EASE DOWN THE ROAD

PRETTY IN PINK was one of my favorite films when I was young and watching whatever late night movies TBS and USA played on Friday and Saturday nights*. Never one to mature, PRETTY is still one of my favorite things to watch on the rare wasted day. The scene above is easily one of my all-time favorite guilty pleasure scenes.

This being a website about music, I feel it necessary to mention that the song actor John Cryer performs is called “Try a Little Tenderness,” sung and recorded by late, great soul singer Otis Redding. On a related note, one of Redding’s all-time classic albums, OTIS BLUE: OTIS REDDING SINGS SOUL, was recently given the mondo DELUXE EDITION treatment. I know I just called the ”Duckie Dance” one of my all-time favorite scenes, but believe me when I tell you that OTIS BLUE is one of the very best soul albums ever recorded.

 *But only during the NBA’s off season.

 

Currently on tour with his band, the Drive-By Truckers, singer/songwriter Patterson Hood was able to briefly chat with Whatzup Managing Editor Greg Locke about his band’s new album, BRIGHTER THAN CREATION’S DARK, touring, his much-delayed second solo album and whether or not his band is 100 percent serious about their Southern Boy shtick.

Greg Locke: I love the new album, but feel it necessary to note that it is very long - but in a good way. Were there songs left on the shelf or did you guys run with everything you recorded? Can you tell me about the album-making process for a band with so many writers?

Patterson Hood: It’s all there. We cut 19 songs and that’s it. I wrote about 50 and Cooley had a few extras. We would work on a song and if it wasn’t going magical we’d drop it and erase the take and move on to next song. There was one we really liked but we weren’t getting the magic take so we left it alone; we might record it in some future time. This album worked as one big piece, really. I really like how one song sets up and flows into the next, especially with three writers and singers. That’s my favorite thing about this band.

GL: Yeah, I agree, the multi-singer dynamic works very well for you guys. Maybe only you guys. [For those not in the know, Trucker co-founder Mike Cooley and somewhat newcomer Shonna Tucker share writing and singing duties with Patterson.] How have these songs - all of which have a very organic vibe to begin with - been treating you guys on the road? Are they changing? Growing? Busting at the seams?

PH: It’s just getting meaner and meaner as it goes on. It’s become a really intense but fun Rock show. So far it’s my favorite tour ever.

GL: Killer. Again, these new songs just sound like they were made to be played live. Where does this album fit in your catalog? It sounds to me like A BLESSING AND A CURSE never happened; BRIGHTER sounds like a sequel to DIRTY SOUTH to me, which was my favorite Trucker album until the new one came out …

PH: BLESSING is a bit of an anomaly for us. I know a lot of our fans weren’t too fond of it, but I think it holds up for what it is. But at the same time I think of records as a snapshot in time - and that wasn’t too good a time for us on a personal level. We were experimenting and trying to find a common ground at a time when there wasn’t a lot to find. This album is very much us in our element doing what we do best. We didn’t have an agenda or anything, we just had a bunch of songs and decided to just record and let the album dictate where it wanted to go. If it’s ever not fun move on. That makes a good motto for about everything in my life right now.

GL: Speaking of hard times for the Truckers [current Trucker Shonna Tucker married and divorced one-time Trucker Jason Isbell around this time], I got the feeling that BLESSING was meant to be a more widely accessible album - I have to think that was due to Isbell’s approach, which is clearly more Petty than Skynyrd. Not that there is anything wrong with that - he does have some great song. Speaking of, what’s become of Jason’s songs in the context of your live shows?

PH: He plays them in his show I guess. We have plenty of songs so there’s no need to cover anyone else’s.

GL: When is your next solo album, MURDERING OSCAR, coming out? I’ve been hearing about it for a very long time now, probably even a couple of years now …

PH: That’s all music biz bullshit. I wanted to put it out in 2005 when it was recorded. I tried again last year. Hopefully 2009 will be the magic year and it will finally come out. It holds up, I guess. It’s not like it was ever “in style,” so it won’t be going out of style any time soon.

GL: I hear that it’s amazing, you know, my spies told me. Really, though, I have heard that - I just can’t remember who from. Do you guys have any plans for when this tour is over?

PH: Over? What does that mean? We’ll be touring all year, then I guess we’ll sleep for a while. That might be the time to release MURDERING OSCAR. I’m sure we’ll make another album too. We may record some singles later this year.

GL: I’ve gone back and forth internally with this last question, trying to decide if it’s proper to ask or not. I apologize in advance if this is rude, but I know some people who just want the record set straight. Okay, once and for all, how much of the the Truckers’ writing and persona is meant to be ironic or exaggerated?

PH: What the fuck ever. I’d rather be moronic than ironic. I do love some dark comedy. Sometimes the best way to approach a darker subject is to inject a little humor. It’s never a joke at anyone’s expense, it’s just stories and songs. I don’t have a persona that I know of. Maybe I should change my name to Cletus or Jethro.

GL: Maybe. Everyone be sure to check out Cletus and the Boys’ new album, BRIGHTER THAN CREATION’S DARK, if you haven’t yet. It’s long, loud and full of memorable tunes, throwback guitars and rot-gut whiskey-fueled vocals. Five or six of the songs easily register as some of the best tunes of the year.

