JPG: From a Pete Townsend interview many years ago he talked about when he writes songs he divides them up between what would go on a solo album and what would sound right for a Who album. I don’t think he was always correct, but for yourself, do you write in that same manner or do you play everything to the band and they’re like, “We’ll take this, this and this…?
RM: It’s way more of the latter. I try to play them everything. Probably three-quarters of the songs on this record were in the batch of songs from which they picked their favorites that became [the 2017 Old 97’s album]“Graveyard Whistling.”
Then, in the interim when I was assembling the songs for the solo record, some songs came up that they never heard. It never was even an issue. There’s stuff that I think they did not get first crack at but usually even those songs are songs where I’m really in the mindset of the record I’m making as I’m writing that song, I’m sort of filling a gap that I’m finding in those stack of songs for the solo record.
In general, I try to give them first crack at everything. They’re the ones that brought me to the dance and I’m grateful that they let me make these solo records, and the whole idea behind the solo records to begin with was that I had too many songs and I had songs that didn’t speak to my bandmates in the 97’s. I needed an outlet for them or else I was going to start resenting my bandmates for not getting it.
JPG: It’s nice that it all worked out. That is rare. With that in mind I read that they heard “Total Disaster” (off The Messenger) and they were like, “Whoops, we should have picked that one.” Now, it looks as if the band is going to play it live…
RM: I’ll believe it when we’re onstage playing it. They’ve offered to learn it and when we start this holiday tour, the idea is that that will be in our regular set, which is really sweet, because it gives me a chance to present the song that is the single off the solo record to the audience who may or may not have not heard it as a full band recording instead of just me as a solo artist playing the song.
I think it communicates something to our shared fanbase that the band supports me having a solo career and they don’t resent it. There’s no hard feelings. There was a tricky period, right when I started making solo records, that coincided with the dissolution of the old business model — recorded music was losing its value — and the band was having to adapt to the new world. Suddenly, I was making solo records. Again, that was kind of a scary time for our band. A lot of fans did begrudge me the solo career. So, for the band now to embrace it and give it their blessing is a pretty sweet thing.
JPG: Speaking of the band and songwriting, on the Old 97’s recently-released Love the Holidays is it difficult riding that fine line of joy and melancholy that runs throughout holiday fare or was writing a few originals for the album no different than writing for anything else?
RM: I thought it would be weirder and harder than it wound up being. In the end it was just writing songs. It’s just that it had its own built-in setting. Now, this couple is falling in love at Christmas or they’re having a fight at Christmas or…I ended up approaching them like I approach most of my songs, with the exception for “Snow Angels,” which is a little bit more universal and maybe social commentary than anything I’ve ever written before. That was fun but it’s not something I want to make a habit out of it; too nervewracking to try and write a heavy, deep song about what it means, fellow man kind of stuff.
JPG: What was it that made you think, “Hey! We want to add to that holiday music canon!”
RM: I just felt like you have to be at a certain point in your career to be able to pull it off. I know for sure that if I ever make a kids’ record, that’s it. There’s no coming back from that. I feel like if you’ve got a dozen studio albums out and you go to make a holiday record, nobody’s going to think, “They’re jumping the shark. Here’s the cash grab.” I feel like we’ve earned the right to play around a little, and I’ve always liked the idea of offering new songs to this canon of Christmas music.
We’ve all got a little bit sick of it, Christmas music. I really had fun writing it.
JPG: Finally, to finish up on a future project. You have a book that’s coming out in March. Your material naturally goes to writing short stories or larger stories, so why a young readers poetry book?
RM: I know, right? My kids were of an age where we were reading a lot of Shel Silverstein and Roald Dahl. When I was out on the road, I thought it would be funny if I tried to write some poems to engage with them on FaceTime or on the phone. It’s hard for kids to talk to their dad on the phone. I missed them so much. I needed some contact with them. So, I figured if I write them a poem then I could read them the poem. Then, they could critique the poem.
I wound up with these 30 poems that I really felt good about. And just as a goof, I talked to my literary agent and said, “What if we approached publishers with these?” I wound up getting a great reception from a handful of big publishing houses and going with Little Brown, and they are great. I just sat in a massive conference room with the entire marketing department. We landed a top illustrator in the field, [Dan Santat], who is a Caldecott Medal winner. It’s going to be one of their big rollout books for 2019. My kids are laughing, “Dad, maybe you’re finally going to make some money off your kids poems.” That would be kind of fun. Who knew?
JPG: Maybe you’ll make so much money you’ll get a snowblower.
RM: (laughs) You know what? I promised them a hot tub first.
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