Ben Kweller

0:03I'm just gonna take some time off. I'm just gonna take some time off. Go to the wilderness, write songs, and be an artist again. It's so easy to become a robot when you're on the road, you know, playing the same stuff. I got to be an acoustic show tonight. That's probably pretty different. Yeah, that was fun. It was bringing it back to my roots. Yeah. Do you like giving acoustic shows without the band? Does it feel weird? Well, no. I mean, I love them both, you know. I started in my bedroom when I was a kid just by myself like that. So it's something about when I'm with New York, that's really how it started before I had a band. So it gives me new meanings to a lot of the same songs that I always play with bands. Sometimes when you put a band, you're not really thanking so much about the words and everything.

0:49Just getting all this emotion out and like, you know, backing out. Yeah. And it's more of just like, it's a different head space. You know, you play by yourself. It's just you and your instrument. And that's it. And so you're aware of what you're doing. Mm-hmm. I feel the response to that as well. Yeah. Yeah. Totally. It's been good. Now, some of my fans prefer the solo shows or the band shows. Yeah. So it's cool. It's cool. Do you ever play Ben's song? I've played just pretend once by myself that I kind of feel like it's hard to play those songs. Yeah, it's super, right? Yeah. I really do. It's just this, you know. Yeah, I heard you record them, Australia too. We record, we toured it in Australia, but we recorded it in Nashville. Oh, okay. Ben Folds has the old RCA studio for a year. No way. I think it's still got it.

1:39And it's really nice to know when we, for three days, we would have put it back for some three days and finish it and mix and everything. That's amazing. We can't be a diapro lot. Well, Ben Folds really, you know, he like put it all together. We talked about it. We'd be on tour off three of us. Like, I'd be telling Ben Mane to talk about it. I'd put it in photos and we'd talk about it in the new place. We'd talk about it for a few months and kids on our message boards would all say, Wouldn't it be great if all three of them were done together? And so one day that I was riding a taxi over the Brooklyn Bridge and checking my voicemail. And that's it from Ben Folds. Just taking a shower and brainstorming, you know. I think we should definitely get the other rights themselves. So I'm glad he did.

2:26That's amazing. So you're riding a bender up with Guster too. Yeah. That's fantastic. How do you hook up with Ryan to do that? Well, Ryan Miller was one of my first friends in New York that I met. And we both had palm pilots and we just moved to New York from Texas. So we had a lot in common and we got together and they would have me open up for them when I was just starting out. And one night they used to have this jam sessions. Like, the first Saturday of every month and I would go out there as in my neighborhood. And one night everyone was gone. It was just me and the band. And we just, the four of us just stood up. It stayed awake. It was like three in the morning. We just came up with this really cool song. Yeah. So, that's amazing. You ever tried to do that one live?

3:12No. I've only done it live on stage with them. Yeah. I rated it. Yeah, rated it. And another place in Texas actually. Oh really? Yeah. You ever like going back to Texas terrain there as a big homecoming for you? I love, yeah Dallas is always really big. Austin is actually one of my biggest markets. Oh really? Austin, Texas. I grew up near Dallas. So that's more like homecoming. But Austin, I think I'd play a lot more people there than I'd be anywhere else in America. Even New York, you know. Last time I played for like 3,000 people instead of just barbecuing. So, that was kind of, I was like, I kind of thought, I was like, wait a minute, am I the headliner? Like when I was on stage I was thinking like, who are all these people here for? You know what I mean? Like who am I opening for tonight?

3:59Yeah. Just pretend well you know Custom's out. Come downstairs and say hello. They're harmonies on it. Sound a bit like the can over. Did you get it from them? Did they get it from you? Oh just pretend? Yeah. Ah, I know this is a bad question. I was listening to it. I was like, I know I kind of heard this song. I don't really know that song. But I try to think which one to be written for. I have no idea. No, so there's no connection at all. There's no connection at all. Yeah, I don't really know. I have some assumption that you know I think we're not going to do that. Oh, same here. I think it's really good. But yeah, I don't really know just pretend and then that song can be written.

4:46Fair enough. Some are still not really like, you know that one. Yeah, for sure. Track 7. Probably Track 9. Yeah. I was always a good one. Thank you. We really don't want to hesitate. Let's track 9 on the new one. On my outfit? Yeah. Track 9 somehow always is the best. No matter what I'm going to track 9 first. Okay. Well, yeah. Is it down? I like down a lot. Down's a good one. Okay. Cool. I usually put one of my favorite songs as the last song for some reason. It's really slow too on the new one. Yeah. And different but the same. Yeah. Yeah. Sure. Falling is in with Mr. Deeds. Do you have to see them theaters? I think I did see it in theaters but I couldn't hear the song. Oh really? Yeah. Was it only the credits then? Oh, it's too bad. Yeah. I saw the credits. I was a little ripped.

