Dad Rock and Record Collecting - An Q&A with Wilco

Yeah, maybe even the Northeast. I see him all over the place, waiting in line at shows, and everybody seems to know him. 

It’s so true. There are a lot of people all over the country who know him at this point. It’s amazing. He’s really doing the work, you know? 

Love that dude’s record shop. Super well curated. Have you been in? 

Oh, yeah. Many times. Been to a few Record Store Days, and also, have just been in and out quite a bit over the years. It’s an amazing store. Really impressive. And Dave’s deep knowledge is invaluable. Maine is lucky to have that place, for sure.

What are you currently spinning and/or what do you hunt for when you get the time to do some crate digging? 

I generally gravitate toward late-'60s / early '70s lost singer-songwriter stuff. Single pressing reissue kind of things that are more common, thanks to all the reissue labels doing amazing work. But really, I love all types of music. Jazz. It’s a bit all over the board. In a store like Dave’s, I like to see what’s the latest and… well, my personal taste leans toward quieter stuff, at least in the last five to 10 years. It’s amazing to me the records from the '70s that are being discovered today. It’s exciting, really. Is this going to go on forever? (Laughs) I’m here for it. I feel like I’m always discovering a new, amazing record, and at the end of the day, it’s not really a new record at all… 

It’s definitely the right time for discovery. It’s pretty easy.

It’s not like our younger days, for sure. Everything is kind of laid out for you now. It’s pretty amazing. I’m envious of the younger generation in that respect. (Laughs) It wasn’t so easy for us. 

No, it really wasn’t. I can remember my buddies and I pooling our resources to buy as many $3 punk samplers as we could get our hands on. A $3 punk sampler in those days yielded like 20 songs, so that’s some pretty good bang for the buck… Walking out with 10 of those samplers kept us busy for a little while. (Laughs) 

Yeah, share them, form little clubs. Not duplicating purchases. It was like an extended collection, right? And you felt a part of something.

Absolutely. 

(Both laugh.)

Let’s switch gears a bit. What do you appreciate about living in Vacationland? How long have you been there for? 

I guess it’s been about 10 years now. I like the strange cultural identity of Maine. I’m originally from New Orleans, so I like the unique culture that comes with certain states. I’m also really drawn to nautical culture a lot. I definitely loved Maine even before I met my wife, who had ties here. But yeah, the maritime, the ocean… That’s the real draw. And the people and history. It’s so old and established, yet so empty at the same time. That’s fascinating to me. I love how non-conversational people are here, too. A little flaky, a bit standoffish, but all bound by this implicit kindness at the same time. It’s really interesting. I learn more and more about it each day. 

Alright, let’s jump into some band talk for a second here. It’s been a couple of years since your last new studio release, but, speaking of reissuing records, Wilco continues to celebrate the re-release of albums getting up there in age. Most recently, “The Whole Love,” “A Ghost is Born,” and “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.”  What do you look for when you go back and examine records you’ve made 15-20-plus years ago? 

It’s been Cheryl (Pawelski) over at Omnivore (Recordings) who does a lot of the packages on that front. We’re so lucky to have her be able to dig into the masters and ask us for certain demos. There’s been a little bit of that for me, which makes me a part of the process. The “Yankee” box in particular was pretty impressive. It’s just massive, and it would’ve probably been impossible for any one of us to go through it. She’s able to distill things down to a good listenable quality. For me, it’s a bit of rediscovery. It’s fun to hear what she unearths and brings me right back to certain moments. 

"A Ghost is Born” was one I really enjoyed, too. There’s so many early sessions that she found that are pretty great to listen back to. When you’re surprised at something, and it turns out to be better than you remember, that’s pretty special. I wish I had more time to dig through all the boxes of memorabilia I have, but I just haven’t found the time. But, yeah, it’s been amazing to see the attention and effort put into it.

Not for nothing, it’s very strange to me to think that Wilco has a small pile of records that are 15-20-plus years old. I think of anything 2000 and beyond as new. Maybe that’s admitting I’m an old man. But it’s also a wild realization that 2000 was more than a quarter-century ago. Time is a real bastard. 

