COUNTING CROWS Do You Still Like “Mr
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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2012 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM Q&A to genre or time period. They span about 50 back to when I was a kid. Suddenly I found arranging things. I just have to hum it to years. These are all great songs, but we didn’t myself in a situation where everyone wanted the other guys. I have my own names for concern ourselves with what other people to take my picture. That alone nearly caused chords, which the guys think is hysterical. would think about them. It’s different from a nervous breakdown. Standing in front of And occasionally I’ll pick up the guitar, but when you’re writing. When you’re writing, a camera with a stupid grin on my face we have three guitar players in the band— you want to express how you feel. Judging makes me sweat even now. anytime I’ve tried to get serious about it, whether a song you’ve written is good or they make fun of me. (laughs) Their worst bad is up to someone else. If you express What’s your writing process? nightmare is a fourth guitar player. As what you’re trying to express, then you’ve For long stretches I don’t write much. Then much as we love one another, as much accomplished what you’re trying to do. It’s I’ll start, and out pops an album. I don’t think as we’re like brothers, they would die if I different when you’re looking at someone it’s changed much—I try to write and sing started playing in concert. else’s songs, determining what you want what feel. I can’t play guitar or piano very to sing and what you want to play. You’re well. I can’t play by ear, and that lack of ability How do you see the music industry? looking more for what gets you fired up. makes writing more difficult. A lot of times I It’s a fantastic time to be a musician. In some hear songs in my head, then write them on ways it reminds me of the ’80s. There was a Did you record live in the studio? piano and teach them to the guys. They don’t freedom about the way bands were making We’ve always recorded that way. That idea came from Robbie Robertson. We hung out and talked with him before we started recording our first album. I told him I was worried that the band would get uptight in a big recording studio. I was concerned that our songs would become sterile because the guys would feel pressured to play them “right.” He said, “Why don’t you just rent a house? That’s what the Band always did.” So we’ve always rented a big, empty house and set up a home recording studio with our linch C Charles Gillingham, Dan Vickrey, Millard Powers, Adam Duritz, own equipment. It was only when we made anny David Immerglück, Jim Bogios, David Bryson D our last album, Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings [2008], that we made a complete album in an actual studio. COUNTING CROWS Do you still like “Mr. Jones”? I love that song. The label didn’t want “Mr. Adam Duritz and company make an eclectic set of covers their own Jones” as the single. They wanted “A Murder of One,” because it had a Jesus Jones-style NEARLY TWO DECADES HAVE PASSED So it’s no surprise that Counting Crows has and why 2012 is an especially good time drum beat. They also wanted to edit it down, since Counting Crows exploded onto long considered making a full album of other to be making music. but I told them I wasn’t editing any songs. the scene with their multiplatinum debut artists’ songs—an ambition finally fulfilled with I felt “Mr. Jones” was better, so we agreed August and Everything After and its smash the new Underwater Sunshine (or What We How was it recording covers? to disagree—and released nothing. Then we single, “Mr. Jones.” Even as the band has Did on Our Summer Vacation), released on I didn’t anticipate how great it would feel. went on the road, and radio folks started built on that foundation with one critically the group’s own Collective Sounds label. You put in all the effort you normally would asking about our album. We suggested they Adam Duritz onstage at BMI Showcase, SXSW, acclaimed album of originals after another, Wildly eclectic, the covers disc ranges from with arrangements and everything else, but play “Mr. Jones.” But actually, the band really Dustin Finkelstein/WireImage Austin, March 16, 2012 it has carved out a reputation for interpreting vintage power-pop (Big Star’s “The Ballad you’re not ripping it out of your own gut. blew up big after we played “Round Here” others’ material—from filling in for an absent of El Goodo”) to ’70s country-rock (Pure You want to be as emotional as you can on Saturday Night Live [in January 1994]. Van Morrison by performing “Caravan” at the Prairie League’s “Amie”) to a clutch of tunes be and reveal just as much feeling, but the “Round Here” set the tone for what everyone really become songs until we ‘For long stretches I 1993 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction by lesser-known indie artists (Dawes’ “All My stakes aren’t as big in the sense that you’re was coming to our shows for. “Round Here” all work on them. That’s when ceremony to scoring a surprise hit with a Failures,” Coby Brown’s “Hospital”). “This not opening up about your life. It’s great was a good song to launch us. they get good. After that I let it don’t write much—then 2003 cover of Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow is probably the most obscure covers album to put aside all the turmoil that goes along go as soon as I can. I have no Taxi.” The group—which has sold more than ever made,” says frontman Adam Duritz. “It’s with scraping out your insides and just play How did you handle success? idea how to play “Mr. Jones,” out pops an album.’ 20 million albums worldwide—marked its a testament to the fact that great music is music because you like it. I flipped out. I had a hard time dealing with for example. I taught that song 2009 departure from longtime label Geffen coming from all sorts of places.” Duritz spoke that first year. I didn’t change much at all, but to them a long time ago and I haven’t had music. The popular bands weren’t necessarily by releasing a live version of Madonna’s with us from San Francisco about the new How did you choose the songs? it seemed everyone around me began acting much occasion to play it since. I can play “A on major labels. R.E.M. was huge, and they “Borderline” through its website. album, his uneasy relationship with fame We picked songs we loved without regard weird. They’re looking at you all the time, and Long December,” but that’s only because I were on I.R.S. We came out of that college they don’t talk to you anymore. They talk at play it on piano in our shows. radio scene, as did a lot of the bands we you. You become more like a souvenir than toured with after that. The ’80s really was a person, a souvenir of yourself. I wasn’t So it’s about vocal melody? the heyday of college radio and independent ‘It’s great to put aside the turmoil and just play ready for people to look at me in that way. It No. I hear the chords in my head and often music. There was a flood of great music then, music because you like it.’ still makes me uncomfortable. Also, silly as it hear arrangements as well. I can’t play it and the same is true now. seems, I’ve always been camera shy, going all, but I hear it and I tend to be good at –Russell Hall 26 27 M mag 18.indd 26 4/2/12 2:58:09 PM M mag 18.indd 27 4/2/12 2:58:28 PM.