5:31Yeah, there is. Yeah. I stand up. Everyone was in front of me. Yeah. No actually no one was there but at that point it was gone. That's true. The downloading of music. How do you feel about it? Downloading? I'm a big fan of it only because when I was starting out Napster was young and you know, I would be opening up for like Jeff Tweety or Evan Dando and knowing who I was and kids would come up and say, you know, I had a fortune I had never heard of you so I downloaded some songs from Napster and so when I saw you tonight, I was able to sing along with the songs. So that for me is like a brand new artist. At that time it was the best thing because it was like free promotion and getting music out there, you know. And I also felt that fans like my talent they shouldn't complain because their fans are going to fucking buy everything they ever do.

6:21And they're going to make millions of dollars and sell their albums. And so I don't know if it really, I think it only helps young artists. And you know, I do know that it has affected the music business though. Pretty dramatic. Oh yeah. I mean, when I really realized that it could be a problem when I was in Vancouver touring for Shasha. And we sold out this room, 800 people. And that thank you. And after the show, this girl came up to me and was like, hey, I was signed in CD by the bus. And she was like, can you please tell my CD? I was like, no problem. And she handed me a CDR. I said,

7:06then, girl, I'll show you that. And I was like, oh fuck. And then I started my manager like that night or the next day. And he was like, you know, it's so weird that you sold 800 tickets in Vancouver, but we've only found like 300 CDs. But everyone was singing along, you know. So it's like burning CDs and downloading definitely cut sales down. But I still think it's positive. So it's helped you more than something? It's helped me more than it's harmed me. I don't think that music should be free. The art gallery and just take a pain off the wall. And it's a lot more expensive than a truck and CD.

7:54So I think that, you know, like a good book, you know, I think libraries are great. But, you know, there's always- Yeah, there could be like music libraries. But now the downloading is like, that's kind of obsolete too. I don't know. It's an interesting problem. But that's why I don't sit on the other side of the desk, you know. That's for them to worry about. So Dave Matthews has your label. He's never said anything about it. With the downloading? Yeah. I don't really know if it stands on it. Well, the people that are- yeah, I mean, you know, BMG, the parent company, is working hard. Like in Europe, all the CDs are copied protected. Yeah. Which by the way, people down in the space bar, when you're familiar with CD, the player or computer, you can rip it right there.

8:43Yeah, it's like a fucking flaw that you can realize when the hackers feed out. You just pull down the space bar. So it's kind of bullshit, but- That's what it is. I know. And it just shows you, like, okay. But for me, it's like, and they have this logo that says, you know, this CD is copy protected, that would be out warning. And it's like right on the artwork, it's like a, it's like a, just parental advisor. And I'm, it almost has a music fan. Like if I saw that, it would make me want to like burn it even more. It's like, it's like, if you're going to copy protected, at least don't advertise it. Yeah. It just let them find out they just really won't work. You know what I mean? It's like, I don't see you, they shouldn't try to fire fire, you know? Yeah. Um, but I don't really know Dave's stance on it.

9:29Dave doesn't have to really worry about it. I don't know, but that's true. Um, do you like that? Like, there's legal downloading now. Yeah, I love iTunes, I love the app store. Yeah, but you don't get an album cover, you don't get the artwork, you don't get the record. Right. You know, that's the thing. You know, and I used to think in the early 90s when the internet was really getting popular, like, singing OK, I could see print out your artwork. That's no fun. Yeah. Nothing like going to the store. I mean, I miss LPs, I mean I don't really remember them as much as I collect them. Yes, I hear you know that growing up as well as cassettes, which is even smaller. The cassette artwork always suck. It's kind of fun though. You pull it out and they go really long. But it's weird since it's rectangular. Out some alma covers don't just don't work.

10:15Yeah, that's true. I'll come down to the ears. Yeah, it's a French. You played a rally for John Kerry. Yeah. Did you vote for him? Totally. First time I ever voted. Yeah. I'm pissed but I'm not surprised. I know that Ohio and Florida were totally corrupt. That's what I think it is. It's proof man. It's really scary. We were flying to LA for some reason and we all had enough miles to upgrade business class on American. We upgraded. We were up in business class and my bass player Josh was sitting right next to this young guy in his 30s. Late 20s or something. He was a total CEO guy and turns out he started Fox News.