(Laughs) It’s a juggernaut for sure. It’s crazy. And, you know, it’s so nice that we still have so much going on. I think, in a way, it keeps the back catalog fresh and enjoyable to listen to, because we always have fresh ingredients to sprinkle into a set or a side project to get lost in when we’re not touring or whatever. We’re always thinking ahead, but find enjoyment in the past. 

Speaking of 20th anniversaries… “Sky Blue Sky” turns 20 in 2027. 

Oh my god… 

I know, right… I bring it up because I have to mention that “Impossible Germany” is a favorite tune of mine. It hits so well in a live setting — especially when Nels (Cline) gets into his Nels-nish solo toward the end. Do you enjoy that one? What are some of your other favorite songs to play live? 

Oh, for sure. And that one continues to be a highlight. You can see people preparing for it while we’re in the middle of playing it. Getting their phones ready… It’s an absolute marvel. Even last night, I was blown away by it. It’s just always so interesting. It’s an incredible platform that Nels was able to create for himself in so many ways. (Laughs)

If anybody has had any kind of interest in Wilco, ever, now’s the time to check us out.

The record was so special because it was our first attempt at recording together; you know, sitting around in a circle, arranging and creating these tunes that were great to begin with. But fleshing them out together allowed everybody to contribute their unique personality to them. I love that record. “You Are My Face,” which we played the other night… That song, man. The twists and turns of it. The journey that’s taken. That really exemplifies that record for me. The harmony of the guitar. The angular chord changes. That record really does have a life. It’s nice we’re still recording in much the same way today. It’s worked well for us. 

You’ve been working with Jeff (Tweedy) since the Uncle Tupelo days… What do you appreciate about his songwriting? How’d the two of you meet? How do you keep the creative collaborative muscle in shape after three-plus decades of making music together? 

We met really early on. I got a demo from Uncle Tupelo at my local college radio station. I was in a band at the time, and we hosted bands, essentially. We’d reach out to them and bring them in. I went to the University of Mississippi; Ole Miss. We had a club there, run by a friend, that let us book whoever we wanted, which was incredible. So we formed many life-long relationships through that connection. So, yeah, we called the number on the back of the demo, invited them up, opened for them… That kind of stuff. It still goes on, but it felt much more alive back then when you had to gather information from the back of a postcard and work up the courage to make a phone call. (Laughs) 

But, yeah, the gig went well. They took us on the road with them, and eventually I ended up joining Uncle Tupelo on that last record. That was 1990 or something. 

Jeff has forged such an incredible career in music through his own curiosity and perseverance. He’s created a life where he can really make music and include his immediate and extended family, which is really remarkable. There aren’t many as determined as he is. He’s very serious about it. He puts in the hours, and for me, it’s inspiring. He’s inspiring. 

In general, why music? Why do you seek it? Why do you create it?

Yeah. Shoot. I’ll say that the magic of seeking something out of the ordinary in our lives is reason enough to create art. Music, to me, is singular. It’s different. It’s hard to describe. It’s all the good things in life. (Laughs) You know?

Last question. We’ll tie this one back to the gig you’re doing with Wilco at Thompson’s Point in Portland on Sunday, June 21. Father's Day! People like to define Wilco as “Dad Rock,” so what can folks expect when they come out to see you play this time around? What message do you have for the dads out there, and what do you enjoy about playing a show so close to home?

(Laughs) It’s fun to have family and friends there, for sure. Thompson’s Point has a nice atmosphere. I love Portland. 

I’m going to say that we sound better than we’ve ever sounded. That’s a big plus! (Laughs) I don’t know, we’ve found something. If anybody has had any kind of interest in Wilco, ever, now’s the time to check us out. They’ll really enjoy it. We’re doing two sets. We cover a lot of the bases regarding the band's history. Things are just sounding really good.

Wilco performs at Thompson's Point on Sunday, June 21. Find out more at https://thompsonspoint.com/event/state-theatre-98-9-wclz-present-an-evening-with-wilco/.