Mike Cooley, Ease’s other favorite Trucker, was also asked for an interview. His PR rep replied quickly, informing me that he wasn’t available for phoners right now; I, naturally, asked if he could at least answer a few questions via e-mail. “No,” she said, “Cooley doesn’t go near the Internet.” Good enough for me.

Miles Down the Road: The Growth, Ethos and Art of Lee Miles 

By Greg Locke (Published March 22, 2007)

Before breaking into places-you-been questions with lo.automatic’s chief singer/songwriter there was a purely superficial issue to address. Was his simple, poetic name – Lee Allen Miles – a gift his parents gave him at birth, or was it a stage name? Miles’ response was stripped-bare-honest: “Stage names, like beards and expensive cars, are for people with something to hide.” Miles’ uncommon guts-without-glory stance seems to reign over every aspect of his life, most notably his music. Onward with the places.

After graduating from Fort Wayne’s Wayne High School, Miles headed to Bethel College in South Bend, where he studied music, philosophy and literature. Aside from the humdrum task of graduating with a liberal arts degree, Miles kept busy. “I spent my time working random jobs for the school, landscaping and playing music,” he said. 

His band at the time, Dark Blonde Water (originally named “Hagas”), saw success in South Bend, a town known for its competitive original music scene. While there, Miles learned the importance of playing original material. “If you weren’t doing something you truly created there, then no one gave you the time of day. [Fort Wayne] isn’t like that, but I think the tide is changing as more folks forsake the bar scene for house shows,” he said.

Dark Blonde Water played shows, recorded songs and, unfortunately, ended with a fall as the young band ran into major problems with their management. 

“It was all a learning experience, and the issues with our management eventually proved to be the undoing of the band,” he said. “We were a moderate success, sold a decent number of albums and played a ton of shows. We had one song, ‘Cadillac Dawn,’ that was a No. 1 single on South Bend radio for two weeks,” explained Miles, adding “It was a horrible song, but I wrote it when I was 19 years old.”

One of the first things anyone will mention when discussing Miles’ music is his distinct voice. “I can’t stand my voice, but some folks seem to love it. Love it. They’ll come up to me and say this or that about it, but I usually think they’re lying. When I first started playing music, I couldn’t hold a tune in a bucket. I would write the songs and let the other guys in the group sing,” Miles said.

Miles ultimately found a new, “booming” slant to singing while taking a sight-singing/ear-training course at Bethel. “I learned to sing from my diaphragm, which gives singers a powerful, robust voice,” said Miles. “It can also be overbearing and obnoxious, which is how I sang up until recently.” Miles’ “robust” approach to singing – which can be most defining heard on the booming “Mrs. James” – helped him find comfort as a lead singer.

After the dissolution of Dark Blonde Water, Miles found himself back in his hometown of Fort Wayne, in time recording his debut solo album, So Much Pain, So Much Sorrow. Somewhere along the way Miles began having brutal problems with his digestive system due to over four years of antibiotic use, leaving him bed-ridden for two years. Remembers Miles, “I slept 12 hours each night and at least six hours through the day. I lost most of my friends because I could no longer spend quality time with them.”

Miles’ health problems led to anxiety and food allergy problems, ultimately resulting in the need for a lifestyle overhaul. “My family saw me through [the problems] when it became clear that if something didn’t change I might not last much longer. I still wrestle with the food allergy and anxiety problems to this day. However, they are much less pronounced.”

During this time Miles made his first striking mark on the Fort Wayne music scene with the release of his second solo album, Bear, in 2005. Despite looming health issues he started playing out frequently, eventually meeting like-minded songwriter Kyle Morris. The two solo artists soon began playing shows around town as a duo. Said Morris about first meeting Miles, “When I met Lee at an open mic some two years ago, I had just been fired from my job and he was sick. Even though we were both pathetic, we saw promise in ourselves.”

The rare circumstances of their meeting led to a musical kinship that hit its stride as the two artists formed lo.automatic, eventually adding other players, including James “Longsleeves” Musselman, who has since relocated to San Diego, where he recently released an excellent, Radiohead-in-your-pocket album called Killing Aesthetics. 

“James and I were both on a bill for a show at Convolution Records,” explained Miles, “He found me on Myspace. At the time I was still very ill, but I was on my way up. One thing I would say to myself as a means to stay positive was that I was stronger than 1,000 lions. I posted this blatant lie on my web page. James saw it and, not knowing my situation at the time, thought I was being cocky.”

Musselman and Miles began working together in the spring of 2006 on what would become Miles’ third solo album, the aptly titled 1,000 Lions.

“After the Convolution show we spoke at length and discussed music, recording gear and other topics,” said Musselman, “Before the end of the night I offered my recording services in the event he needed them.” The project quickly fell into place as Musselman worked as the album’s co-producer and engineer, offering Miles his lo-fi mobile recording techniques, a set-up that Miles welcomed compared to the expensive studio sessions he’d been a part of in the past. 

Eventually Musselman’s wandering spirit landed him in California. 

“We’d marched on through the recordings despite real-life obligations until James disappeared to California, leaving me to sort it all out. I called (lo.automaic guitarist) Jon [Keller], who is a registered engineer, and he took over as producer,” said Miles when asked about the recording of 1,000 Lions.

