afghan whigs
You’ve just finished up a run of shows in Europe. Have you made your way back home yet? We’ve just finished our first leg of touring in Europe. I got home a couple of days ago. We have a couple of weeks off and then we come to see you guys. Were there ever any plans to come down here in the 90s? You know we had always talked about it, but never quite made it. How did the band end up getting back together? Did it come as a surprise? A little bit. Certainly up until a year ago all the conversations that we had ever had about it were basically [about] how we weren’t interested in doing it. I had played with Greg (Dulli, vocalist) on his solo tour at the end of 2010 and we had a really good time playing. Even at the time that we were playing together on stage, [re-forming the band] wasn’t in my mind. But the fact that we played some of these songs together — you know, it was the most music that we had played together since the band broke up — it really brought back a lot of positive memories about how much we enjoyed doing it. And I think that made it easier to have that conversation six months later. When it finally did come up, there was this positive emotion to draw upon. It all kind of went together. Do the songs now feel like your teenage children rather than newborns? There’s definitely a familiarity. I wouldn’t call it nostalgic. It’s kind of like finding an old pair of jeans in your draw that you forgot you had, and you put them on and they still look pretty good and they’re still pretty comfortable. So it’s old and new at the same time, and really — they’re fun songs to play, and they feel as fresh as they ever did. At the time of your signing to Sub Pop, in 1990, the label had become synonymous with the Seattle grunge movement. Do you feel that this grunge tag was inappropriately placed on Afghan Whigs? I think it was a double-edged sword. Certainly we benefited from the association with Sub Pop and the fact that people were turned on to this label and were excited by what was going on there. I think sometimes it was a little weird when we would play a show and people were expecting one thing and getting something else. I think in some cases they left disappointed. But I think, more often than not, they left with a little bit of a surprise, and they had a new band that they liked. We were extremely fortunate to get linked up with
The Gentlemen Return Back in the early 90s, a band from Cincinnati, Ohio, would emerge from the grunge haze to release one of the defining albums of that decade. Afghan Whigs’ fourth album, Gentlemen, thrust the band into the public eye as a forerunner of the American alternative music scene. Two more albums would follow but by 2001 it was all over. Until now. AFGHAN WHIGS re-formed last year and will be visiting Australia for the first time in July. KEVIN BULL spoke with bassist JOHN CURLEY about the break-up, their Sub Pop days, and the possibility of new original material. Sub Pop at that time, and they are good friends to this day. They are really good people and continue to do great stuff. Nothing but love. Can you explain what led to the move from Elektra to Sony, following the Black Love album? Well, the label had changed. The label that we had signed with [Elektra] was a small label that put out 40 records a year, had a diverse artist roster [and] was a very artist-driven label. Really, looking back on it, it wasn’t just the label changing — the whole industry had begun to change and I think that’s quite clear now but that was the beginning of what we have today. Basically Elektra merged with another label, and they shifted their focus — it became less of an artist-driven boutique label, if you will, and more of a singles-driven, ‘let’s try and get this stuff played on the radio’ [label]. I think a lot of the rock acts that had been around for years felt things changing and a lot of them jumped ship. We weren’t the only ones.
Did you foresee the break-up announcement in 2001? No, not really. I think a big part of it for me was my wife and I had our first daughter and something changed for me at that point — the thought of being away from home on tour when my daughter was walking and talking for the first time was a big part of it for me. I think, creatively, everybody was ready to move on. It was time, you know. It happened naturally, with love and respect, and we stayed good friends. And now, our girls are older and they can come to shows, they can participate in it and experience it and share in it. It’s one of the great things about being a dad and being a parent. It’s lovely to see that a number of wellchosen covers are included in the current set. You even closed with ‘Helter Skelter’ in your most recent Israel show. What’s the appeal in adding someone else’s song to an Afghan Whigs set-list? First of all, I think any kid that’s ever picked up a guitar, a bass or [another]
instrument, or sung a song, probably sang [or played] someone else’s song first. And certainly we were inspired to be musicians by [those] that came before us, so it’s fun to play other people’s songs. I think in a weird way, every cover band wishes they played originals, and every originals band wishes they played covers [laughs]. In terms of the show, it’s a nice little breath of fresh air, to keep it exciting and interesting. We have seen a recent recording of Marie Lyon’s ‘See and Don’t See’. Can we expect to see new original material? Well, you know, here’s what I’ll say about that. Greg is constantly coming up with riffs and writing songs, and we’re certainly enjoying playing together, so definitely the door is more open to that than it’s been in a long time. That’s as much as I will say for now. Afghan Whigs performs at the Factory Theatre, Sydney, on Thursday July 26, and at Splendour in the Grass, Byron Bay, on Friday July 27.
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reverb magazine issue #07 1 — July 2012 21