The
latest sonic exploration from NYC based singer-songwriter Lou Barlow,
You Shouldnt Have To Shout So Loud is a six track, 2010
CD of new music from True Nature. The CD follow up to Barlows
2009 True Nature release of Feels
Like Centuries, the second True Nature CD carries on the sound
with a new sense of musical drive and purpose. As on Feels Like
Centuries, Barlows joining together of like minded musicans
is quite amazing, once again including guitarist Gerry Leonard,
bass great Tony Levin, while still on the traps and producing
is Aaron Comess. The cover art is once again interesting tooa
child on the battlefield of life with two six shooters ready to make
or break it. As on the 09 release, Lou has put together a great
lineup to help fulfill his studio vision. These guys are some of the
best in the modern music world and you can hear why Barlow is so thrilled
to have a supporting cast of players of this dynamic and expertise
to help calculate his sound and vision. In his liner notes for You
Shouldnt Have To Shout So Loud Barlow adds, This companion
EP to Feels Like Centuries marks the completion of an albums
worth of material with one of the greatest studio bands ever.
That is quite true, however these new 2010 trackswhich Barlow
claimed in late 09 was planned to be even more guitar heavy
all aroundare truly memorable with more than one highlight.
You Shouldnt Have To Shout So Loud is a good pick for
fans of Gerry Leonards early 2000s wall of guitars sound with
David Bowie, as well as rock fans who also appreciate the eclectic
rock dynamic of Peter Gabriel and U2. www.TrueNatureBand.com
MWE3.com presents an interview with TRUE NATURE
{In December 2010, mwe3.com spoke with Lou Barlow, Gerry Leonard,
Roman Klun and Aaron Comess about the making of the latest True Nature
CD}
MWE3.com: Hello again Lou, how would you compare the tracks
on 2010s You Shouldnt Have To Shout So Loud with
the 2009 Feels
Like Centuries CD?
LOU BARLOW:
Robert, theres been a sea change. These songs hit
immediately and really rock. Last years 'Centuries' CD
definitely rocked but was slightly more indulged in the arrangements.
This round, I could solely focus on my writing! I knew that we could
get a certain kind of sound having worked together recently... So
I wrote from great inspiration knowing that that sound
I always envisioned would be there.
My fiancé pointed out something very interesting that I guess
was more subconscious for me... that the overall themes & sound
on Shout are more masculine. They are definitely
more raw, more personal and less 'global' in their address. And, shes
right, there were some definite feminine themes on Centuries.
mwe3.com: When and where were the new tracks recorded? Can you cite
any difference between the studio sound between the two albums?
LB: This time we did the main tracking at 'Applehead Recording,' in
Woodstock, NY which was a massive, ideal studio. I arrived the night
before everyone else and man, I was blown away! Sipping wine alone
that night I thought, these guys have seen it all. Everyone walked
in the next morning and were like, 'very cool.
Both EPs combined, form a singular chapter of songs, but this
massive 5 story converted barn that is now 'Applehead Studios,' allowed
Aarons Bonham-esque drumming and Tonys 'aero-dymanic,'
singular lyrical bass style to really soar and be captured in their
full acoustic and power!
ROMAN
KLUN (Engineer): Applehead Studios worked out to be a great recording
venue for Lou. The big space gave everyone the ability to stretch
out musically and also gave me the opportunity to do the same sonically.
Top notch songs and top notch musicians provide an engineer the ability
to do his/her job without excuses. In addition to the production,
musicianship and songs, sonically this record was fulfilling.
mwe3.com: Lou, you mentioned how great this band is/was. Is it challenging
to have the best players on the rock scene playing with you on your
music? Tony and Gerry are really legends having played with YES, of
course Peter Gabriel and Bowie. Gerry's guitar playing just
blows my mind. I can see why Bowie used him...Did Bowie get to hear
your CDs?
Lou: Wow, Robert, thats quite a question
I think its
important to each of these totally distinct musicians, and of course
to me, to be clear that True Nature is my own, revolving door, project
alias name for me as a solo artist. This studio line up has been just
so perfect and has been the first time that my music has come to complete
fruition in my life. Im writing more now and I can envision
a sonic like Ive never felt possible before.
If anything its easier, not more challenging (laughing)
to
have recorded with these legendary musicians. Its liberating
really! Theres much more immediate gratification because everyone
has such a strong, distinct musical voice.
After Aaron
and I have hammered out the basics in preproduction, which is where
I have the most control, and it's also where Aaron has been just so
great and insightful as my producer, he's helped me to refine things
without losing the essence of what I walked in with. Then, when we
get together with Tony and Gerry, there is a frighteningly fast focus
that we strike in the limited studio time that we all have together.
I then get to hear how this song is now going to sound!
Of course, with these guys, my original sonic, melodic and rhythmic
intentions are perfectly captured, and their genius of course takes
it higher than what I ever imagined. This must be good karma ! (laughter)
Its honestly hard for me to address the other part of your question;
did Bowie ever hear my music? What woke me up is I got to see first
hand how humble and hard working these giant musicians really are.
Ive gone through so much to get to this point and be able to
say, True Nature has a distinct sound. I would love for Bowie or Gabriel,
to hear and hopefully dig (laughter) my music but, I would only want
that because my music made it to their ears by its own success.
mwe3.com: Lou, you play guitar on the CD too. How did you and Gerry
combine guitar forces so to speak? And what guitars are featured on
the new album?
