It’s been over a year since King of Prussia native Jason Karaban was taken off the streets of Los Angeles after three years of living homeless. Decades earlier, at just 16, he’d left Upper Merion Township to pursue music. In better days, he wrote for TV and films and collaborating with the likes of Ani DiFranco, Soul Asylum’s Dave Pirner and Toad The Wet Sprocket’s Glen Phillips. Awhile (Forty4 Music) is his first release in more than 12 years. The EP features appearances by Nickel Creek’s Sara Watkins, Elvis Costello & the Attractions drummer Pete Thomas, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers keyboardist Benmont Tench and other big names. For more on Karaban’s incredible journey, read on.
MLT: How did everything go south for you?
JK: I was living in a really nice apartment in Hollywood, and I’d lost it because I couldn’t pay the rent anymore. One thing led to another, and I finally became homeless for three years. I was diagnosed with bipolar depression close to 20 years ago. I’d have these manic episodes for days and months—and that turned into years. And the thing that’s hard about being manic is that I love being manic. I don’t get the major depressive side to it. My manic ups can last nine months to a year.
MLT: So you didn’t want to be found?
JK: I didn’t want to be found, but I didn’t want to not be found, you know. I was resigned to the fact that I’d die on the street. I was living on Skid Row, one of the worst neighborhoods you could be in the country. This guy [Jeff Bradac] who knew my old band [Dragstrip Courage] found me on the street. He wound up putting videos of me on the internet. People started seeing them, and they started catching on. He saved my life—I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.
Then the mental health department came out, along with my ex-wife and friends of mine. They tracked me down because they could see where I was in the video clips. I couldn’t even walk. I was peeing in jars and bottles. I’d become anemic. My hemoglobin levels were so low I would’ve died if I’d waited one more day to go to the hospital. I had to get two blood transfusions within two weeks of each other.
MLT: What’s the story behind the new EP?
JK: Before I lost my home, I managed to record a little bit here and there. I wasn’t planning on making a record, but the stuff I did record made it onto Awhile. It’s a collection of songs left over from that time period.
MLT: So what’s next for you?
JK: I live in boarding care and I’m looking to get my own place. I don’t have any roommates—I have my own apartment. They give me my medication every day; I have three square meals. It’s actually a nice place. The next step is getting into independent housing. The mental health department has been amazing. What they’ve done for me I couldn’t have done myself.
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