Emerging from the fertile Minneapolis scene of the 1980s, Gary Louris and his band The Jayhawks made a name for themselves with their unique blend of country and alternative rock influences. Over the following three decades, Gary created an impressive body of work, both as a producer and a solo artist, channeling both skills into the writing and recording of his new solo album "Jump For Joy". Join Nick as he and Gary cover a wide array of topics involving the ever-changing music industry and what it takes to remain inspired as a songwriter.
HIGHLIGHTS:
[01:41] Although he's still based in Minneapolis, love brought Gary to Canada, where he lives now
[02:34] Between working with The Jayhawks and releasing his new solo album "Jump For Joy", Gary has stayed busy during the pandemic
[04:19] Gary looks forward to releasing much more solo work in the years to come
[05:11] Gary played every real and virtual instrument on his new album
[06:03] Gary believes that the state of the music business is forcing musicians to learn how to do everything on their own
[07:23] Gary looks back over his history with the Jayhawks, starting with a flurry of demos in 1985
[09:14] After repackaging their demos for their second album, the Jayhawks were "discovered" and signed to Rick Rubin's Def American Records
[11:29] Gary theorizes that Minneapolis had the magic ingredients - clubs, record stores, and diversity - that a city needs to produce an amazing music scene
[15:43] Gary feels that if Minneapolis fans embraced a band, they embraced them big-time, usually before the rest of the country caught on
[16:24] After many years away, Gary moved back to a much-changed Minneapolis, just as the pandemic and the George Floyd protests began
[19:14] Over the decades, Gary's role and standing within The Jayhawks changed significantly as the band itself evolved
[22:06] For the last Jayhawks record, Gary made a conscious decision to step back and let the other band members have more control
[23:07] Gary believes that songwriting is a younger person's game
[26:16] Producing other bands and musicians lets Gary tap into lessons he learned from the producers he worked with in the past
[28:54] In his workshops, Gary teaches that there are two sides to songwriting: the inspiration, and the crafting
[30:20] Gary recalls working with legendary producers like Peter Buck, Ray Davies, and Rick Rubin
[34:43] Gary explains that "Jump For Joy" is more of a double entendre than a positive statement, because he always finds himself drawn to darker themes
[35:34] Gary was asked to write a kid's song for Nickelodeon, but it was rejected for being "too melancholy"
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Find out more about today’s guest, Gary Louris
Find out more about your host, Nick Terzo
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
@remhq Peter Buck
