At the age of 14, Glen Phillips fronted one of the most popular alternative pop bands of the late '80s and early '90s -- Toad the Wet Sprocket. Twenty years later, he has four solo albums under his belt and has been able to escape the shadow of his former band.
He is currently touring behind the release of his new album, "Secrets of the New Explorers." Saturday night, he visits Shank Hall for a show with Jonathan Kingham. We caught up with Phillips this week to discuss the new album and other subjects of interest.
OnMilwaukee.com: Your new album, "Secrets of the New Explorers," has a different sound than your previous works in the sense that it is much more ethereal. But where did this underlying "outer space" theme come from?
Glen Phillips: The theme was just kind of hanging around, kind of a life-long interest. I come from a very scientific family and it came out of that. I liked the idea of writing songs that I could play for myself and not have to ask myself if I could play it live. I didn't feel like I had to worry about a song being on the radio when I wrote it -- I just kind of did it.
OMC: That did kind of come through in the album. It seems like it is very much about you and what you felt was important to write.
GP: Yes. At the same time, it's the strangest thing that I have done it is probably the most epic thing I have done in terms of the songs are not for the most part very stripped down as compared to the other things I have done. And I needed a good excuse to get out of my own head, and tell some other people's stories. It was a really fun project for me to do at this time in my career.
OMC: The album is short at only six songs. Is that because you wanted to stay within the theme?
GP: I had been thinking about doing a series of themed EPs. Even in thinking about the album, it was something that was developed because two sides of a 33 rpm LP would hold somewhere from 35 to 45 minutes of music, and now there is no more vinyl and CDs can hold anything from nothing to 80 minutes and so it's this odd question of "Why do we have to have 10-song albums?" I love the idea of these themed EPs where I can run with an idea and it's a small enough project so the initial excitement and silliness can carry on so that by the time I am done, I can still be excited about the project.
OMC: How have social networking sites like MySpace and e-commerce sites such as iTunes affected musicians and the promotion of their music?
GP: It has a lot of positive points. It allows people to get to me directly. At a very basic level, people can search for music and find it, and if they like it they can get it. I think there is nothing but good in that. I read an article on a blog which talks about this thousand fan idea. If you are an artist with a thousand fans and they each spend $100 dollars on you, you've made $100,000.
The idea of making more projects can help you achieve this. That is why I like this EP idea, because I no longer have to worry about getting it in record stores. I can just kind of make the record and sell it at shows and online it's there and I can sell enough to make it worthwhile and it's sustainable and reasonable. I can just make music, make a living and enjoy my family and enjoy my life so I am very grateful for that.
GP: They are co-existing peacefully at this point. There were years where I think I resented how much Toad popped up and it still sometimes bugs me, but at this point they are so far removed from each other that now I have an audience that wants to sit in a listening room and are happy to hear the old songs but really want to hear the new songs and they're there with me. They want to hear every note and they want to hear everything and that is my dream.
And the Toad shows I can maybe do 10 a year or so and enjoy the fact that people are getting off on those songs and that it's a nostalgic thing. And I can't compete with that, but I feel I am making the best music that I have ever made and I am lucky to have an audience that seems to care about that and seems to want that.
OMC: It seems like every artist has their own "Born to Run," in the sense there is a song that they feel obligated to play every night, is there a song like that for you?
GP: I have to play "All I Want" and I have to play "Walk on the Ocean" and it used to bug me, but now I am proud to have them there. For my own songs, favorites are a very individual thing as they didn't get a lot of airplay, so people have their own favorites for their own reasons. I like the fact that they can find these songs on their own and they are important to them.
OMC: And that brings us to the game of pepper. Five questions and you have to answer with the first thing that pops into your mind. No explanations. Just gut reaction.
Solo or full band?
GP: Solo.
OMC: Katharine Hepburn or Kathryn Heigl?
GP: Katherine Hepburn.
OMC: Beatles or the Stones?
GP: Beatles.
OMC: "Godfather" or "Godfather II?"
GP: "Godfather."
OMC: Santa Monica Pier or Pier One Imports?
GP: Wow, cheap imported goods or the smell of vomit? Oh, that's hard, definitely hard. I guess I will have to go with Santa Monica Pier.
In his spare time, KB buys vests, adds to his Bruce Springsteen Shrine and plays with his band, kb'smidlifecrisis (available for church festivals, bar mitzvahs and to fill opening slots for national acts.)