Quickly becoming known as one of the area’s most stirring young guitarists, the 20-year-old (E-bow-clad) Keller – who Miles says “can play any Elliott Smith song” – hit it off with Miles quickly following the same Convolution Records show at which Miles and Musselman became acquainted at. 

“I wasn’t really looking to join a band and had never met another musician that I wanted to be in a band with,” said Keller. “After Lee and I met I found that we liked a lot of the same music.”

A studying guitarist now for over half his life, Keller also had much to offer on the topic of Miles’ modus operandi, “Lee is very opinionated and doesn’t put up with [much]. Those qualities tend to make people think he’s a jerk, but that couldn’t be farther from the truth. Lee is a quite sensitive and honest musician that puts his heart any emotions into his music and lyrics.” 

Trying to explain Miles’ abovementioned “guts-without-glory” stance is not always easy. He’s the type of artist that takes his work very seriously and isn’t afraid to make the kind of music he loves, even though it might not go over well in a city like Fort Wayne.

When asked about his influences and approach to songwriting, the highly literate Miles mentions writers Charles Bukowski, Ayn Rand and Allen Ginsberg as well as songwriters Jandek, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, Elliot Smith and, most notably, Will Oldham (Palace, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy), adding “I’d say Will is my … yeah, he’s probably my favorite songwriter.” While the actual sound of Miles’ music would most easily be compared to the typically cryptic and oddly whimsical Oldham, his “no thanks” approach brings to mind the spirit of Jandek. 

Known as an “outsider musician,” Jandek has self-released some 49 albums since 1978, never offering his real name, personal information, interviews or anything else resembling self-promotion. Basically, Jandek lets his music, and only his music, speak for itself. 

“I saw Bob Dylan play at Notre Dame in the late 90s. He didn’t say a word in between sets. He didn’t have to. This is the kind of music I want to hear, the kind of music that doesn’t need to be sold with a bag of [B.S] tricks,” said the ever-candid Miles. This attitude, along with his penchant for substance and originality over accessibility, echoes the attitude of both Jandek and Oldham, two artists who have never seen much commercial success yet continue following their own artistic progressions regardless.

While in correspondence for this very article Miles sent over a song called, “Wait for Thee,” with an accompanying note that simply said “Here’s a new one I just finished.” Weeks earlier Miles had also passed along an early, unfinished copy of 1,000 Lions and a covers-only album titled Leaves That are Green. While Leaves was full of bare, well arranged interpretations of off-the-cuff tracks, 1,000 Lions was a loose, lyrically dense offering full of subtly varied Americana tunes that featured, as hinted at earlier by Miles, brilliantly detailed, toned-down vocals reminiscent of early Oldham. Anyone familiar with the famed initial home recordings of both John Darnielle (Mountain Goats) and Oldham himself will have an instant soundcrush on 1,000 Lions. 

But don’t be fooled by the expression “home recordings.” Miles craft is long-labored, and he knows how to use his resources. The results, frankly, are better than the previously mentioned (and often spotty and lazy) early work of Darnielle and Oldham, two artists who’ve gone on to release shelves full of first-rate, fully-baked Americana albums. Explaining the sound of Miles’ recent work any further is tempting, but probably better saved for a future review. Let’s just say that Miles rightfully calls 1,000 Lions the best work of his life.

On the subject of his plans for his latest, greatest batch of recordings, Miles seemed nearly exhausted when thinking about 1,000 Lions, an album he’d originally planned to have completed long ago. “I wanted it out by 2006,” he said, “but it’s already a fourth of the way through 2007 and it’s still not out. It will, however, be out by mid-April.” When then asked about marketing for the album, Miles’ honorable Jandek-inspired spirit came to the forefront. “I’m sick of marketing. Marketing is for T-shirts and hair products and other [stuff] you don’t need. If people want my music they’ll find it. Otherwise, they can obviously live without it.” Upon further prodding, Miles did say that people interested in acquiring his music should start by checking his website at www.leemiles.us.

This lack of enthusiasm for selling himself to potential fans doesn’t necessarily mean that Miles is against the concept of getting his music out to record labels. When asked about his intentions in this regard, Miles said that he plans to shop the recordings to labels in hope for some interest, adding “I will single out [Chicago’s] Drag City most certainly.”

Though not a big label by any means, Drag City has – over the last 15 years or-so – established a reputation as the label for often misunderstood, too-smart-for-their-own-good songwriters. Songwriters like Smog’s Bill Callahan, the Silver Jews’ D.C. Berman and, naturally, Will Oldham. Sounds like good company for Fort Wayne’s most uncompromising and persistent young songwriter and his ante-upping new album, 1,000 Lions.

(This story, published in Whatzup on March 22, 2007, is being revisited in anticipation of Miles’ upcoming new album, HEATHEN BLUX.)  

 

NUVO: Hi Josh.

Josh Ritter: Totally. Hi.

NUVO: A friend of mine who sings in an indie-rock band tells me that you’ve been playing a Modest Mouse song at your shows. He’s curious to know if you listen to very much indie-rock music, or if you stick mostly to roots music.  

