z z u b BRINGING IT ALL BACK HOME by Katherine Yeske Taylor the ubiquitous summer hit Soul Asylum singer/guitarist of 1993, and went on to win a Dave Pirner, calling from his home 1994 Grammy for Best Rock Song. in Minneapolis, seems astonished when But, as Pirner admits, he and the band he’s reminded that it’s been four years since his discovered that they weren’t entirely comfortable band released their last studio album (2016’s Change with such massive success, particularly the frenzy of Fortune ). “Has it really been that long?” he says, gut surrounding “Runaway Train.” incredulous. “You’re kind of surprising me right now.” instinct. I really songwriter “It was maybe a couple of years after that record He thinks about it for a moment, then laughs. “I guess wasn’t second-guessing ever since, he is also had come out, and I said, ‘We’re not playing that we’re slow!” everything. I just did what I felt like doing. This record the sole constant member. This suits him fine. song anymore, we’ve got to challenge ourselves to The long wait for new material will soon be over, is a little bit more acoustic and ‘listenable.’ It’s not “There were certainly plenty of times where it seemed come up with something that is not just playing things though. On April 17, Soul Asylum will release Hurry a challenging punk rock manifesto. Some of it is kind like everything was going to fall apart,” he says. we know people like.’” Up and Wait , their 12th studio album. And while it of simple, which I like.” Alluding to the band’s many lineup changes over This strategy did not prove at all popular with may have taken Pirner and his band a while to make While Pirner is very proud of his new songs and the years, he adds, “The people that aren’t that into his fans. “People would come to the show and I’d it, he says the process was “Relatively effortless. In hopes they’ll be well-received (“It’s a cliché, but it fall by the wayside, so you end up with a better talk to them afterwards and they’d go, ‘We drove 10 the past there’s been some very, very arduous they’re all my kids. You’ve got to push them out into and better situation.” The current membership has hours to get to see the show and you didn’t play the happenings around making records. Part of it is the world and hope for the best”), he is also secure been stable since 2016, and consists of Pirner on song we wanted to hear—what’s up with that? ’ because we didn’t know what we were doing, part enough not to fret too much about his place in the vocals and rhythm guitar, Ryan Smith on lead guitar, Eventually, I guess I just took a turn in attitude at of it was because we were spending a ton of money music business. “I don’t worry about the competition Winston Roye on bass, and Michael Bland on drums. some point. I just said, ‘You know what? Let’s just going to New York and living in LA—you incur these because I think that what I’m doing is different,” he Under Pirner’s guidance, Soul Asylum has earned enjoy people enjoying your music, it’s not that big expenses that are a little indulgent, I suppose.” says. “I don’t really compare bands. Of course I have considerable success, although it took them a little of a deal. It’s under four minutes, I can be bothered A big reason for this more relaxed atmosphere is bands I like better than other bands, but I also don’t while to find their niche. They released their debut for that long!’” He laughs but quickly clarifies, “Now due to making Hurry Up and Wait at Nicollet Studios go, ‘I love rock music and I hate jazz music.’ I love album, Say What You Will, Clarence... Karl Sold the I appreciate it, and it’s fun to watch people in the in Minneapolis—the same recording studio where jazz. I love country music. I love it all. It helps to be Truck , in 1984, but it wasn’t until their sixth album, audience react to it. You can tell it has some resonance Soul Asylum created their second album, While You open minded.” Grave Dancers Union (1992), that they really found in people’s lives: ‘Oh yeah, that was our favorite song Were Out (1986). Being in a familiar setting, Pirner Pirner’s broadminded yet focused approach has widespread fame. Their single “Runaway Train,” a when we met and now we’re married,’ that kind of says, made the experience “surprisingly comfortable always been at the heart of Soul Asylum. As well as beautiful but heart wrenching ballad, had a widely- thing. I suppose that’s what music is about a lot of and convenient. We just let it happen and went on founding the band in 1981 and serving as the main played video featuring missing children; this was the time.” PHOTO BY TONY NELSON SOUL ASYLUM WILL PLAY BOWERY BALLROOM IN NEW YORK CITY ON FEBRUARY 19, AND THEATRE OF THE LIVING ARTS IN PHILADELPHIA ON FEBRUARY 21. 