Son Volt – Anatomy of an interview
ND: Is the stage, and the presentation of characters through song, actually a fine way to hide right out in the wide open?
JF: Possibly. It’s certainly one way you can convey feelings…that maybe you couldn’t, say, in a verbal sense. Putting it to song.
ND: I certainly don’t see — and I apologize for using the word shy again, but I don’t see that there’s necessarily a contradiction between a performer and someone who’s shy, because you’re presenting your art more than yourself. Of course there’s the whole argument about whether you can separate those or not.
JF: Yes. I think it’s irrelevant, personally.
ND: Do you see your songs as fiction or nonfiction?
JF: Ah…I guess it’s mixed, y’know. It depends on the song. I was never taught how to write songs, so I generally don’t write narrative-type songs or songs that tell stories. I do sometimes, but in general the songs are probably more just a lyrical collage. Or impressions.
ND: Is that how they unfold? Obviously not in some ABAB format. Do they come to you lyrically or sonically?
JF: Generally the music is written first. I mean, I write lyrics separately too, but generally I put the lyrics to the song. But it happens all different ways for me. I’ve never really settled into a method of writing. It can happen all ways.
Assist the client to identify needs, conflicts, or problems.
— Kaufman
ND: My original concept for this article was to make everything up. [I explain about the shoes and the beets.]
JF: [chuckles] That’s an interesting approach! I would tend to agree with what you’re saying, but it’s understandable why people want to know more.
ND: Are they looking for context?
JF: Yeah…Like I said before, I completely understand why people would want to know how things were recorded as opposed to whether or not the person is shy, or what relevance that has to the way the songs were written, or the final version, the way it sounds.
ND: Would your life be easier if writers just made things up and left you alone?
JF: [laughs] Probably.
ND: [flailing] Do you ever just sing carefree songs?
JF: [laughs]
ND: For example, keeping in mind that I live in a tiny town of 485 people, and I’m a single guy living in my house — I used to love to sing along to Donna Fargo’s “The Happiest Girl In The Whole U.S.A.” while I was dusting, until one day I got caught by the town maintenance man. He’d been knocking on the door for two minutes and I hadn’t noticed him. Do you ever just sing your heart out?
JF: Ahh…sing absurd songs?
ND: [hopefully] Sure!
JF: I guess not too often. Certainly melodies can get inside your head, that you don’t particularly want there.
ND: Are you familiar with any of George Thorogood’s work?
JF: Only in a peripheral way, from what I’ve heard on the radio. I don’t own any of it.
ND: What do you think of that song of his, “You Talk Too Much”?
JF: Ahh…I’m not familiar with that one.
Before leaving the patient, the nurse should summarize the major ideas offered by the patient and inform him or her when contact will be made.
— Kaufman
Sounds like things are going well, Jay. Wide Swing Tremolo is unmistakably Son Volt, but it’s got a more experimental feel. It’s a bit more sonically exploratory, a little less organic. I hear you saying that you prefer to offer your music over your personality, and I empathize with that. I won’t be contacting you anytime soon. Maybe, just out of guilt for putting you through this, I’ll send you a nice piece of pie. It would be the Midwestern thing to do.
Skilled clinicians may demonstrate a disconcerting ability to ask the one additional question that unlocks the door to understanding and to do so in a tenth of the time you have spent. Let this be a stimulus rather than a discouragement!
–Bates and Hoekelman
Maybe next time.
The State of Wisconsin recognizes that ND contributing editor Michael Perry, R.N., B.S.N., has complied with Wisconsin Statutes and is authorized to engage in the practice of nursing. Be very afraid.