JR: Yeah, I slip “Tiny Cities Made of Ashes” into my set. I don’t really see that there’s a different between indie-rock and other stuff - it’s just an aesthetic. Everybody is indie-rock when they start out. I listen to a lot of stuff; I’m a Joanna Newsom fan, I’m a big fan of what Spoon does. I have increasingly more friends who are traveling and touring who make music that I like. That sort of thing with “roots” and “indie” and stuff, well, I think it’s sort of, you know, just sort of categories. I love Isaac Brock, though, his lyrics are just amazing.  

NUVO: You mentioned Joanna Newsom. I’m a big fan of hers as well, but even more so a fan of her boyfriend, Bill Callahan, who writes song in the same sub-sub-sub-genre as you. Do you know his music at all?

JR: Yeah, I know it a little bit. I have some Smog records. I like a lot of it. I’m also a huge Will Oldham fan and stuff like that - I really like what he does. It all seems positive, you know, they’re great musicians. It’s cool to have peers who are doing exciting things.

NUVO: Is this current tour a solo tour or with a band … or maybe with Hilary Hahn?

JR: Full band. Yeah, I’m touring with the full band right now.

NUVO: So are you still out supporting your latest record, The Historical Conquests of Josh Ritter, or are you touring in support of the live album? Road-testing new songs? JR: This tour is all about playing the places I haven’t played that much. I’ve played Indianapolis a couple of times but, you know. I’ve been touring a long time now and, really, I’m just happy to be touring. I love the Music Mill and I love the town. It’s gonna be a big, loud, happy rock n’ roll show.NUVO: Yeah, I was just going to say that it seems like you’ve been working really hard on the road. I have to wonder if you’re getting bored with playing the new songs or if you’re mixing in new songs or …

JR: You find the things that matter to you every night on stage. It sounds like a cheesy thing to say, but you can’t make it a good show if you don’t believe what you’re saying in the moment you’re saying it. You always have to find what it is that matters to you - why you’re doing this. If you can’t do that then you do get bored and start to feel like it doesn’t matter. But it does matter; it matters to me every night. Switching our set up every night keeps the blood flowing. It’s also about remembering that somebody took the time out of their day, you know, they took the time out of their busy life and put some money on the table to come see you play. That’s such an amazing thing. Also, realizing that you’re pretty lucky to be doing what you’re doing. If you get bored playing your own music then that’s your own fault; that means that you’re not really putting the effort in to making it interesting. It’s a relationship, it demands time and effort, you know - and you have to love it.

NUVO: That’s good stuff …

JR: Really? That makes sense? You get it?

NUVO: Yeah, totally. Makes perfect sense. I just picked up your first very album, which was just reissued …

JR: Which one?

NUVO: It’s just called Josh Ritter …

JR: Yeah, that’s it. That’s the first one.

NUVO: Before buying it I knew that it was on file-sharing programs but I don’t mess with those. Truthfully, since it was never released I just kind of figured that there was a reason for that, you know, being a first album recorded with no budget and all. It was just finally given a wide release, right? I have to say, though, that I really love …

JR: [Laughing] Thanks man!

NUVO: Sure. I’m curious …

JR: Really, thank you very much.

NUVO: Sure. I’ve been wondering - from the standpoint of an artist - what has changed for you from that album to the new one.

JR: I’ve never spent a lot of time in the studio. I’ve done a lot of touring and I’ve done a lot of writing, but the studio has never been the place where the great revelations come for me, you know. That’s not the place where I’m turned on the most. Because of that I’ve had to learn slowly how to be comfortable in the studio. I’ve had to learn how to go for it, you know, with people looking through the glass at you. It’s kind of like being photographed - it’s a self conscious thing. That’s the biggest thing that’s changed for me from album to album, learning how to get comfortable enough to take chances. Getting more comfortable is something I’ve been really proud of. In terms of writing, each album has been different.

NUVO: This upcoming Indianapolis show will be my first time seeing you play, but I’ve definitely heard good things from my friends. I’ve also - same as most who know who you are - read a lot about the reaction you get in Ireland and how your songs are actually played on the radio, which is a big difference than here in the U.S. - not even specific to you, but in general, you know, just the music that gets played on commercial radio. I’m sure every interviewer asks you about the differences between playing in the U.S. and Ireland, but I have to ask: are there Irish people in the U.S. that come out to your U.S. shows with the same fervor that you see in Ireland? Or even non-Irish people, really - do you see that excitement in the States?

JR: Ha. Yeah, uh … I really got started in Ireland. I learned how to perform over in Ireland, thanks to the good graces of The Frames. A tremendous band. Really, though, since I got started playing there I’ve learned that a good night in the world, anywhere in the world - be it the U.S. or Ireland - is the same. There could be more people or less people, but when it’s really on you know it, and everything really kind of compresses itself. It becomes this kind of, you know, small room. You don’t notice the size of the crowd, you’re just noticing the connection you’re having. It’s a really great feeling. I play places in the States now that are as big as the places I play in Ireland, and I’ve noticed that on a good night anywhere in the world, no matter where I am, it kind of feels like I’m in Ireland - you know, because that’s kind of where I first got a taste for performing. Irish people are everywhere, though, everywhere …

NUVO: On that note, and only really as an aside, Indiana has a similar landmass to Ireland and a large Irish population …

JR: Oh man, really? Do you mind if I bring that up at the show?