12 ARTS WEEKLY FEBRUARY 12, 2020 www.theaquarian.com 913 OCEAN AVE, ASBURY PARK, NJ - 732.502.0600 3 5 1 1 B B E E PHOTO BY JENN DEVEREAUX F F Pirner has actually been thinking a lot about his Presley in the living room?’ ‘ Hell, yeah! ’” R T U older material lately, because he’s been working on Growing up in Minneapolis, he was “in a high A H annotated book of all his lyrics. Loud Fast Words: school band playing the trumpet, and going home S Soul Asylum Collected Lyrics will be released in and listening to Jimi Hendrix and going, ‘Wait a T March, published by the prestigious Minnesota minute. I really like this kind of music. And the trumpet Historical Society Press. Revisiting every single one playing music, I’m very passionate about it, but it THIRD TIMES A CHARM FOR CUPID of his songs was, Pirner says, “really, really weird. seems like I should be playing rock music because Every song brings back certain feelings. It was kind it’s what I listen to all the time.’ So I switched to of exhausting, just jumping around in these different saxophone. There was a lot of rock bands that had times in my life and reflecting on everything. That sax players in them at the time. Then I figured out 8 6 2 was a very strange experience. ‘Oh, you made how to play the guitar. And my life has been a mess H this record in 1990 and that’s what you were thinking ever since!” he jokes. H C about.’ It’s not that hard for me to put myself back in Soul Asylum has, in fact, become one of the most C R R those shoes. It evokes the same feelings I had back beloved bands out of Minneapolis—no easy feat, A A then.” Pirner says he chose to do this type of book considering that city has long been celebrated for M M because “I didn’t really feel inclined to write a memoir. having one of the most noteworthy music scenes in I T I’ve heard that story too many times.” the U.S. Besides Soul Asylum, Minneapolis has also R A F Although he’s celebrated for writing memorable produced such successful and influential acts as S and moving material, Pirner is lighthearted when Prince, The Replacements, Babes in Toyland, The asked how, exactly, he goes about his songwriting. Jayhawks, and Hüsker Dü. As for why that particular “Well, the first thing I do is I take a whole lot of LSD,” place is so inspiring for musicians, “There’s the whole he deadpans, then laughs. “No, I’m kidding! I suppose theory that [because of] these long winters, there’s FRI FEB 14 FRI MARCH 13 it’s something I’ve been working on for so long nothing else you can do but go down in the basement that it just is part of my day, every day. I’m always and rock out and get your aggression out,” Pirner THE ENGLISHTOWN MOROCCAN writing something down or talking into a tape recorder says. PROJECT SHEEPHERDERS or playing some music. It has become who I am, While Pirner has lived in other cities—including GRATEFUL DEAD MUSIC really.” 17 years in New Orleans—he has moved back to SHADY STREET SHOW BAND This does not mean that the work is always easy, Minneapolis in recent years, and is making a concerted FROM ENGLISHTOWN 1977 however. “As the great [comedian] Mitch Hedberg effort to get reacquainted with that city’s still-thriving SAT MARCH 14 once said, ‘Sometimes I’m lying in bed in my hotel local music scene. “Tonight, I’m going down to SUN FEB 16 START MAKING room and I come up with an idea and I have to get [legendary rock venue] First Avenue to see the best PRESIDENTS out of bed and go over to the desk and write it down, new bands of this year. I expect to be pleasantly SENSE or I have to convince myself it’s not funny and go to surprised.” It seems natural for him to be unreservedly WEEKEND PARTY TALKING HEADS TRIBUTE sleep.’ I’m constantly coming up with things in my enthusiastic about the next generation of hometown PERSONAL BOUNDARIES W/ head, and going, ‘Is that good, is that worth pursuing?’ artists because, as he says, “I guess that’s what LAUREN GILL FRI MARCH 20 You come up with a lot of ideas that go nowhere.