MARCH/APRIL 2010 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM Q&A James Minchin JAKOB DYLAN Chasing new sounds with an old friend

WOMEN AND COUNTRY, THE SECOND or what the particular instrumentation was. Did you work out the harmonies on solo album from Wallfl owers frontman Jakob I’ve spent a lot of time in the studio making the spot? Dylan, came together in the studio within things go backwards and forwards and going The two of them had worked on their days. But that doesn’t worry him. “I’ve done through different amplifi ers, and I don’t think stuff beforehand. So a lot of it was records that have taken eight months, and we got too hung up on that. very prepared, but a lot happened in the I don’t know what happened in all that studio on the fl y. What they did was very time,” he says with a laugh. Perhaps credit Did the songs evolve much once you surprising to my ears. for that effi ciency should go to the crack got into the studio? team of professionals he assembled for There’s always a natural process—as soon What guitars did you play on the record, including producer T Bone as you put a drum or a bass in, something the album? Burnett—back in the studio with Dylan for the different happens. But that’s the exciting I only brought my Martin 000-42. I’ve gone fi rst time since the Wallfl owers’ multiplatinum part. I enjoy bringing a song that’s hopefully through phases of collecting guitars, but I Bringing Down the Horse—and alt-country as fully formed as possible into a room with don’t much anymore. I’ve had guitars that I darlings Neko Case and Kelly Hogan, who people who can enhance that and surprise thought were a good idea at the time, but provide harmony vocals. We caught up with me. I’ve never been interested in going into they just had nothing in them. They were Dylan on the West Coast to talk about his the studio and playing all the instruments. If empty. Now I just try to keep the good guitars new music. it were all my ideas, it would be pretty boring. around, the ones that feel good and the ones And T Bone has a way of getting everybody that inspire you to knock something out What was on your mind when you enthusiastic to bite off quite a bit. I think of them. started writing Women and Country? the record when it came together began I had been talking to T Bone about making to feel very conceptual and ambitious—but What’s the most important lesson some music together again. That got me very T Bone’s good company to chase that kind you’ve learned in your career to date? excited. I was clearly able to envision a sound of thing with. That implies I’ve learned something. that I could fi t my vocals into: It wasn’t going (laughs) I’ve been through a lot, I’ve seen a to be acoustic, and yet it wasn’t going to be How did Neko Case and Kelly Hogan lot, but I can’t say that adds up to anything a typical rock ’n’ roll record. It put me into a get involved? concrete. I guess as you do it longer, you setting, a mood that I found really interesting. We’d talked about having someone sing fi nd out what you’re interested in. You background, and we wanted to make sure simplify that as you go along to what What was that sound, as you we were adding an element of personality matters most. Do good things and put them imagined it? to the record. It’s encouraging to know that forward, and good things will come Very organic. We wanted to hear earth tones. people, no matter what their level is, will still of it. I’m not too hung up on it sounding old-world, want to be part of music they respond to. –Katie Dodd ‘I enjoy bringing a song into a room with people who can enhance it.’ 22

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