NUVO: Sure …

JR: Oh, man, that great. That’s really a hit.

NUVO: Irish everywhere … The first time I ever really started paying attention to you was when I heard you mention Townes Van Zandt - who I’m a huge fan of - in one of your songs. From there I started to see press about you where people would say the joke-y stuff about you being the “New New Dylan.” I’ve always been a fan of the original “New Dylans” like Loudon Wainwright III and John Prine. I don’t know if all that “New” stuff is just something funny to bring up for writers or what, but it makes me wonder how you feel about hearing that kind of thing. Are Dylan and Townes the kind of artists you were listening to back in college or even before that?

JR: Dylan and Johnny Cash were the first two things that blew my mind. From there you can branch out in any direction and find everybody. Cash is the kind of guy who has this big black box full of things, you know, and he just pulls out song after song - and seemingly without any regard between his own and others. He was just one of the most generous singers, he wanted you to see cool stuff, you know, and I think that’s an amazing thing. I get that same feeling when I listen to Jim James of My Morning Jacket; I get a generous feeling coming off of him. I think a lot of times there’s just a spirit to that stuff, there’s a spirit to somebody like Johnny Cash that you can see in other people. I always just believed that Johnny was an uncle that I never met, you know, he just gave me that feeling. I think people like Cash or Dylan or Townes or Prine or Springsteen are people who are still around because they invested their entire lives in their career. They became those people, you know, it took a long time. The idea of being the new Dylan or something is usually a compliment, but I don’t think it’s very aptly applied. The idea of that, though, is only applicable in the short term because Dylan is still around and writing new songs and redefining who he is. I just hope that in the course of a 40-year career I can become Josh Ritter. I always take that stuff as a compliment, but I don’t believe it.

NUVO: There’s a live CD/DVD combo that I’ve been seeing around, as well as a live CD. Is there anything coming up or that you’re working on that you want to make note of?

JR: Live at the 9:30 Club was recently released at all independent record stores. Its eight live songs from a show at the 9:30 Club. Just like 1,200 people in this big, loud room - just really, really fun. Sometimes you just want to record a live record to just kind of catch flies and amber, you know, just a snapshot of some songs being played not how they are on the record, but how they are when you’re out there throwing everything at them. That just came out last week actually, and I’m just very proud of that as a live album. This one is really special, I think. I’m really proud of it.

[A woman’s voice briefly interrupts.]

JR: Sorry about that.

NUVO: Do you have another interview you need to get to?

JR: Yeah … well, actually I’ve got a sound check to get to.

NUVO: Okay. That’s about all I had for you. Thanks for taking the time to do this …

JR: Sure. Totally. Thank you.

NUVO: Totally.

NUVO: What can you tell me about originally getting signed, having your new record, Oh My Darling!, released and then playing the first shows after people were able to buy your album and get to know it.

Basia Bulat: When I made the record I wasn’t really planning on having it released commercially - not on a label or anything. So having it on a label, especially on Rough Trade, is awesome. I’m still really humbled when people come up to me at the end of a show and want me to sign a CD or even want to buy a CD.

NUVO:  How did the tour with DeVotchKa come about. Can you tell me a little about how the tour has been going so far?

BB: They heard our album and asked us to open for them. This show we’re playing tonight is going to be our third together. They’re awesome. Amazing. I’ve actually been a fan of their’s for quite a while. I think I heard the Curse Your Little Heart EP first, then I heard How It Ends and, you know, it’s just cool to be able to tour with them because I think we have a lot of common ground, so to speak, so it’s kind of fun to be able to watch them play. They are just like us in that they play a bunch of weird instruments … so that’s fun, touring with people who are like-minded.

NUVO:  Yeah, there is definitely some like-mindedness there, and I have to think you guys could have some crossover in your audiences. Have the crowds so far seemed to know you and your songs?

BB: Some people in the crowd come out for us, I think. In San Francisco a couple of people who had come to my first San Francisco show came out, so it was nice to see them again. Some songs, like “In the Night,” which we made a video for, seem to hit people. So it’s nice when people recognize a song and there is a little cheer. I think I’m still pretty unknown in the States though, so it’s nice to get this exposure. Certainly DeVotchKa fans are really nice fans - they’re music-loving fans, so I really appreciate the opportunity to be able to lay for people who come to listen to the music. And we’re already learning a lot from watching them play.

NUVO:  All that said, I should tell you that I requested to write about your upcoming Indianapolis show because I’m a fan of your album. Don’t get me wrong, I like DeVotchKa and think they’re amazing, but after hearing your album I’m more so a fan of yours.

BB: That’s so funny. I can’t even explain to you how weird it is for me now. We made that album over a year and a half ago and it’s just … I used my student loans to make my record, you know. It’s just really cool to go random places and see that people know the songs. I just never expected that. It’s hard sometimes to tour, but things like this make it a lot easier - to know that people appreciate it. It really means a lot [laughing], so thank you so much. It’s been a long drive the past couple or days and sometimes the gas gets kind of expensive, so it’s just nice to, you know, just to get that from people.

