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Interview with Alan Sparhawk
Interviewed By: Jim Bush
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Alan Sparhawk formed the band Low in Duluth, Minnesota in the early 1990s with wife Mimi Parker. They quickly drew acclaim for their haunting harmonies and stark compositions. Since then, the band has released seven full length albums, plus many more EPs and compilations. July saw the release of Sparhawk’s first solo album, called “Solo Guitar,” which recently earned a 10/10 score from Kevchino’s Erick Mertz. In August, Jim Bush conducted an interview via email with Sparhawk while he was playing a short round of shows with Low. |
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Your new record, "Solo Guitar," is quite different from your work both with Low and the Black-Eyed Snakes, perhaps closest to Low's "The Exit Papers" EP. Are there influences that you can trace on "Solo Guitar" that don't emerge as much in your other bands?
I realize now that most of my favorite guitar players were, to some extent, solo players. People like Marc Ribot and Robert Fripp with his tape loops... The guitar has so much potential and I admire the minimalism and tension involved in trying to play something on it that's worth hearing. I never viewed myself as a solo performer, but I guess it was just inevitable.
You've been releasing albums with Low since 1994. Why was now the right time to release a solo album?
It was not necessarily planned. We release what we do. We try odd experiments here and there, most of which never see the light of day, and when something seems to have come to a point, we put it out. Most of the time, things fall pretty squarely on Low, and eventually we have a record. This just happened to be something i did that stood on its own, so we put it out. We've had some nice things happen over the years when we let those more off-the-path things come out (the Christmas EP, Exit Papers, etc.) I remember, at the time, I was feeling happy with some of the things I was doing on the guitar, which never happens, so I wanted to quick record some of these loose solo guitar ideas before I started hating the guitar again. I'm happy with it because I can hear things that remind me of good music.
"Solo Guitar" feels in some ways like an avant-garde record. You've also talked about Low's early days, where you played very slow and minimalist, as being a reaction against a certain kind of punk. How much do you think music has to challenge its audience?
I don't think artistic validity has to be measured solely on whether it challenges or moves an audience, but I cannot deny that the only memorable shows I ever saw were the ones that made me uncomfortable. Everyone is different - what shocks you may be cliché to the next person. I think everyone SHOULD be challenged, but the more we have complete control over our personal cultural space, maybe that opportunity becomes more rare. I imagine everybody stands as close to the edge as they can stand - it's not a competition.
I have to ask about the song title "Eruption by Eddie Van Halen." Where does that come from? Have you been spending a lot of time at Guitar Center?
When I first started playing guitar, the big stuff was the speedy metal licks - Randy Rhodes, Eddie, etc. I never had any interest in playing like that but I did like Eddie. He was really very good and quite musical. "Women and Children First" is a hugely underrated record. After all these years thinking I was running away from that kind of playing, that piece was my way of clearing the air.
Today's music landscape (Indie and otherwise) is quite different stylistically from it was in the 90s. Do you feel any less connected to contemporary music? Or have you always felt that what you did was a bit on the outside?
There are several integral factors in what we do that guarantee we will never be inside or connected. But then I wouldn't call us outside, at this point, either - you can't call yourself "fringe" if more than 2 people come to your show. Having never been the big buzz band has served us well. We have always made records exactly the way we wanted and never had to answer to anybody or even any sense of standard. As for the music now compared to the 90's, there were some lesser known things going on in the 90s that very much led to what you see get written about today. Certainly there's some new music being made right now that we don't know about that will someday put us all to shame. I hope the guitar survives somewhere in there.
Your label, Chairkicker's Union, now has eight bands other than your own. Has the experience with the label become what you hoped it would be when you started it?
Yes, and no. It's hard to put out records. That's all I can say.
When you had to cancel tour dates last year with Low, your open letter of explanation to fans was admirably honest. What has been the best outcome of this disclosure of yours to fans?
I didn't expect an outcome as much as just to resolve a discrepancy. People have talked to me about it and some people really resonated with it, but it was nothing beyond what needed to be said.
Is there any news about future releases with Low or the Black-Eyed Snakes? Do you foresee more solo records down the road? Will the Retribution Gospel Choir [which has featured Mark Kozelek of Red House Painters/Sun Kil Moon] form again in the future?
Low is recording this fall, and we hope to do another Retribution tour EP at least by the end of the year. The 'Snakes may do a gospel record, but we won't know if any of this works out until it's done. This solo guitar recording was a good experience and I have a few ideas to try, so maybe I'll see what happens.
Okay, ending with a more random question… If you could live in any historical period or place, what would it be and why?
I would like to live in my house tomorrow. I couldn't ask for anything more. This moment is as doomed as the rest. |
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