From the intriguing cover art (a race-winning horse's head) to the introspective lyrics, John Vanderslice's recently released "Cellar Door" is nothing if not thought-provoking. About to embark on an expansive national tour, his first headlining solo, indie rocker Vanderslice took a moment to reveal what makes him tick. Vanderslice is looking forward to headlining a tour because, "You get to play longer, and you get to have decent soundchecks every night."
The title "Cellar Door" comes from the film "Donnie Darko," and movie references prevail throughout the album. Vanderslice, a huge movie buff, states that they "kind of keep me sane on a certain level." The song "Promising Actress" is an abstraction of the film "Mulholland Drive," while "When It Hits My Blood" draws heavily on "Requiem for a Dream," and "They Won't Let Me Run" is influenced by '50s cinemascope movies like "The Long Hot Summer."
Before deciding on music as a career path, Vanderslice toyed with the ideas of advertising ("the most subversive thing you could do") or teaching. However, in 1997, while still with the now-defunct band MK Ultra, he opened Tiny Telephone Studios in San Francisco. Now one of the most popular recording spots in the indie rock world,Tiny Telephone was "$100 a day when we opened," Vanderslice said.
In addition to top producers such as J. Robbins and Chris Walla working at Tiny Telephone, Vanderslice himself has produced bands. He has been selective, though.
"It's got to be someone that I really love," Vanderslice said. "The only things I've worked on are Spoon and the Mountain Goats, and I think I would really limit it because it takes so much energy and it's so hard to schedule it, and I'm really worried about losing energy for my own music." He finds working on his own records easier because of the strict schedule and the demanding, intense pressure put on a producer by artists.
Although, he also feels, "In a weird way, it's more thrilling to work on someone else's record because you know what it's like to work on a record for yourself. And when you work on someone else's record you just don't know what's going to happen, so it's really exciting." One can tell that Vanderslice's own music comes first. In addition to writing, recording and producing his albums, he puts a personal touch on his tours.
"I always contact bands personally; I don't have my agent do it," Vanderslice said. "I e-mail them and say, 'I'm a huge fan of your records, and I really want to play shows with you.'"
It usually works, as on this tour he played shows with indie favorites Sufjan Stevens, the Wrens, Okkervil River and Pedro the Lion. This tour Vanderslice also has a special remix album for sale, a numbered limited edition of 2,000. He and his co-producer Scott Solter found making it to be an enjoyable, carefree experience.
"It's kind of like a free ride, because you're already finished with the record," Vanderslice said. "You don't have as much invested, you're not nervous, and you're not freaked out about how it's going to turn out." When one's job is rock music, listening to other genres can be a release. Vanderslice particularly enjoys and appreciates hip-hop - both commercial and underground. From Jay-Z and the Neptunes to "The Grey Album," Buck 65 and Atmosphere, to old-school like the Geto Boys, his tastes cover much ground.
"I really like the Dizzee Rascal record a lot," Vanderslice said. Even on this topic, Vanderslice is thoroughly engaging and refreshingly honest - just like the music he creates.
"Cellar Door" was released in January. Vanderslice will be on tour with Pedro the Lion in June and July. For tour dates and more information, visit www.johnvanderslice.com.
