Youll have two days in the studio or six.
I find you get just as much done in two, Kurt Vile tells Entertainment Weekly.
Longer than that, you might fuss a little too much.
Credit: RMV/REX/Shutterstock
Ahead Vile, 38, chats about the recording process and how song ideas never really die.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: I was just listening to last yearsLotta Sea Lice, your record with Courtney Barnett.
It was an extension of playing music in general.
Im feeling pretty good about doing that now.
I picked some favorites.
He saved the record in four days, just mixing two songs a day.
On the last record I worked with Rob Schnapf, it was my first time with him.
I went solo over there.
Hes got good pop sensibilities and weirdness, so he became my California guy.
Between those two I needed one more perspective.
While I was hanging with [Warpaint drummer] Stella [Mozgawa], she recommended Shawn Everett.
All those three people, I went to twice if not more.
And I also worked with my bandmate Rob Laakso.
Other bandmates are engineers too.
I just work with people Im comfortable with, not just one person.
Does locale or location have much to do with your records?It has everything to do with it.
It has to be with being in the moment.
The more naturalist the scenario, the more natural things come out.
I flew out to the desert to hang with the Sadies.
I sat in with them at Stagecoach [Festival].
And I was at Willie Nelsons birthday show.
They sang happy birthday to him, and Neil Youngs on stage playing harmonica.
Any time you’re free to get in the desert, you should!
So then I drove solo to Rob Schnapfs.
Then there was one favorite recording, Bassackwards.
We had one more Violators show, a one-off in Utah.
It was in this park with 9,000 people.
So just combine things instead of setting up and being like Im going to sit and record now.
You gotta have the foresight too, though.
I like booking short-notice and just see whos around.
I like Bassackwards a lot too.
you’re free to see it in one of the Courtney-Kurt videos.
I wrote it there, the bay-beach stuff.
I never know theyre going to be quite so long.
It was kind of magical.
And this records secret weapon is Mary Lattimore on harp and Joe Kennedy on keyboard.
Any other firsts on this record?Theres always steady evolution.
Things are a little new.
You have mentioned Sonic Youth being an influence on you.
I love Still Is Still Moving to Me, [harmonica player] Mickey Raphael plays the pocket.
They all happen to be country musicians.
I usually space out on this question.
I get so deep, its hard to give it justice, to explain.
I usually just spew out my current favorites.
Which song did you feel you had the most time to get your head around ?
Or baked the longest?All of them shouldnt take long at all.
The Check Baby mix took a long time.
You should not be chasing a song too long.
It should be effortless.
How many songs have you started and then abandoned?Plenty.
Ideally I come back to them.
Every record, theres a good amount.
Are there any youve truly abandoned?Not really.
For Loading Zones granted I didnt record it it was the first single on this record.
Youre just celebrating the 10 year anniversary ofConstant Hitmakerand [former band] the War on DrugsWagonwheel Blues.
Do you look at your creative life through milestones?Subliminally.
I have lots of leftover stuff.
Im really sitting on an obscure goldmine.
As long as its not throwaway.
Just give it a fancy name.
I dont thinkthisstuff is throwaway.
Some people thought it was a rip-off.
Do you read your own press?Yeah, I have to.
If I go to the trouble of doing it, I might as well read [about] it.
[Laughs] Are there people who dont?
Theres a lot of people who dont care what critics think.Ultimately I try not to.
Has it ever been helpful?Helpful for confidence.
Some people are good at not reading it.
Im just not that kind of person.
I wanna know whats going on.