11:02He's like this total entrepreneur and he was saying even the Fox News guy, they're totally Republican. He said the thing is I don't know who will win but I can say Florida will be corrupt. He said it was corrupt last time. I know now the Republicans fought so hard to make to insist that Florida and Ohio would use the computer machines and leave no paper trail. On election night in Ohio one of the machines registered negative 25 million votes. That county, it was just such a rough up. They didn't even use any of those. They insisted in Northern Ohio which is more democratic leaning. They insisted on these computers and in Southern Ohio where it's more Republican they have the paper valid.

11:52In our understand like in France we're just in France and they all they have is they just circle the guy they want. I'm a piece of this like born in circle it put in the box. That's what's like up in Canada. You just act like a circle. It's like fucking why do we make it so the compromise? I just know that my grandmother was in Palm Beach and she had a huge problem trying to vote. It's her and a bunch of people a bunch of senior citizens in like a Jewish area. For some reason they would tell him that they weren't even registered to vote when they totally were. He was like old people who always voted. You know what I mean? My grandmother had to wait 4 hours. She was like I'm there like go ahead and do an actual piece of that. She's like fuck that. You won't even count that you still have to vote.

12:38Yeah that's exactly what I mean. So I'm really kind of it really pisses me off. You know people you know Bush has really pulled the wool over America's eyes. You know he convinces people that he's the leader and most people and suburban moms and everyone in America. The big reason they wanted to stick with Jewish is because they felt like he would make them safer. But you know what? There were so many signs about September 11th. I mean Bill Clinton left me a bunch of information about that and say hey check this out. There's some shit brewing and he was passing on. They didn't do anything about it. Bush was sitting reading the kindergarten news and he found out about the first pet cat. And you know and then everyone thinks oh he's going to say keep us safe.

13:26What would you do if you were the leader of the country and you just said you can't just be guitar. Well you say all right excuse me kids you guys are great. You know you can be so good. I'll be right back. You know I got to go to the bathroom or something. Bill fucking talk to your advisor. What's the cost going down? What's the big deal? You know what I mean? I love kids. It's pretty good. I'm the president. You know and I'm sure you know it's hard to say I never want to be president. You know it's a hard thing and I know he probably just pros up. He's probably the fuck we're going to do. But that's not the kind of leader that you want. That's true. And that's the big reason they want him because they think he's a back kind of leader. But if you freeze up like we're allowed to fucking freeze up in a situation like that. The commander in chief shouldn't be steadfast and all the bullshit they keep saying.

14:14It's good fast and fucking blah blah blah. And he's for the fucking rich. They think he's for like the everyday man. Do you do not? That's always been like that. Yeah it's totally. Totally man. And they don't know that the democrat party was like the first part. Before the public party. You know John Adams. And like it's just it was always the working class. You know party. I don't know. It's crazy man. It's really scary. You know anything about that for the club? I don't know. It might come out you know. Some angry, angry, Bushmooes. Like American idiot. I already did a song called Jerry Falwell Distroy Earth. About Jerry Falwell you know him. No not.

14:59He did a total. He's not a televangelist but he's a total fucking right lead preacher. Oh really? He took things, gays are going to hell. Yeah not like that. You get raped and have to have him bush and you're going to hell. Everyone's going to hell with me. So you know it's like full of ass though. But yeah I don't know. Everyone talks shit about Bush. In one way it's kind of good that he has to sleep in bed that he's made and stuff. John Kerry was in office. He's so much pressure on him. Oh definitely. It's like all right what are you going to do? Yeah. But now we can be like all right Bushmooes. Yeah. Another thing is in these words will be reelected. Exactly. That's it. Well a week later, Blue's are going to go down obviously.

15:44Yeah. It doesn't even work anytime. No. It's not the fall of this. Yeah. New record you recorded all at once. No overdubs or anything like that. Yeah. Wine. Just because I never did it like that before. I like instant gratification. I have ADD and I get distracted instead of just going to the studio and lay it out. So honestly you just wrote with the band. It's never heard the songs before. There's something really smart thing. It's about it. So like taking a full-word picture. You know, try it off. You know, like you're drawing it off and you're listening back to it. That's good. You know, just like. Did you do vocals at the same time? I don't know. I want a few of the tracks I did. And then, most of the tracks I'm back in this piece. And just saying, you know, it's vocal. But we didn't do a lot of overdubs at all. The guitar solos were done live on the floor.

