In my 9th grade art class, my friends Marin and Zach (who knew way cooler music then I did) turned me onto Pedro the Lion. I was given a burnt cd with no album title. It was an epic compilation of gut wrenching songs that helped form the music I produce today – and now I’m opening for the band’s frontman at Capital Ale House this Sunday.
Bazan’s songs have always been introspective as hell, and when I got the chance to speak to him (heard below) it was comforting to find out how authentic my favorite 00s act was. Pedro was releasing personal music in an era when pop and music on the radio in general had becoming chronically impersonal.
As for Pedro, it eventually split. Shortly after, Bazan started a band with TW Walsh (former Pedro member) called Headphones which released a great self titled record before finally going solo. He signed to Barsuk Records in 2007 and, after an EP and a couple years of readdressing his “plot,” he put out Curse Your Branches in 2009, his first solo full-length.
Most recently he released an amazing electronic album called Care. Check out the lead single “Trouble with Boys” below.
I was asked to open for David Bazan on May 7th at Capitol Ale House (holy shit) and the folks at RVAMag asked if, because of my fandom for the performer, I wanted to write something.
After a few emails, things fell in place and before long one of my music heroes was telling me tour stories involving a crock-pot between the driver and passenger seat. We also related on the subject of playing house shows, home recording before I pried secrets from him about his drum sounds on Pedro’s 1998 release It’s Hard To Find A Friend.
Bazan has also been busy working on a new documentary about his living room tours and life with his wife and children outside Seattle, WA. He’s gigging in Norfolk as part of Lava Minifest on Saturday ahead of his Richmond show at Cap Ale on Sunday. Gigs you don’t want to miss!
I was walking around my neighborhood (I walk when I get nervous) during the interview below, so please excuse any background noise. The intro snippet is from a song called “Sparkling Water” from Bazan’s newest record.
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