“One need not listen to Silent League music for very long to come to the conclusion that we are huge fans of Electric Light Orchestra,” explains the band’s singer Justin Russo of their brand of pop. It’s true. The galactic love story detailed in “Yours Truly, 2095” off their third album …But You’ve Always Been The Caretaker Interview: The Silent League
Do you have a favorite moment (musical or otherwise) on But You’ve Always Been The Caretaker?
Justin Russo: We recorded “Rules of Disengagement” in one take, with two 58s running directly into an old cassette four-track. That was pretty satisfying.
On top of your contributions to the Silent League, you, Shannon, also founded, performed or recorded with Stars Like Fleas, Helado Negro, Miho Hatori, and Doveman. I imagine there are others, but the question is—what band not on the list would you like to collaborate with?
Shannon Fields: Collaboration/production is one of the most satisfying things in my life because I think the best work always happens when you frustrate someone’s absolute control over the work – that goes both ways, I love it when my plans are thrown for a loop…this provokes creative decisions that take you somewhere new. The results are always more exciting than my original intentions. I’d love to make a song-based record with a singer/songwriter like Todd Rundgren, or Kurt Wagner but with collaborative compositions and arrangements that would pair the composer Arnold Dreyblatt (an absolute original) against some slick electronic disco softrock like Lindstrom or Alan Palomo in his Vega guise. This idea makes no sense…that’s why I’m confident the results would be brilliant. I have so many disaster-scenarios like that in my mind it would take two lifetimes to realize them. Others I’d like to collaborate with? Jim O’Rourke, a reformed Harmonia, Elizabeth Frasier, Mike Wexler, Microstoria, the International Contemporary Ensemble (ICE), Borbetomagus…the list goes on.
ELO and Mercury Rev definitely come to mind when listening to But You’ve Always Been The Caretaker, are there any other influences worth mentioning, perhaps some that are more obscure? Are those comparisons flattering or irritating?
JR: One need not listen to Silent League music for very long to come to the conclusion that we are huge fans of Electric Light Orchestra. It’s pretty obvious and we don’t bother to keep it a secret. We like what we like and along with others like Todd Rundgren, David Gates, Gary Numan, Mott the Hoople, Mercury Rev etc…ELO comes out in the records we make. Is it flattering? Sure I guess. It’s nice to be held in the same company as those you respect and admire. But I’ve mostly broken the habit of keeping track of such things…and I don’t put a lot of stock in being different from everybody else. I write songs when I feel like I have something to say and, if people want to say we sound like Mercury Rev, how can I refute that?
SF: Mercury Rev has never been any kind of direct influence on me, but since Justin was in the band for two records and was a part of that sound, the comparisons are not out of the blue. ELO is a common love for Justin and I – the production on those records is so lacking in restraint, so often incongruent, theatrical in the most absurd ways, that it keeps the records from aging for me (and so many of the songs are brilliant popsongs). For similar reasons, and even more so, I have a deep love for Todd Rundgren (throughout the 70s), I connect to it emotionally as much as I do marvel at the production and arrangement of these records, the audacity of them. We love our softrock: Supertramp, Chicago, Hall & Oates, Bread, Godley & Crème, Toto. The fact that the songs may be saccharine fluff or may age humorously, doesn’t invalidate them. It’s not uncommon for cheesy things to also kindof blow my mind a little bit. I guess if I’m honest with myself the presentation of outright sentimentality within contexts that frustrate sentimental readings is one of my ongoing obsessions, and it’s very much a part of some of my favorite music.
I know you, Justin, were a member of Mercury Rev. Do you keep up with them? Are they supportive of your music?
JR: Sure, we’re old friends. We collaborate on each others projects and play the odd show together from time to time. They’re very supportive of the Silent League, will be joining us on some future tracks, and I’ll be playing a show or two with them this year.
This is the third Silent League record. Unless I’m mistaken, the second wasn’t released in the U.S. Are plans to make it available still in the works?
JR: Hopefully. We’d like to release the first two records on vinyl in the states eventually. It all depends on…things.
SF: Yes, I think so. By the time we finished that record there were personal things going on in our lives and between each other which complicated our ability to properly support the record. It was put out in the UK with a bit of touring and then we just walked into our own separate bunkers for awhile.
There are a lot of members in the band, how difficult is the arranging/recording process? How do you divide the responsibilities? What falls on your shoulders?
SH: Justin and I collaborated on every aspect of this record and Kevin Thaxton, Jesse Blum, Danny Lockwood and Dave Sherman were aware of how the songs were evolving after recording basics, and providing feedback the whole time. We wanted to make something we were all equally happy with. That having been said, we all recognize where our strengths and weaknesses complement each other, and we stake out the territory that best suits us. The bulk of the writing originates with Justin, we recorded all of the basic tracks live as a band, and the bulk of the arranging was split between Justin, Jesse and myself. My role on this one was most like that of a film director.
For most people writing and recording music is a very personal undertaking—that being said, you are putting it out into the world. Do you have any expectations or hopes for this record? What would you like listeners to take away from it?
JR: Honestly, and sorry for the cliché, but what I hope is that the music, in this latest round at it, works for them, that they like it.
SF: My hopes and expectations are rarely aligned, though I try not to lose myself to outright cynicism. But from where I sit, the way music is promoted and consumed right now privileges singles-oriented, and very “immediate” music…the kind that screams its novelty and cleverness and catchiness in your face. And a lot of that music is great! But as Jeanette Winterson wrote, “oranges are not the only fruit” and these are not qualities we embraced for this record. So I’m happiest when I keep my expectations out of it.
