Welcome to Pursuing the Muse. This week we’re diving into the wonderful new album, Clams Casino, with the artist who created it, Brian Dunne.
Brian is a singer-songwriter based in New York. He’s known for combining rock and roll with raw, literate self-examination, and he is also a member of the supergroup Fantastic Cat.
Stick around as Brian discusses the core conflict of his working-class characters having to choose whether to "sell out or move out", how he produced the album at home, sometimes keeping the "lower quality audio" from original demos to preserve the song’s soul, and why he believes that professional songwriting discipline is like "going fishing" every day.
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https://www.briandunnemusic.net/
http://instagram.com/briandunnemusic
http://facebook.com/briandunnemusic/
https://briandunne.bandcamp.com/
https://www.youtube.com/user/bdunne8/videos
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• 00:01:56 - Intro: Tom Compton welcomes Brian Dunne and praises Clams Casino
• 00:03:10 - The concept of Clams Casino as the aftermath of the previous album
• 00:04:10 - The central theme of the record: Examining personal and public issues through the lens of class and working-class roots
• 00:06:15 - The two main characters and the core conflict: whether to "sell out or move out".
• 00:07:14 - Discussing songs that explore the duality of letting a dream die, contrasting the pain with the "sweet relief of letting something go"
• 00:08:17 - Solo performance feedback
• 00:10:08 - Fantastic Cat: How the "super group of sorts"came together, and plans
• 00:12:39 - Production shift: Adopting a new process for Clams Casino by prioritizing the "pure" intention and "soul"
• 00:14:34 - Using "lower quality audio" demo tracks to achieve an authentic balance,.
• 00:15:30 - The "ears" and collaborators who helped refine the record, including Ken Yates, Dan Rohan, Ben Tali, and Don D’Lego.
• 00:17:12 - Brian Dunne played about 90% of the instruments on the album
• 00:18:11 - Using his humble New York home studio
• 00:21:10 - The title Clams Casino: It is a bygone red-sauce menu item that symbolizes working-class aspiration, class pride, and shame
• 00:25:33 - Vocal style and influences
• 00:27:51 - Guitar influences: Mike Campbell and Robbie Robertson
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PTM theme song "Iron Rails" by Joel Corelitz
