Britt Daniel, frontman and founding member of indie rock genre benders Spoon, is content at home in Austin, Texas.
Britt joins this call in the middle of back to back interviews on a sweltering hot Austin day, yet he is in a jovial mood with the conversation starting about the weather."It's about 105 degrees Fahrenheit out here, I wish I knew what that was in celsius." 40-plus degrees celsius, is hot weather by anyone's standards.
Spoon will be joining The War On Drugs on an Australian tour at the start of summer.
Spoon is a band that has a career spanning 30 years, and has toured all around the world to much acclaim. Last here in 2017, Spoon will be able to share their extensive discography with audiences but especially 2022's 'Lucifer On The Sofa'.
Having taken on many different sonic guises throughout their career and lived in different cities, 'Lucifer On The Sofa' marks a triumphant return to Britt's home town of Austin.
A record is often a specific documentation of the time and place in which it was created. For 'Lucifer On The Sofa' this was the COVID period and Austin. The record is firmly planted at this time for Britt.
"I moved away from Austin for a while but the band started here. We moved away and came back, right when we started working on 'Lucifer On The Sofa'.
"There's songs that make it an Austin record, the title track is one that could only have been written in Austin. It's a specific time, especially with a lot of characters, that locate them from the city.
"I think back to when the songs were written. About half the songs were written pre-pandemic, about half written during lockdown.
"So when I think about those songs, I think about me sitting in this room where I'm sitting right now. And running that song ['Lucifer On The Sofa'] doing demo after demo, turning that song from a sort of weird, simple punk-rock song, turning it into this thing that was kind of more R&B."
For Britt, the most important thing is the process and development that comes from constructing a record, as he peels back the curtain.
"We've always been the kind of band that loves the specific sounds of records and the sort of the patter between songs which made you feel like you're there.
"The decisions that are made, like the sound of the room. . . That's part of the fun for me, of making a record. All those decisions you make that colour the whole thing."
This is something that can be heard throughout the album, with studio clatter and chatter deliberately left in from the outset on the opening track which is a quintessentially Austin cover of Smog's 'Held'. This makes for a warmer, more intimate experience for the listener.
In terms of being able to capture time and place, Britt reflects: "It comes kind of naturally from being involved with the sounds.
"There used to be a day where bands or artists would make records where they didn't write the songs, they didn't necessarily get involved with how they sounded. They did covers, they did songs that were handed to them by the A&R people.
"The way that we make a record is very intense and hands-on for months, if not a year or more, and I don't think I can help but put that time and place into it."
Daniel is most comfortable when in the studio and finds a sense of pride from the finished product, the album as a whole.
"The albums are more important than anything – more important than any song, more important than any specific show. Albums hold that place for me, which is why I find it a little disappointing that some outlets these days don't seem to value it, but I still value it.
"The most important thing is the record, it is the definitive document. And to me, I don't know what it is, but as a kid my relationship with records was so good.
"If there was a record that I loved that was through and through consistently a great record, I was awestruck. And that was always what I wanted to do, create that feeling through the albums I make more than a single song, or single show. I love all those things, but most important is the record."
Britt has made his love for recording clear and is measured in response when conversation turns to the live performance. "I don't think it's too hard to find fun and good time doing shows.
"Some people don't like it. I know some recording artists don't love being on tour. They'd rather stay home and hang out with their families or write songs or focus on recording.
"I like all that too but for me, I really feel love doing shows. It's the most sort of immediately gratifying thing to do as a band. I guess it's like having a little party every night. I love that part of being on the road."
When touring 'Lucifer On The Sofa' around the world Britt brings with him "the spirit of Austin. There's a little bit of reliving where you were when you wrote the song every time you play it."
The War On Drugs & Spoon 2023 Tour Dates
Mon 4 Dec - Sydney Opera House Forecourt* sold outTue 5 Dec - Sydney Opera House Forecourt
Thu 7 Dec - Sidney Myer Music Bowl (Melbourne)
Sat 9 Dec - The Riverstage (Brisbane)
Mon 11 Dec - Kings Park and Botanic Garden (Perth)
