Rhett MillerThe MessengerOld 97'sLove the HolidaysThe MessengerLove the HolidaysNo More PoemsRelixJPG: “Misery may love company but under the direction of Rhett Miller what could be a maudlin evening of life gone wrong turned into an uplifting communal experience. The Old 97’s frontman opened his solo winter tour at Pittsburgh's Club Cafe where the sold out crowd embraced his tales of melancholy and multiple heartbreaks through a liquor glass half full, life goes on attitude.” In hindsight I can see you dropping hints about how you feel or felt whereas now you’re actually putting it out there.JPG: Since you’re walking a fine line, did it take you longer to write the lyrics for this album than anything previously?JPG: There’s heart wrenching lines in there but there are some dark comic lines that change it up, so it’s not maudlin or depressing.JPG: I know what you’re saying. I was telling somebody the other day, that for some reason, listening to The Smiths when I’m feeling bummed out during these crazy times we live in and -- in the same way there’s a lot of darkly comic lines in what Morrissey sings or can be interpreted that way as well as sadness, instead of making me sadder -- it ends up cheering me up.JPG: Well, yeah, you should. Good for you. You made the album with a lot of things unknown to you -- unknown producer, unknown musicians. Why make such an effort to work with people you didn’t know? Why take yourself out of your comfort zone? You’re already doing that lyrically, why this too? Astral WeeksJPG: I understand that approach. On a side note, if you’re a big Van Morrison fan, one of the Boston shows where he used the original band before the Astral Weeks recording sessions popped up on iTunes UK and then it was taken off hours later. Keep an eye out for that.Astral WeeksAstral WeeksJPG: 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…?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…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?JPG: What was it that made you think, “Hey! We want to add to that holiday music canon!”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?JPG: Maybe you’ll make so much money you’ll get a snowblower.
Subscribe to skip adsAdvertisement
Subscribe to skip adsAdvertisement
Subscribe to skip adsAdvertisement
