Chicago Folk-Punker On Politics, Dog Bites, And Steve Albini

April 7th, 2010 by admin

While your lyrics cover a vast range of topics and imagery, there’s a definite politic edge to your songs. Without trying to lump you into some political party, how would you describe your political views?

I still have a lot of growing up to do and I consider these first albums to be just the beginning of my songwriting career. My hope for the future is to be able to express myself in ways I haven’t been able to before. A lot of people have told me that they wish they could sing political songs, but for me it’s easy to sing about urgent topics, but not so easy to open up, to share what’s deep on the inside. While writing Illusions of Repetition I went through a lot of personal changes that I wasn’t able to really share because of the injustices that I had seen people go through during that time. My hope is that I will be able to write more personal songs and less political. As for my views, they usually are formed through isolated incidents. Most of my views are formed when something hits close to home, or I can see it right in front of me. Part of what makes those views personally active is that I don’t want to see people go through the same hurtful things again and again. I want to see people sighing with relief and gasping with fear. It seems like singing is what helps me feel closer to those who are in need.

Do you find it difficult to write political/social songs that still have artistic merit?

I have always wanted to be an artist, so I try really hard to create what I see and hear when I’m making art. Even when I was getting bad grades in high school art class I was still able to create a watercolor painting that I still to this day consider to be good. As I said before, I never planned on writing political songs, my hope was to create songs that have beautiful movements of instrumentation. I spent most of my life striving to be what I loved. I remember being 17 and watching Starflyer 59 play new songs off of Americana with Gene Eugene playing an organ and thinking that it was so beautiful. I would then do my best to make my music sound like that. I remember listening to Screeching Weasel Boogada Boogada Boogada for the first time and wanting to write the catchiest music possible, but then after hearing Sonic Youth’s song Satan is Boring, I wanted to be able to write songs like that. I remember hearing Aphex Twin’s electronic masterpiece Flim and found that he actually was good; The intoxicating sarcasm of Pavement; the dry lo-fi his of Duster; Polvo, Pedro the Lion, and the swirling unconscious that is All Natural Lemon and Lime Flavors, etc, etc, etc. I wanted to sound like all of that beautiful music. But I couldn’t stand classic rock. The Beatles were good, but I’ll admit that I hated Bob Dylan’s music up until I was 26 when I saw the Martin Scorcese documentary about him. That’s when I decided to hit the road. I started meeting people that intrigued me. Girls with fake mustaches talking to me about how they felt that men dominated society. I slept out on the street with homeless people, rolling them cigarettes and playing them songs if they would only tell me their joys and sorrows. I met so many people whose words would make me cry, or laugh until my heart felt like it would explode, and sometimes I would hear stories that would make me angry, angry that the person sharing would think I would agree with their behaviour. I had spent so many years hiding the feelings I had inside about things because I wanted to fit in. I never really felt that the artist in me had to take a backseat once my songs started to take direction lyrically, it was more like I was evolving as an artist, I was no longer repeating my favorite musicians stories. Right now I couldn’t be happier with my music’s direction and artistic merit. My music is more ME than it has ever been.

Your songs have also made some blunt anti-consumerist statements (ie. “We won’t be sold for merchandise”). At the same time, I’m assuming that you’d like to make your living off of your music. But, let’s face it, selling music is tough. Furthermore, there is so much music out there that you kind of HAVE to promote yourself in order for people to hear it and, hopefully, buy it. How have you tried to, for the lack of a better word, “sell” your music without, for the lack of a better cliche, “sell your soul”?

In the song Gameshow Fear the lyrics were inspired by a single mother’s obsession with soap opera’s. In a way soap opera’s were an excuse to cover up for not having time or energy to be the kind of parent that is able care for her kids. The only energy she has is spent on working to pay the bills. When she get’s home she closes her door and watches 2 hours of soap opera’s on VHS. As the train derails there is one last cry from the kids to the mother that they in fact need more than their housing and food needs met. In a way thw song does reflect my views of consumerism. Realistically I would be happy to make a basic living off of my music. It is the thing I am best at. I am full of ideas and I hope someday that they will be able to bring some sort of income that I could survive off of. My CD’s have set prices but I do ask for a donation from time to time. Sometimes I can get a few extra dollars from a sale of one CD and the next person who might not have enough but really wants a copy will be able to get them at a discount. One way I put myself out there is doing playing and singing my very best at shows. I spend a lot of time getting prepared so that when it’s time to play I am ready to have fun. I try to change it up too, so that show concert is different. I feel that people get tired of going out to shows and you kind of have to make it worth their while. I also like to make really good posters and collaborate with my other artist friends. This way the art, the music, and my face to face appearances become my promotion. I don’t have to sell myself in anyway, I can just be myself. Promotion is expensive, and I definitely can’t afford more than what I’m already doing right now. My hope is that word of mouth is still as strong as it ever was and that I’m creating something memorable enough that people will tell their friends about me. Just because I do these things on my own doesn’t mean I’m not interested in signing with a record label. I hope to find a label that would be interested in putting out my albums on vinyl and help me with tour support and distribution. I would still work just as hard as I do now if not harder. In regards to the cliche I hope to never make an excessive amount of money. I have always lived close to the poverty line and I am happy here. Just getting by is enough for me.