16:30Are you playing that? No Mike's trous. Mike's trous playing. He's got a band called Ratatat. They're really good. I've heard them actually. Yeah. They're all about these from magazine completely. Yeah, they're hot. Check them out. And Mike's totally good. He's the best guitar player I've ever met. Man, it's fucking great. He plays all those solos except the one on Hear Me Out. That's me. I'm in the right side. He's in the left speaker. On all my way. Except for Hospital Bad. Where he's in the right. And up there, piano. So. If you hear piano, it's me. Yeah. I'm in the right side. I'm in the left. I'm in the right side. He's in the left speaker. On all my way. Except for Hospital Bad. If you hear piano, it's me. Otherwise, he's on the left speaker. I'm on the right speaker. That's cool. That's cool. I'm on the right speaker. Yeah. He's on the left speaker. That's cool. Yeah.

17:16He'll ask you as well. Check it. It's good in the car. Yeah. That's my brother does it all the time. This is me. Off but it's cool. Yeah. Yeah. He's put here a different book on his beautiful track. Five questions. Okay. Five quick answers. Cool. You know you always throw a sing along to every song in a lot of the second of it. No more than ten albums like that. Yeah. The first violence, ten records. It's probably one of them. But also, I mean, God bringing it all back home by Bob Dylan. Yeah. It's good record. And you know what? I can really sing every song or every Nirvana album.

18:04In Europe, God. I mean, when I got that, it was wintertime around the keynote. Yeah. I'm actually a punk. Yeah. So he can punk and like, grunge music. What happened around? What are you guys up here? Well, John, actually the drummer, still plays with me. He plays on my record. Right. Cool. He plays with me. He's on the time of time. He's doing great. Brian the bass player. I saw him in the John's wedding. Actually, the person I saw him, like, said. That's crazy. He's doing good. He doesn't play music anymore. He's doing drawing life. Cool. Alright. Next question. It's song you've written your most proud of. On my way. Yeah. What is that? I was just really proud of the lyrics and the way it developed, lyrically, and the simplicity

18:55of it. Cool. Alcohol and marijuana. Alcohol. Just don't like it. Can I just focus on that? Yeah. Cool. If you could change any law, what would it be? There's a lot of laws. But, well, what I would do is I would enforce the law that says you can't. You know, the separation of church and state. You can't put religion in school. Putting religion in politics in general. This whole gay marriage thing that came up with such a car to shit, like right on election

19:45day, like, down on the ballot. And most people that are like, oh, it's totally waters down. It takes away from, you know, people with more issues than you can do. Exactly. I think that's one of the things that I'm going to do is, you know, it's pretty biased. But I think mixing church and state, that shouldn't be allowed. I love it. But, you know, I think you do enforce it more. And just, like, I was just at my little sister's high school graduation last year and Texas directly up in New England. And the principal of the school, you know, gave speech, brought up the book here. And the graduation is like, you know, I'm so proud of you guys. There's one thing that, you know, I need, we'll be done in a few minutes here. Yeah. Okay. So we'll get right out. Um, he's like, you know, I just know you guys are going to succeed in life.

20:35If there's one thing I want you to do is I just want you to read the Bible every day. Dude, we all look to each other. We're like the only Jewish family in town. Yeah. I thought you were Jewish somewhere. Yeah. And just like, but even if I wasn't, you know what I mean? It's just like, what the fuck? You read the Bible every day. He tells that at Sunday school, don't give this lecture. They just graduated high school. Yeah. How about reading like, how about studying, you know, science and like Albert Einstein and things that will enlighten you, you know, like learn. Yeah. Like, I mean, I'm off. I think the Bible is cool and, you know, I love stories and metaphors as an artist. Yeah. I think they're great, but you know, it's like you can't live your life worrying about,

21:22you know, oh, I'm gonna be fine. I gotta go ahead or whatever. It's like, let's think about here, man. Right now. That's what fucking matters. Cool. This is cool. I'm sorry you said that. One more question. I know you gotta go. Leonard McCutney. Leonard. What? Hands down. Who do you think it is? Um, pass down because, Leonard, I mean, with a boat great senior's great son. Leonard, just, I mean, you can just tell, I mean, I love the Beatles, but if you're really want to separate the Beatles, you gotta look at their solo efforts. Yeah. And when you look at plastic, don't open, hands down, emotion on tape, man. Paul McCartney's the song and dance guy, you know, he's like, hey, if you lay in there, and that's cool, you know, it's cool.

22:09I like, you know, Sergeant Pepper is a shit. That's cool. It's all good. He's laying in those fun songs and, well, he's still there. He's laying on 60. Yeah. But it's like, when you come down to it, John Lennon just, simplicity, man. It's all that simplicity. John Fogarty, Tom Petty, John Lennon, Bob Marley, Neil Young, simplicity. That's the key to life. Cool. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. See you in a nice while. Have a great year. It is.