Dylan Carlson

Black Friday: Dylan Carlson … of this Earth

Friday, February 27th, 2009 | interviewZ, musiX, pdX | No Comments

Guitarist/sometimes-vocalist Dylan Carlson has been the only consistent member of Earth since he started the band in Seattle back in 1990. But even Carlson disappeared for a stretch—OK, almost a decade—from 1996 to 2005, as he quit music and battled his own demons, namely a heroin habit he picked up from his longtime friend and one-time roommate Kurt Cobain. In fact, it seemed like at one point Carlson was destined to be forever known as the guy who bought the shotgun for Kurt (and talking about it in Nick Broomfield’s 1998 documentary Kurt & Courtney).

But Carlson re-emerged, and when he did Earth was bigger than ever, thanks in part to a couple of Earth fanatics who kept the name alive with their own band Sunn O))). Earth returned in 2005 with Hex; Or Printing in the Infernal Method—it was Earth’s first record in years, and marked a noticeable departure from the band’s glacial doom metal. Things got even more arty and weird in 2008’s The Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull, a glistening, instrumental space-rock masterpiece that is as slow and heavy as the band’s name implies. The album featured ax-work work by jazz guitarist Bill Frisell, and was the most critically acclaimed of the band’s career.

Earth is gearing up for a European tour before the members—Carlson, drummer Adrienne Davies (and Carlson’s girlfriend), bassist Don McGreevy and touring guitarist Steve Moore—head back into the studio to begin work on the followup to Bees. Earth will play a U.S. show tonight in Portland at Dante’s before heading across the pond on March 26.

Carlson took some time to talk to The Days of Lore about the idea of doing soundtracks and why he is such a fortunate man.

TDoL: Have you ever been approached to do a soundtrack?
Dylan Carlson: We haven’t been approached to do a soundtrack, but one of our songs is going to be in the new Jim Jarmusch (Dead Man, Coffee and Cigarettes) film. So, that’s going to be the first movie with one of our songs in it. But no one’s asked us to do a full soundtrack unfortunately. [Note: The Limits of Control is due out May 22 and stars Isaach De Bankolé, Bill Murray and Tilda Swinton]

It sounds like something you’d like to do …
Yeah, definitely. It is something I’d really like to do at some point.

Are you writing any new music right now?
We’re gonna be doing a European tour at the end of March and all of April, and then when we get back we’re going to be looking at studios. Hopefully within a couple of months of getting back we’ll be working on the next record.

What kind of songs have you been working on?
It’s going to be kind of a different style in some ways like, the the bass and the piano are going to be the main [instruments] … I kind of want to move away from the guitar being dominant. Everyone follows the guitar and the guitar riff. I want the guitar to be more melodic, or doing little stuff in between. Kind of an atmospheric approach or coloring approach rather than “OK, here’s the riff,” and everyone’s hanging on that.

Will there be any vocals?
No, I still don’t foresee any vocals. Maybe if we do a cover.

What are you listening to right now?
Right now I’m really into this band from Mali called Tinariwen. They’re like my favorite thing in the world right now. I’ve been listening to a lot of that one Sly Stone record There’s a Riot Going On. A lot of King Sunny Adé. And then I’ve also been listening to a lot of Ritchie Blackmore from Deep Purple and Rainbow. John Abercrombie. He came out of Berklee [School of Music] around the same time as Bill Frisell.

Are you going to work with Bill Frisell again?
I don’t know. There are no plans right now, but who knows. Usually I base that kind of thing on who I think would do something cool. Right now there’s no one in particular in mind.

I read that you’re constantly playing the guitar. Are you still pretty disciplined?
Yeah, I’m fortunate enough as of March of last year to not have a day job. So I’m able to devote more time to guitar and working on music.

You’re excited about making new music …
The new record has done really well. It’s our biggest selling album. Yeah, everything is going really well.

Is it interesting to look back at the fact that you stopped for years, and when you returned the band was bigger than ever?
It’s weird. You know, a lot of people go away and no one gives a shit. While I was gone people were still into it, and Greg Anderson and Stephen O’Malley kept the name alive. We’ve also been fortunate in that we’ve attracted a whole bunch of new people, too. And we’ve been lucky to include a bunch of new people without losing the original fans. I’ve been really, really fortunate.

“Omens and Portents I: The Driver” - Earth

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