NUVO:  Yeah, I was just at a record store and got lucky. It was the kind where you trust the employees, and saw your album on the Employee Picks wall. I looked at it like I look at everything else and liked the design and the artwork on the back and saw that it was on a label that I trust. I went home and listened to samples online and eventually found the “In the Night Video” and, you know, loved it. So I went out and bought the album and have just been kind of celebrating it as this great debut record ever since. Truly great debut albums are pretty rare, so I’ve been excited …

BB: I’m glad you liked the video. That was the greatest time ever. We got a grant. In Canada they have these grants for artists to make videos, so we got this grant and it was just so great to make the video in the same city we made the record. That whole song and the whole reason I make music is all about finding light in the darkness. The video was really good that way because in Montreal it’s pretty cold in November, so we were all freezing our butts off and dressed really silly, so it made it all worth it. Even when it’s freezing cold in Montreal we can have a good time.

NUVO: It’s such a cool idea for the video, and a great way to give you, a new artist, more of a visual identity. Speaking of your album, it was released outside of the U.S. last year, right?

BB: Yes, Yeah it was …

NUVO: So did you tour outside of the U.S. much last year?

BB: Yeah, I did. It actually came out first in Japan, in like April of 2007. I’ve never been to Japan. I’ve always wanted to go but I think it’s going to be a while before I get there. But then it came out in Europe last May on Rough Trade. We went on tour there. We did a European tour for about five or six weeks through April and May. Then it came out at home at the end of the summer, so we’ve been doing Canada non-stop. We did a bunch of summer festivals in Canada, came home at the end of the summer and have really just been doing Canada shows non-stop. Then a little bit of the U.S. once the album came out here this past February. We’re pulling out all the stops now. We’re coming back through the States constantly - I’ll be here all year.

NUVO: Since you’ve been playing these songs live for quite a while now, have the songs changed or have you guys started to incorporate any new songs into your set?

BB: Yes to both, actually. Some people who played on the record couldn’t tour with me, so we have different people playing on the songs and, you know, a lot of those songs were written when I was in a very specific time. There’s a lot about it that’s … not naive, but, I don’t know. I think now I can look back at those songs and I can’t necessarily sing them from the same place, but it’s kind of fun to look back at myself then and sing them now while sort of inhabiting that space. Does that make sense? They seem different to me even if they don’t seem too different coming through the speakers. I’ve also certainly become a much stronger singer now than I was then just because I lost my voice when I was making the record and didn’t really have the technique that I do now. And, yes, we’re playing a lot of new songs. We’re supposed to be making a new record. We should be going into the studio this summer, but until then I’ll be just kind of peppering the new songs into all our sets.

NUVO: Good. I also saw online that you supposedly have an EP before your first album. I can’t find the thing anywhere; was it a small release …

BB: Oooooh. [Laughing.] I think what a lot of people are calling an EP was actually just some demos I recorded for this college student who was doing this thing … it was his final project for school. I think we made like 50 copies or 100 copies of it and just gave them away. It wasn’t really an EP. But some of the songs on there are songs that ended up on my record, like “Snakes and Ladders” is on there. It’s funny because that was the first time I really did anything related to recording, but it wasn’t really a studio, it was really just a bedroom recording - just a couple of mics in a bedroom. It wasn’t really what I had envisioned for the songs, but it is funny that people are calling it an EP. It never really was for sale, you know. I don’t know, it never was really extended as a player. In short, no, it wasn’t really an official release. It was burned on CD-Rs and given away.

NUVO: Okay, I guess I’ll stop looking …

BB: It’s not really that strong. Going into the studio with Howard was the first time I ever really took my songs seriously and, you know, started thinking about my songs in a way where I wanted to do my best for them. It was a really eye-opening experience. The new album is really the first attempt for me.

NUVO: Wow. That’s surprising, really. Just being that it’s a debut album - I usually don’t expect to hear compositions as strong as yours the first time out or songs that are so varied throughout, you know. You don’t really ever repeat yourself, so I just figured you had 18 albums in your hometown in Canada that we’d never heard of.

BB: Thanks. No, no. Sadly, I was even shocked that anyone wanted to put this one out. When I got the message first from Rough Trade I really thought that Howard Bilerman, my friend who produced and recorded the record with me was playing a trick on me. I didn’t know that he’d been sending the album out and talking to people about me. It’s weird because I just never thought it’d come out. It’s pretty cool that people are liking it. I’m a little bit overwhelmed sometimes, actually. I wish I could be a little less Pollyanna about it [laughing].

NUVO: So when you were in the studio making these songs with Howard - who I know has worked with the Arcade Fire and many others - was it mostly your ideas for how the songs were laid out, or did you have a bunch of musicians you played with who helped things come together?

BB: I was living in London, Ontario, which is where I went to school, and I had this apartment that was this awesome, tiny little apartment I shared with my friend Dave, who plays on the record, and my friend Nikki. I would just be writing these songs and I’d get Dave to play on them and we’d have these friends who would come over and jam. I’d usually know, you know, how I wanted the strings to sound, but they’d be able to make it sound better. Any my brother plays drums, so I’ve been playing with him my whole life. We understand each other’s thinking and logic. I have these weird ways of describing how I want a song to feel that don’t seem to make any sense when I say it, but everyone seemed to get it. I think it’s because everyone who plays on the album is such a close friend that it didn’t really need as much notation. I could just sing it out loud how I hear it in my head and they could just all get where I was going with it. I think I was kind of the director and songwriter but, like, you know, when I hear the piano I hear my friend Eric or I hear my friend Trent playing. When I hear the drums I hear my brother’s spirit in there. That was important. That’s why I play music - to play with other people.

