Superlatives
A Vulture series in which artists judge the best and worst of their own careers.
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There are no instrumentals or 11-minute-long spacey meditations like Thinking of a Place.
I Dont Live Here Anymoresong that 2008 you would be most proud of hearing
Probably Victim.
Just drones, loops, and playing with tape speed.
Not the sound of the record, but in terms of the writing and the arriving at the material.
Everything got re-amped through a Roland Jazz Chorus.
Thats basically what me and Shawn [Everett] do, for years on end.
Our joke is that we just run stuff through stuff.
If you look at basically every huge band from the 80s, theyre surrounded by Roland Jazz Choruses.
I have two of those amps.
So Im looking at that amp and listening to the song.
Im like, Dude, we should just re-amp some stuff to the Jazz Chorus.
Thats the kind of stuff Ive always been into.
And we ended up running it through an AMS delay, changing the pitch each time.
Its because we learned that from Bowie.
It was like, Oh, thats what they did onLowwe should do that here!
Without knowing that, I would have just sung it as an octave each time.
Its using the technology that inspires you or reminds you of a certain song.
it’s possible for you to be like, Oh, yeah.
Howd they do that?
and then youre like, Lets try that same thing.
Favorite new piece of gear used on the new album
The TC 1210 Spatial Expander Flanger.
Its a classic rack Flanger that I bought from a studio that was closing in Brooklyn.
Everything basically goes through it.
I used it on all these keyboards on the title track.
Its the kind of glassy, bright sound that you might associate with 80s pop music.
Obviously, my music doesnt sound necessarily like that, but I like the sheen that gear gives.
Im always trying to get that kind of hyperglossy sheen on certain things on keyboards especially.
My least favorite chord to play on guitar is an A major chord.
I still dont know how to play it.
Its like you got to play these three strings with these three fingers.
Someones like, The chords are G and D Im like Yah!
and theyre like, and A. Im like, Fuck.
I just hate playing A.
And then you gotta see to it your low E string is perfect.
Anytime I have to play an A chord, Im bummed.
My answer is Taking the Farm.
Its just one of those things.
We used to try and play it, and then we gave up.
Its too far gone to ever truly be able to play it.
We still play Arms Like Boulders all the time.
Its so cool that a song thats old for me is one that we can play in 2021.
I think people are sometimes bummed that we didnt put anything fromSlave AmbientonLIVE DRUGS.
I wanted to save it because I wasnt sure I guess I could have put Come to the City.
I remember writing it when I was very young 21, maybe 22.
It was around the Iraq War, 2003.
Its a generational thing.
Youre pointing the finger at politicians and all that shit.
It was like a finger-pointing song in the spirit of the Dylan stuff that I was obsessed with.
But as I got older, Buenos Aires Beach.
Its sentimental because its a fine song.
I can sing it better now.
I understand the song now.
And I understand the guy that wrote it more now.
It almost aged better with time.
Im really proud of it because I wrote it when I was pretty new to songwriting.
War on Drugs song that has not aged well
Comin Through.
I mean, its awesome, but its a moment in time.
Its a reflection of our life as a band in that little moment.
It delivered at the time.
It was what I considered our best song and everything.
Now I dont even think about it.
When we have a go at play that song, it doesnt feel real.
It feels like,Eh, that song is not something that this band can reimagine.
Its good to be able to know when thats happening.
Best War on Drugs song for karaoke
Were talking about birthday-party karaoke, or Friday night?
Youre essentially trying to tell people your essence, right?
Thats what my 90-year-old dad would say if he was out at karaoke.
Thats his favorite song.
I feel like that one would be cool because people love when the high harmony comes in.
Its got that beat, that [Rod Stewarts] Young Turks vibe.
And you’re able to do your best dance move along to the riff.
Its got everything you need for karaoke.
It sounds like the drums recorded in my bedroom.
I had just ripped up all the carpets.
Its the most fucked-up place Ive ever lived.
It also gave back so much.
The drums were just in this super live-sounding bedroom, and the colors of that song …
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
