12/14/2004

MP3 Download: No Time

There is something to be said about truly amazing independent pop, something that shows we don’t need a million marketers, we don’t need a huge studio and staff to create some of the most distinct and lush music this side of forever. Ian McGlynn is one of those artists, blending his singer/songwriter style with the pure sunny bliss of classic AM radio to create something unique and strikingly memorable…

Allalom Productions: Ian, let me start by thanking you for this interview, your new album is beautiful. Can I get a little of your background for the readers, how did you get into music – what brought you where you are today?

Ian McGlynn: I come from a musical family…my father is a rock n’ roll drummer and my mother is a classically trained pianist. I started playing the drums at age three, violin lessons came next, but didn’t last very long and I started taking piano lessons at the age of five. After I wrote my first song at age twelve, I knew right then that this was what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. I spent my high school years singing in the choirs and went to college in Boston at Berklee College of Music.

AP: Your style of pop is akin to that of Ben Folds or even some of Beck’s work, do you find either to be a major influence to you?

IM: I appreciate both artists very much. I remember hearing Whatever and Ever Amen for the very first time and thinking brilliant…piano, bass and drums. That album inspired me to put a three-piece band together which at the time consisted of my father on drums and long time friend, Bill Knudson on bass.

AP: So is this your first full-length album?

IM: Actually, Tomorrow’s Taken is my third album but first on a record label. I have a self-titled six song EP that I released on my own in 1998 and a LIVE full-length titled Lemon that I also released on my own in late 2002.

AP: Yes, I knew about the LIVE album, I probably should have said it was your first ‘studio’ full length. On your latest album, Tomorrow’s Taken, you hired Shane Tutmarc as producer – how did that come about?

IM: Chris Newkirk (owner of Bailey Park Records) was introduced to Shane thru a mutual friend of theirs on the west coast. I forget exactly who that person was…anyway, Chris ended up booking some shows for Shane in NYC and that’s when Chris played him a couple of songs from Lemon. Shane immediately loved a song called No Time and said he’d love to produce the new album on one condition: No Time must be one of the songs recorded for the album.

AP: You recorded the entire record in an apartment, what made you go with that instead of the traditional studio?

IM: Yes, it was actually my apartment. We chose not to use a traditional studio because Shane had everything we needed on his Mac computer. It’s a little program called Pro-Tools. It was by far the best recording experience I’ve ever had.

AP: Was there any downside to it?

IM: The only downside to it was half way thru recording the album something shut down. I think it was the hard drive. It was crazy. Shane flew back to Seattle and a friend of his had to take the hard drive apart to save all the recordings. We almost lost everything…

AP: But luckily you didn’t, and here you are…So how long did it take you to record the entire album?

IM: I think 90% of it was done in two and a half weeks.

AP: What inspires you to write, is there a process to it or is it more spontaneous?

IM: It’s very spontaneous for me. I usually just sit down in front of the piano and see what happens. The music and melody always come before the lyrics.

AP: The cover art was simple, but surprisingly fresh, I don’t think I have ever seen a piano looking quite that forlorn – where did you find it?

IM: Um…well, we found it in my neighbor’s driveway. The previous neighbors had moved out and left their piano behind. I didn’t know this of course until the day I watched the recent neighbors put it outside on the driveway. A day later it rained. I almost cried…then it rained some more. I forget who suggested we use it as the cover…maybe Shane?

AP: Your record label is relatively new (having released only your full length and an EP by Swiss Auto Club) – how did you get connected with them?

IM: Well, it just so happens that Chris Newkirk is a good friend of mine. We met a few years back very casually when I was playing the piano bar scene. His original idea was to have me record an EP of cover songs but then Chris met Shane and the rest is history.

AP: I have to admit that my favorite song of yours (“Don’t Wake Her”) is not even on the latest record, it was on the live disc Lemon – which sounds more like a studio album then being recorded live, it really showcases your talent as a musician.

IM: Wow, thank you, it was a lot of fun to record Lemon. I didn’t know you had heard “Don’t Wake Her”. It’s actually one of my favorites too. I had initially brought it to the table for “Tomorrow’s Taken” but ended up cutting it at the last minute because I felt it didn’t go thematically with the rest of the songs.

AP: Do you have any musical heroes?

IM: The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Chicago, Yes and The Moody Blues. There’s more but those were the first five I thought of.

AP: Is there any standout record in your mind that you might consider truly brilliant?

IM: Odyssey And Oracle by The Zombies. A Masterpiece!

AP: If you could put together a dream tour who would be on it?

IM: Hmmm…I would love to tour with Tom Waits.

AP: What are your plans for this upcoming year?

IM: Well, to kick off the new year, Tomorrow’s Taken is going for CMJ adds January 17th-18th thru Nice Promotion. Chris and I are very excited about that. I’m also planning to make a trip out to the west coast sometime this spring and tour Seattle and California with Shane.

Check out Tomorrow’s Taken along with everything else Ian McGlynn related at www.ianmcglynn.com or check out his record label at www.baileyparkrecords.com.