NUVO: So is this current tour your first real long-term exposure to U.S. culture or, being from Canada, are you already familiar with it?

BB: When we toured in February we did a lot of club shows as headliners across the States. This tour is bigger halls because DeVotchKa is so well known. We’re getting to play in front of a lot more people, which is a lot of fun. I studied American Literature in university quite a bit. It seems like every state in the U.S. really has its own identity. I think a lot of places in America are just so different from each other. It’s just, I don’t know, that’s a really cool thing. People on the California coast are so different from the people we saw in Texas when we went down for South by Southwest, which is so different from New York City. It’s really fascinating.

NUVO: What about the musical culture; have you seen any differences between Canada and the U.S. in how music is treated?

BB: A lot of the music I grew up on is American music. When I was a kid I didn’t even really know about commercial radio. I grew up listening to all the stuff you’d hear on A.M. radio - Motown and Stax and the Golden Hits kind of thing. I listened to a lot of that, as well as a lot of American folk music like the Carter Family and Johnny Cash. I think a lot of my growing up has been more influenced by American music than Canadian music. It’s just different. Certainly in Canada there is a lot of support for the arts from a national standpoint. There just seems to be a different way that people go about their work in the U.S., but I don’t really think that I - who have only really been here for a month - can really say with too much authority what the differences are or even much about the music culture in the States is right now.

NUVO: Festivals have become a big part of our live music culture, especially in the last decade. Are you guys planning to play any of the big festivals here in the States this year?

BB: No, not this year. I will be playing a festival in September, I think, somewhere South. I don’t even know what state it is, but I know I’ll be back in the fall, starting down South. In July we’ll be in Northwest Canada to play Canadian festivals. So, really, it’s the Canadian festivals this time around.

NUVO: This is your second time playing Indiana already, though, right? You played Bloomington a few months ago if I remember correctly.

BB: Yeah, this will be our second time. Bloomington was really nice. There seemed to be a big artistic community there.

NUVO: Yeah, definitely. I actually went to college there as a studio art major and, as far as the three major universities in Indiana that most people have heard of go - IU, Notre Dame and Purdue - Indiana is definitely regarded as the most liberal and arts-friendly of the three. It’s a college town, but there’s also a great student radio station, some great venues and lots of bands. Hippies hanging around.

BB: It seemed like a really great town.

NUVO: You guys are playing at the Vogue on Saturday, May 10, which is located in this area of Indianapolis called Broad Ripple, which is also a really arts-friendly sort of place. Lots of worthwhile places, records stores and …

BB: Ahhhh, you have to tell me about these record stores! I need names, you know, now …

NUVO: Yeah, of course. It’s really easy. If there were no walls around the stage at the Vogue you could look over your shoulder and see this placed called Indy CD & Vinyl, which is just off of North College in this area full of restaurants, bars and most independently-owned stores. The venue is actually on North College Avenue, which is really just a few blocks down from another store called Luna Music.

BB: And it’s vinyl mostly?

NUVO: They have vinyl, surely. I won’t say that either are really true vinyl stores, but both stores do have some choice vinyl. The Luna store is great because they don’t really carry any too obvious stuff - it’s all the cool stuff you won’t find in most stores in the U.S.

BB: There are two things I’m really looking for on vinyl and having a lot of trouble finding …

NUVO: Really, what are they?

BB: The first one is a record by an artist named Exuma. I don’t know if you’re familiar with him. I guess you’d call him a folk artist; I think he’s brilliant but I don’t think his label really knew how to classify him. I’m looking for his self-titled album on vinyl, which is his first record. It’s never been reissued or anything, so I’m having a lot of trouble. He grew up in the Bahamas, which I think is where he really got his start. Oh, and I’m also looking for a copy of Sam Cooke Live at the Harlem Square. That’s one of my favorite albums and I only have it on CD. I’ve been trying to find it, but nowhere in the States yet.

NUVO: Has Rough Trade put Oh My Darling! out on vinyl yet?

BB: No, not yet. I’ve been talking with them about doing that because I do get a lot of requests for it. I think we’re going to do that soon. But for now, on this tour we’re doing a tour-only 7” single of a Sam Cooke song. The B-side is this blown-out, pull-out-all-the-stops 1960s Phil Spector type of remake of “Before I Knew.” It’s going to be fun to have a 7” out. Everyone but me seems to have it already, but I should be getting it tomorrow.

NUVO: So you’ll have it for sale at the Indianapolis show?

BB: Yeah, we were supposed to have them by now and we will finally have them tomorrow. This is supposed to be the tour single, which is special to me because Sam Cooke is one of my favorite artists ever.

NUVO: His voice is so amazing.

BB: Yeah, if I could list people who had a real influence on the way I think about music he’d definitely be one of them. I wish I could go back in time because, you know, if I could he’d be one of the people I’d really want to try to meet and see.

NUVO: Who else?

