Lazy-I Interview: M.Ward -- July 2003 (original) (raw)

Rilo Kiley should provide added fireworks to a style that is typically intimate and subdued. Known primarily as an acoustic singer/songwriter, M. Ward's expertise lies in making simple, heartfelt ditties that swarm with layers of nostalgic detail. Transfiguration of Vincent, the recently released follow-up to his breakthrough debut, End of Amnesia, opens with a twangy, piano-inflected instrumental that would sound right at home in an Old West dancehall or played beside a dwindling campfire surrounded by half-sleeping cowpokes. Throughout its 11 tracks, Ward sings stories in a warm, gravelly voice reminiscent of Robbie Robertson, backed by folky arrangements that blend old country and bluegrass with other American roots music, a style that he picked up from his father.

"My dad turned me onto Johnny Cash. He was always into gospel and country," Ward said. "My mom listened to classical music. But I guess the most important musical education was just teaching myself how to play guitar at around age 15, when music started to become more personal and beyond being just a listening experience."

Ward said he quickly discovered guitarists such as John Fahey, Chet Atkins and Django Reinhardt. "They opened up these different avenues that I knew I could never reach, but could at least try to walk down," he said.

His respect for a bygone era goes beyond music. He says his lyrics are inspired by older works of fiction and poetry. "Some modern fiction really annoys me," he said. "It's too rapped up in the singular image or it's too post-post-modern. It's hard for me to get involved in it."

The same holds true for some of today's music. "Radiohead comes to mind," he said. "For my personal tastes, I love the lyrics and sentiments of Louis Armstrong. I guess my head is still stuck in the past. These days, Banarama is considered 'old music.' That's sort of a strange phenomenon.

"I think about what the next generation is growing up with. I'm not trying to change what they listen to; I'm just playing what comes naturally. For myself, it tends to come from those eras when music and genres were melding in an incredible way, which resulted in the birth of jazz, the birth of rock and the birth of folk. Those are the richest eras for me musically, and they end up finding their way into my music. The things you consume always end up coming out of you."

Ward got a chance to pass on his appreciation to a whole new generation of listeners touring with Bright Eyes earlier this year.

"I loved that tour," Ward said. "It was a unique experience because the age group was a bit younger than what I'm accustomed to.

"But no matter how old the audience is, I feel isolated on stage. I'm more concerned with the instrument and other people I play with, and creating something that at least is memorable for the musicians and oftentimes becomes memorable for the audience, too -- that's an added bonus."

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