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Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
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Dave Pirner: A Record to Call His Own
Wednesday 24 July @ 11:43:44 |
 by Chris Hegeholz
Leaving his band at home for the first time ever, Soul Asylum lead singer, songwriter and musician Dave Pirner will release his debut solo album, Faces and Names, July 30. He then takes off on a short, 13-city tour to support the record. Beginning in Columbus, OH on July 27, it will wrap up just three weeks later on August 14th in Denver, CO. Hardcore Soul Asylum fans need not fear the implications of Pirner’s solo work, however: the band has been working in the studio, and has already laid down several tracks for their next release due out in 2003. They are currently shopping around for a new label.
While this is Pirner’s first solo album, the native Minnesotan is no stranger to side projects. Pierner has been part of various musical ventures over the years, helping out on benefit records, writing and performing songs for soundtracks and playing impromptu gigs with friends around town. However, his first priority—and a lot of his musical identity—has always lain with his band. That made the process of recording Faces and Names quite a new experience for him.
“Well, I learned I could do it,” Pirner says of the process, almost sounding surprised. “And that’s what I needed to find out. Frankly, I still won’t believe I did it until July 30th comes and I see a copy. But the process…well, it almost made a bigger difference that there was no producer there, and there was no record company in there and there was no manager there. Beyond that, not having Karl and Danny there was just kind of ridiculous as far as what I’m used to. It’s like sending some sports team out on the ice a couple of players short.” He adds self-consciously, “I’m real nervous about having only my name on it because that just means that everything is my fault.”
Faces and Names is being touted as Pirner’s ode to New Orleans. Pirner moved to the Big Easy in the mid-’90s, and the record features such characteristic New Orleans touches as horns and organs. Although he keeps a home here in Minneapolis, Pirner has a history of taking up part-time residence in other cities. A number of years ago, he had been tossing around the idea of living in New York or Los Angeles when he had what some would call a defining experience.
“A lot of the reason I moved down there was because the first time I heard the Meters it just blew me away. I could not understand how a four piece band with no singer could sound as good to me as any four piece band I’d ever heard, including The Clash and the Beatles and %@!#$&ing WHATever! And they were in New Orleans, so I decided I was going to Mecca to find out how they did what they did.” He continues, “The Meters made me think differently about what you can do with a band and what parts of playing are essential to my aesthetic.”
According to Pirner, the record was really more synchronicity or simply self-expression at a time when he had something to say than it is a conscious tribute to the New Orleans sound. Stumbling upon a great studio about to be shut down and all the people in place, Pirner seized the opportunity to lay down a few tracks combining what he had heard and observed in the New Orleans music scene and his own creative process. With a somewhat humble explanation, he firmly denies that it’s a tribute record.
“[That image] It’s not accurate in a way that I feel like I’m being influenced by any of the players down there because I think they’re just way too good. They are these incredible musicians that just blow me away and I’m a complete groupie for a handful of them. I go see them and it makes me feel better. I can’t hold a torch to them.” He pauses, searching for the right words. “It’s that thing where you see them play and you think ‘god, I really gotta get better or I should just quit.’ It makes you want to lay your instrument down and just walk away, because they’re so good. So it’s not like I could be ‘musically inspired’ by them. But what it is, is that they don’t give a %@!#$& about the music industry. They just play because they love to play. No matter what anybody says, they’re gonna be there playing their music. That’s the kind of attitude that I had to take at that point. You know, ‘I don’t care about anything, I’m just going to do this.’
Seemingly oblivious to pop trends, Pirner has always been an acutely expressive songwriter. His ability to capture the voice of youth in all it’s earnest indignation, internal angst and acerbic wit has remained at Soul Asylum’s core and eventually helped catapult them to multi-platinum status with hits like “Runaway Train” and “Black Gold.” Although many of the tracks on Faces and Names still possess his cryptic allusions, and while he has clearly not lost his penchant for storytelling songs, it strikes the listener that quite possibly Pirner’s soul may have finally found some peace with this recording.
“I guess one of the things I was thinking about was that I wanted to name this record ‘Dock of the Bay’,” Pirner agreed, “because a lot of the material invokes that feeling of somebody just sort of observing where their life has gone. Not saying it’s good; not saying it’s bad. Just saying ‘wow, what has become of me’ and ‘look at all the crazy things I’ve experienced?’ ‘What does the future hold?’ And, ‘maybe there’s just nothing you can do about any of it’. I think the record has a feeling of just stepping back and saying ‘what is this all about?’ and, ‘this is what I know’ and, ‘there it is’ and ‘I’m not pissed off about it anymore’ and, ‘there is not a whole lot I would have done differently I guess.’ And that is kind of where I was at; Just sort of stepping back and saying wow,” he grins and shakes his head,” look at the mess I’ve created.”
Pirner has an easy yet slightly evasive manner that sort of encompasses all his contradictions: open and vulnerable yet a little unapproachable; laying out his musical ambitions for all to see, yet held back by his wariness of having to explain himself. Although reflexively guarded at times, he is endlessly interested in the subject of music and his passion for it clear.
“I try to make it all as self-explanatory as it can be. I don’t really have a lot more to say about it other than that I just live for music and it kind of makes me crazy. I want to be involved. I don’t want to necessarily be rich and famous, I didn’t get into this to make money or get girls or anything. I just want to be involved with music and I’ve known that since I was three years old.” Pirner adds as an afterthought, “It’s not really about being better than anybody else or being more successful. Just kind of watching other people make music and loving it and knowing what it does for you, hoping that somehow you can return that favor, give back that thing. That ‘s kind of what I’d always hoped I could do. And you don’t really know most of the time. Every now and then someone tells you that one of your songs did something for them and you kind of go ‘OK, maybe I can do this’.”
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