BB: Oh God. Janis Joplin. If we’re speaking strictly about musicians, Janis Joplin. Nick Drake. Ohhh. Maybe … well, those are all I can think of right now. Lets talk about the living. I really want to try to go and see one of Levon Helm’s Midnight Rambles. I’m dying to go see one of his shows and see him play and hopefully say hello to him.

NUVO: The new album he put out last year was pretty amazing.

BB: Yeah, definitely. And I guess I’d also want to meet Rick Danko and Richard Manuel, too - you know, if I could go back. We played the Fillmore, and it wasn’t the same place as The Last Waltz or anything, but the poster said “Bill Graham presents DeVotchKa and Basia Bulat,” and I just thought that was pretty cool because Bill was the guy who put on The Last Waltz. Oh, and I love Townes Van Zandt and Hazel Dickens.

NUVO: Hazel Dickens?

BB: Yeah, if you love Townes you’ll love Hazel. Her album I’ve been listening to is called Hard Hitting Songs for Hard Hit People. She’s absolutely phenomenal. I’ve been listening to her album all through this tour; it just seems to be the right record.

NUVO: Do you like Karen Dalton at all?

BB: Oh yeah, she’s great. It’s nice to know that some music writers know female artists. Just because I’m Canadian I’ll usually just get a lot of the very well known Canadian artists as reference points. It kind of makes me sad that people only really seem to know and talk about women of the last five years. It’s sad to say, but a lot of times people just don’t seem to be as interested in music by women. It’s just nice to know that someone would ask me about Karen Dalton.

NUVO: I usually get blank looks when I mention someone like Karen, so it’s nice for me, too.

BB: Maybe these people just need to go to the record stores. That’s all, right?

NUVO: Dig a bit. Now that you’ve been on the road a bit, what are some of the good things and not-so-good things. I hear a lot about the food being so bad, but what else?

BB: I think the hardest part is just being away from family. It’s exciting to go on a road trip with your friends, but different people have different situations with their families that make it hard to leave. For me that is for sure the hardest thing about being away - but when you get home you’re really happy, and you realize that the trip you just went on was pretty amazing. And, obviously, to be able to play music for people and to get the response from people who are really enjoying it makes it worth it no matter what. Yeah, really crappy things can happen on the road and it’s not human to sit in a van for 8 hours at a time … or, goodness, we drove 30 straight hours figuring we’d sleep the next night. That’s not good for you, but they’re things that will hopefully get better in the end. If I was doing this and I didn’t love music it would feel wrong, but at some point - and maybe I’m too green - but I feel like I have to do it. I guess I could go back to working at the movie store, but there really isn’t anything else that I want to do. The van is becoming the home.

NUVO: I’ve seen some of your songs on TV commercials …

BB: Yeah, “In the Night,” we had that one used for a thing for AMC, which is cool. If there are more than two commercials then that’s news to me. It’s hard to make money anywhere in music right now. It’s really hard to sell records because people aren’t buying as many records as they used to. I see people online talking about downloading, which makes me think that my generation is going to be the last who remember that you’re supposed to pay for music. I guess it’s cool that you can get it so quickly - I mean, how many times did I mail-order a CD or tape and have to wait so long and hope that I’d still be into it when it showed up. So I guess it’s exciting to have stuff on TV and the Internet. I guess if I had a commercial that blew me into the mainstream - or people downloaded a song from a blog or heard the AMC commercial - that would be good because then maybe they’d come to a show, and that’s what I really love to do - play live with my friends. I love recording, and that’s important, but people being interested enough to come out to a show is what really strikes home for me.

NUVO: Are there any contemporary artists, peers, really - be them male or female artists also working right now - who you are inspired by or just really impressed with right now?

BB: Oh God. There are so many. Do you know Final Fantasy? We did this tour with him and every single night I was blown away, I just love his music so much. Touring with DeVotchKa has been amazing. I’ve been lucky that most of the people I’ve been touring with I find really inspiring. That’s been a real stroke of luck for me. I think the new Bon Iver album, For Emma, Forever Ago, is wonderful. It’s a really, really great record. A lot of bands in Canada, too, like the Great Lake Swimmers. I could just go on and on if you wanted me to.

NUVO: Bon Iver’s record label is actually in Indiana, in Bloomington even …

BB: Yeah, Secretly Canadian is in Bloomington, right?

NUVO: Yeah, a couple others, too. Jagjaguwar and Dead Oceans.

BB: Oh yeah, that’s right. Dirty Projectors are on Dead Oceans and they’re just crazy good. That’s pretty cool - a real music town.

NUVO: There are actually good labels in Indianapolis, too, and some really amazing bands scattered throughout Indiana.

BB: Songwriters?

NUVO: There’s a guy named Lee Miles who …

BB: M-Y-L-E-S?

NUVO: M-I-L-E-S

BB: I’m gonna look him up.

NUVO: Is there anything we missed? Anything we didn’t talk about?

BB: I’m bad at this. The 7” single. The record is in stores. Hopefully people will like the show and come back. We’re having a good time - lots of bets so far. Lots of jokes and we’re only three days in right now. I just hope people enjoy the show; hopefully we don’t disappoint after all this …

NUVO: No, I’ve seen all the live footage on YouTube; I think people are going to be surprised.

BB: Wicked. Thanks.