![]() “There’s a lot of uncertainty out there,” Farrar said. “The system grinds dreams to dirt / But the truth walks naked upon the Earth” is a jolt out of the gate. How do we live in such a rat race?”įarrar lays it all out about life and the rat race with the “Electro Melodier” opener “Reverie.” “I think all of the time gave us some time to get some perspective and think about what we want to get out of this life. That’s when I started writing the songs that are on ‘Electro Melodier’ and it was good spending time with my family. “I was productive at the start of the pandemic. “I try to look at the good and there have been silver linings during this strange period we’ve been in,” Farrar said. It’s so important for me to get that message out.”įarrar is in a good space these days as he was during lockdown. Neil has always written what he’s felt like writing and you have to respect him for that. “I learned a lot from Neil in terms of going with that organic vibe. “Neil represented this raw element that I loved,” Farrar said. And then there was the effect of such brilliant bards as Arlo Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Such influential bands as X and The Replacements had a huge impact on Farrar and Son Volt, which also includes guitarist Chris Frame, bassist Andrew Duplantis, multi-instrumentalist Mark Spencer and drummer Mark Patterson. The mainstream was pretty awful and in order to find good music, you had to dig.” The ‘80s was in general a barren period when it came to the mainstream. “If it wasn’t for that band, who knows what direction I would have gone? And then there are the ‘80s and the impact that decade had on me. “Uncle Tupelo was a springboard to learn so much,” Farrar said. However, Farrar, does look back fondly on his Uncle Tupelo experience and the ‘80s, which helped shape his sonic viewpoint. “We have spoken when we’ve had to, but there’s just not much reason to talk with him anymore,” Farrar said. Nearly 30 years later, each band is still standing and producing relevant material. The band splintered and Farrar formed Son Volt and his former bandmate Jeff Tweedy put together Wilco. Uncle Tupelo’s landmark albums, 1990’s “No Depression” and 1993’s “Anodyne” are classics. It’s a snapshot of what is going on today.”įarrar has been an exceptional songwriter since his days a generation ago fronting the seminal Uncle Tupelo, who combined the honest and direct storytelling of country with the power and passion of punk. What I’ve been writing about recently, with this album, is now. “But we’re coming back and I’m trying to be optimistic. “It’s easy to be miserable,” Farrar said. His message, which is never didactic, is intelligent, eloquent and inspiring, particularly during “War on Misery,” which is a sonic cry for joy. “I’m enjoying topical songwriting.”įarrar crafted songs about division and inequality throughout much of “Union” and during “Electro Melodier,” which dropped in 2021, the thoughtful songsmith focuses on the state of our country. “I think my writing has changed a bit over the years since I’ve been inspired more than ever by icons like Woody Guthrie, Bob Dylan and Neil Young,” Farrar said while calling from his St. Not that Son Volt’s leader has ever been inscrutable, but the material he crafted for 2019’s “Union” and the Americana band’s latest album, “Electro Melodier” couldn’t be more blunt. Over the last two albums, Son Volt’s well-respected singer-songwriter has never been so direct. It’s evident what’s going through Jay Farrar’s mind.
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