Usually bands hit the road when they have a new release to promote, but in The Lonely Wild‘s case, they just felt like hitting the road for a cross-country tour. Their newly-finished album, Chasing White Light, was recorded with singer/songwriter (and producer) John Vanderslice at the helm in San Francisco, although it will not be released for a few more months. Until then, there is a Lonely Wild show this week at The Mercury Lounge, and the album’s first single “Running” can be streamed on the band’s Soundcloud page.
The L.A.-based quintet’s Andrew Carroll kindly took some time to do some Q&A for Downtown. Learning about a great band aside, another lesson to be learned is that Andrew is a great go-to for questions about good wine and craft beer.
To somehow who hasn’t yet seen The Lonely Wild live, what’s to be expected from your gig at The Mercury Lounge?
The Lonely Wild’s Andrew Carroll: People often tell us they’re surprised at how much our live show “rocks.” I think our previous records give the impression that we’re kind of a mellow, Americana band, but we’re pretty high-energy live. By the end of our shows we’re all sweaty and spent. We leave it all out on the stage.
How did you wind up working with John Vanderslice on your forthcoming album?
A: We funded the making our record with a crowd-funded Pledge Music campaign, so we had a decent, but modest budget to work with. Our previous records were self-produced. This time around we wanted to try something new and see what a producer could bring to the table. I reached out to John’s manager and he listened to our stuff and was excited to work with us. And to our surprise, he was within our budget! John prides himself on keeping prices low, so working-class musicians have an opportunity to record in a world-class studio.
We spent two weeks at his Tiny Telephone Studios in San Francisco and had an amazing recording experience. The album was recorded completely analog – to tape. No computers were used, which was a first for us. John really helped shape the sound of this record. He pulled us out of our comfort zone in a great way. I’m pretty meticulous about my writing, arranging, demoing process, but when we got to Tiny Telephone, John basically told us, “We’re not here to re-record your demos. We’re here to do something new.” So we tried to approach each song as a clean slate. We let on-the-spot inspiration dictate how the songs were shaped, and the result is something unlike anything we’ve ever done.
With Chasing White Light slated to come out in October, how does it feel to have a finished album without release for such a long time?
A: It’s tough. As soon as you finish a record you want to blast it to the world. It’s hard to try to keep a lid on you’re excitement. But, at the same time, you want to do it right. You want as many people as possible to hear it, and it takes a little time to get all your ducks in a row. So hopefully, it’ll be worth the wait.
Photo: Courtesy of Paige Craig/bighassle.com
For fans of The Sun As It Comes, how would you compare Chasing White Light?
A: Chasing White Light is a bit of a departure from the western sound that anchored The Sun As It Comes. We experimented quite a bit with instrumentation on this record. It’s a mix of antique instruments like harpsichord, blended with vintage synthesizers and toys and gadgets we found around the studio. Thematically, Chasing is a much more personal album than Sun. The songs on Sun were pretty broad in scope. The writing was inspired by social and political issues. Chasing is centered around life and death, and personal experiences. The songs are focused around real people that have affected my life. So this record is a little closer to my heart.
When not occupied with touring or recording, how do you like to spend your time?
A: I spend my time writing, cooking, and drinking good wine and beer! I grew up in Sonoma and my dad is in the wine business, so I’ve always been surrounded by good wine. And as a band, we’re all big craft beer lovers. When we’re at home or on the road, we’re always checking out new breweries. When I come off a long tour, one of my favorite things to do is come home, crack a bottle of wine and cook a feast for my wife. You eat so much crap on the road, so I take great pleasure in getting good, fresh ingredients and making a solid meal.
What’s your favorite thing about coming to New York?
A: New York is THE great American city. It has an energy like no other. Especially coming from a laid-back city like L.A., New York is a bit of a culture shock. There are so many people from all over the world crammed onto this little island. I just love walking down the streets of Manhattan and getting lost in the flow.
As an Los Angeles-based band, what do you think the biggest misconception is about living in L.A.?
A: I think the biggest misconception about L.A. is that L.A. equals Hollywood. People think of fake blondes and fake boobs. And sure, that exists in L.A., but it’s really a small fraction of what the city is about. L.A. is a sprawl. I kind of think of it as a bunch of cities smashed into one. We’ve got the beach, the mountains, the forest, and the desert. Whatever you’re into, you can probably find it somewhere in L.A.
Finally, Andrew, any last words for the kids?
A: Galapagos. Dactyloid. Vallecula. Onomatopoeia.
-by Darren Paltrowitz
