Phish released Farmhouse on May 16, 2000. To mark the anniversary we're dipping into the Jambands.com archives for this conversation with Jefferson Waful.JW: Hypothetically speaking, if someone had played the album Farmhouse for you in 1988, what do you think your reaction would have been?JW: What was the vision at that time?JW: Well, let’s take a song like “Sand” off the new album, or “First Tube.” What was the songwriting process like compared to writing something like “Foam” or “Squirming Coil?”JW: Would you say in some ways that’s just as difficult if not more difficult than learning a Stravinsky-esque composition?BlueJW: Do you think it’s ever possible to achieve that sort of deeply spiritual groove with very complex compositions?JW: It’s clear that on Farmhouse you had a lot more creative control. You co-produced it. You wrote a lot of the songs, solo. How was that different in the recording process? How was the interaction with the other band members? Was it still a pretty democratic process?
The Story of the GhostJW: Have any of the other band members been writing any material that we’ll hear any time soon?JW: I want to shift gears just a little bit and concentrate a little more on the live setting. I know that at the end of ’96 you implemented the no-analyzing rule concerning your live shows. How strictly do you adhere to that? Is there really no analyzing at all?JW: Yeah, that was going to be my next question, because certainly if you weren’t analyzing those songs in the live setting, you would wind up over-analyzing them in the studio. As a producer, isn’t that what you tend to do?JW: I think I would have wanted to be in there.JW: Would he ever speak up if he had an objection to something?
JW: Did it happen at all with Farmhouse?REOREOJW: Gotta give him credit.JW: I’ve noticed that a lot of the tours seem to have certain themes. You had the funk in ’97, the last tour concentrated more on your solo material and the whole groove thing. Is there any kind of preparation for the upcoming tour or the Radio City shows? Are you trying to put an emphasis on something else? Do you even plan it ahead that far?JW: Will there be any new material unveiled on this tour?JW: I know in the past, the band has done a lot of improvisational exercises, dating back to the early ’90s. You were even composing transitions between songs. What’s the preparation like going into shows these days? Is there any of that or is it more of just going out and letting it happen?JW: Even the set list?
JW: Well that’s pretty tough compared to a regular show. I mean, after doing a three-set show the night before, and an afternoon set to go out and play eight hours straight.JW: Like a “Harpua” or “Forbin’s.”JW: Did you plan not to do an encore?JW: I wanted to go back to what you were saying about spontaneous composition. Is that something that you try to achieve 100% of the time? For example, can you envision busting out a thirty-minute version of “Farmhouse” one night or is there a conscious effort to keep certain songs short and concise?JW: Were you pleased, generally, with the event as a whole as well as your performance?JW: It was pretty powerful seeing the sunrise. I had goose bumps.JW: Would you like to return there? Has there been any talk or any plans to go back?
JW: So if someone had to work the next day or something they’d be kind of screwed.JW: No one on the outside world would have any idea what was going on.JW: So I guess you’d have to serve a lot of coffee to keep people awake.JW: I’m assuming there would be set breaks.JW: Like a Fishman drum solo, which of course he doesn’t like to take.JW: Or you could open the show with “Squirming Coil” and leave Page on stage to play a piano solo for seven hours (laughs).JW: That’s a really interesting idea. I hope it comes to fruition. Although the tapers would be screwed.JW: Philosophically speaking, do you think it gets harder as the years go on to come up with original songs, not just for you, but for any musician? If you take The Beatles for example, they were geniuses, but pretty much anything they did was going to be innovative at the time. As more and more bands write more and more songs over the years, do you think your options start to get limited?
JW: With a full orchestra?JW: What is the orchestra going to consist of? Are you going to play an instrument or are you just going to write?JW: Oh, really?JW: Kind of a Celtic kind of feel.JW: Yeah, I could hear songs like “Divided Sky” or “You Enjoy Myself” being played by an orchestra as well.