I noticed that you have some association with Jesus People USA. How has your time spent with them formed your music? I understand that Jesus People USA is more about encouraging social and artistic change then “preaching,” so I’m not necessarily expecting an exclusively religious answer from you.

Jesus People is where I first learned about tracking. There was man living there named Francis. He was a really good guitarist. He once gave me a small tape recorder and told me to record a guitar part, and then when I play it back play something along with it. It changed my life. There are a lot extremely creative people there. I was introduced to people from all over the world. Some of the musicians that passed through were highly influential to me. Christian Wargo, who currently plays in Fleet Foxes, was one of the most inspiring of all. He used to be in a band called Madeline with Chris and Trevor of The Wiitala Brothers. Seeing them play in 1998 was one of the first times I saw a truly creative band work out sounds on a more musical level, rather than tossing out catchy songs. Once I asked Christian what he thought of some of the instrumental 4 track recordings and he told me that it sounded like a broken record, and that my songs were too long. I really took what he had to say seriously. Scott Knies was also a highly influential musician to me. He really tapped into a meditative state in his guitar playing and would amaze me everytime I would see him. JPUSA is the home of Resurrection Band. They were one of the first Christian Hard Rock bands to be on a major label. They were on Capital Records for awhile and this was a major accomplishment for the community. Being connected to the major music industry was a plus when they started their music festival Cornerstone. Which has been going on for almost 3 decades. It’s not unlikely for a band playing at Cornerstone to become instantly popular in a major market. Living in the community was great for learning more about my favorite musicians music. When Pedro The Lion, It’s Hard to Find A Friend came out I remember listening to it with friends talking about everything from the drumming style to how David played single not progressions with Johnathan’s basslines. One time at the Cornerstone Farm, I had the chance to listen to Pedro the Lion through the wall of a barn as they practiced their set for what was going to be the first time I would see them live. When I was 18, Nate GP of Ballydowse, asked me if I wanted to go to the studio while they recorded their first album. We pulled over on the way and to my surprise Steve Albini jumped in the car right next to me, he talked about watching whales on a some nature channel show. I then got to watch him work and got a tour of Electrical Audio. When I was 15 I had an album by a band called the blamed, Bryan Gray was their lead singer and was also living in the community. He got me on a crew to work security at the Congress Theatre when Fugazi and The EX played with Shellac, and after the show I got go out to eat with them. There are too many stories to tell. On the other hand, living in a Christian community was at times complicated and frustrating, I was also able to do a lot of searching. I learned a lot about people and myself.

I’m sorry to hear that you were bitten by a dog recently. Will this be song fodder?

It was pretty sad. I just met the dog and was going to walk it a couple of days while it’s owners had to go out of town. It was found in a junk yard years ago and has been passed around a lot. It’s previous owners were in their 80’s and probably didn’t really give it the kind of loving attention it needed. I took a round of antibiotics and it should be all healed up in the week. As far as a song topic, I haven’t felt the itch yet.

What are your plans for the year as it unfolds. Any new albums in the works? Touring?

It has been a dream of mine to make an album of all instrumental songs written for guitar. I have been working on some of the songs since I was 18. It’s finally becoming a reality. Now that I’m married and have a home that I can get comfortable in I’ve been getting the songs together for a cassette release. As for touring I hope to play more of the regional shows in basements, garages, coffee houses, and art spaces that I have grown to love so much over the years. I am also talking to booking agents for more of the bigger venues in the midwest. I believe that between myself and the musicians I have been playing with we are definitely ready to rock out some big shows with national and international acts.

Do you tour with a band or are you mostly just solo now?

Over the years my band has taken on many styles and forms. I have had the spectacular oppurtunity to work with Jeb Bishop (The Engines/Peter Brotzmann), Tim Daisy (Vandermark 5/ Rempis Quartet), Fred Lonberg-Holm (The Valentine Trio/Jim O’Rourke/Wilco). At the moment I am playing with Sarah Leitten (Saw/Ukelele/Accordian), Ian Fullerton (Bass/Keys/Percussion), and Chris Marshall who plays Fiddle. It’s a lo-fi and creative version of Bill Tucker and Friends and I believe that we are representing the sounds that are on Mythological Creatures very well, and also having fun revisiting songs from Illusions and Little Jesus. I do still play solo on occasion but I’m really having fun playing with friends.

Any books or films that you recommend?

I’m reading the Doris Anthology from Microcosm, and I just recently read What is the What? by Dave Eggers. both are quality reads.

For more info on Bill Tucker and to hear his music, visit: www.myspace.com/billtucker

The illustration above was done by artist Rachel McHan. Check out more of her work here.

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