Lou: We fought like demons
more like ghosts actually ! (laughter)
GERRY
LEONARD (a.k.a. 'Spooky Ghost'): Actually there was no fighting,
"Only Love". Lou is a fine guitar player and writes these
really cool riffs! So for me it was about joining him at times on
the riffs which he would show me and we would play together with our
different approaches. Or, I would analyze his harmony and take a deliberately
different approach to do loops and atmospheres. But, because he wrote
on guitar it was always a good territory for experimentation. Good
guitar keys (key signatures) and environments.
I mainly used my custom Les Paul but also my vintage '69 SG Custom
and a Teisco Delray for the Lo-Fi and slide stuff. I used my Custom
Mesa Boogie Lonestar 2X12 combo which is a great and solid amp, and
a Somatone Roaring 40. The Somatone is a hand made point to point
with 2X10 speakers from Jimmy Soma and is a great plug and play amp.
It really rocks. Using the two amps gave me quite a good spread. The
Boogie did all the clean and ambient stuff and the Somatone is the
rock goblet!
LB: Yeah, his sound is ... not like anyone else I've ever heard! Ive
known Gerry a bit outside of music, we first met through Buddhist
circles. Recording can be so intense and pressured and seeing Gerry
in the studio, I immediately felt a sense of Ahhh, someone I
can just be myself around. The first day in the studio Gerry
said , Stressed out in the studio, are you Lou?, and that
actually balanced me out. It also reminded me that so much great music
has been made under tremendous pressure and circumstance.
mwe3.com - Lou, I was amazed at how excellent the CD sounds whether
on a reference / vintage CD player and a regular boombox...just amazing,
can you say something about the type of sound you and Aaron go for
and got in the studio?
AARON
COMESS: I have to give most of the sonic credit to Roman Klun
the engineer but we made a point to record it in a great sounding
room up in Woodstock and go for a real and organic sound.
I always try to make recordings sound real and represent the musicians
that are playing and singing. If I feel that way the music will stand
the test of time and not get locked into any one period.
LB: Absolutely bro, and then you and Roman passed the final Pro-tools
mixes through a vintage reel to reel to phaten it up before
mastering. We all could really hear and feel the difference too. That
step essentially recaptured the amazing live takes after much digital
processing followed. History repeats itself but better !
mwe3.com: There' some pretty amazing cover art for You Shouldnt
Have To Shout So Loud packaging. What do you think the CD cover
says?
LB: The cover is about taking control of one's own life when there
is chaos all around us. The background shows the remains of the recent
California wildfires with a young boy in the foreground dressed in
a 1950s Cowboy outfit. It is meant to evoke the concept of optimism
no matter what the obstacles. This boy is caught up in his fantasy
of taking control, blazing through, and finding joy despite the devastation
around him.
Inside the 6 panel digi-pack (available in full color CDs at CDbaby.com)
there's more of a sense of humor then the intense cover image initially
conveys. Glen Wexler has again graced True Nature with his powerful,
visionary, surreal imagery.
mwe3.com: If there's a single, I would pick "One Soul".
How does that fantastic song reflect and fulfill your musical and
lyrical ideas and inspirations? Do you have a favorite track and why?
LB: Wow,
Im touched that you would pick One Soul, Robert.
When I first sat down with my radio promoter I was totally open to
any of these songs from the 5 song EP being a target track
to pitch to radio. One Soul is basically a ballad yet
it quickly moves into some minor rock explosions offering
an overview of all the places True Nature songs go! I appreciate
it being your pick! Gerrys solo really moves me. It sings yet
is challenging.
Only Love is a very special song to me. Its not
at all easy to pull off 'live' yet I always feel at home performing
it when Im in front of an audience. Only Love captures
such a personal soul motto that I aspire to live by. For
me, I sing it to invoke my essence and unlike any of the other new
tracks here, Ive been refining this one song for years. Its
so incredibly gratifying to have this version of Only Love
...finally. U2s last release, No Line On The Horizon,
contained a track, Magnificent, that immediately moved
me and when I first heard it I noticed some some haunting parallels
to, Only Love... melodically, lyrically & harmonically.
I am U2's biggest fan so Im just inspired to be channeling
from a similar place as Bono & U2.
The title track, You Shouldnt Have To Shout So Loud,
is currently gaining radio position in the U.S. and Canada, and we
are just at the beginning of this radio campaign as I speak with you.
Radio has become just so hard to break into as you know well. True
Nature is getting added along side Arcade Fire, Kings Of Leon, Interpool,
Silversun Pickups, Phoenix, Snow Patrol... Oh and a favorite, female
fronted new band of mine, The Duke Spirit, on Specialty and Indie
radio show formats. Im very hopeful and excited to be a part
of this current wave of new emerging bands.
mwe3.com: Are any upcoming plans or performances planned?
LB: Absolutely ! Im currently assembling a live
band so True Nature can tour now that both EP's are out. You know,
I feel like Ive just arrived with an albums worth of great
songs between the 2 EPs. Im in the best place Ive
ever been in and I want to offer this music and really build my audience.
Also,
the cyber world, like it or not, is really where a lot of new music
is discovered by fans, bloggers, record labels, etc.. So, I'm about
to launch a cutting edge cyber campaign to get the word out about
True Nature and I'm very excited about that!
mwe3.com: thanks Lou...best of luck in 2011 and beyond!
LB: Robert, I really appreciate talking with you, very much !
Thanks again to Lou Barlow, Gerry Leonard, Roman Klun and Aaron
Comess
www.TrueNatureBand.com