 notched a top-five solo hit with "Gold." With that kind of pedigree, did Jamie Stewart seek the big time?

"I did aspire to large-scale success," he says. "Major-label-y stuff was the world I was acquainted with, and I gave my all to try to be successful in that world. I very briefly had a major-label deal."

Now, Stewart finds himself on the independent label 5 Rue Christine. That, he says, suits him and Xiu Xiu's music just fine. "On a major, I was never going to be able to make the kind of music that was occurring to me in a genuine way," he says.

(Excerpts from an interview by Kenneth Burns)

Jamie Stewart's guitar

00 model

Sitka Spruce/ Indian Rosewood

Curly Maple binding, Maple burl rosette, Indian Rosewood headstock overlay