Interview: Glenn Kotche of Wilco

Usually, self-titled albums are reserved for fledgling bands. So it was unexpected that Chicago alt-country outfit Wilco would name its seventh release "Wilco (the album)."

"Most of us are feeling that this record, this lineup, epitomizes Wilco," drummer Glenn Kotche said during an interview from rural Oregon with SoundSpike. "This is the longest it's ever been a steady lineup in Wilco. We're on our five years with this membership, which the other lineups hadn't even come close to that."

Wilco--which also includes guitarist/vocalist Jeff Tweedy, bassist/vocalist John Stirrat, guitarist Nels Cline, guitarist/keyboardist Pat Sansone and keyboardist/vocalist Mikael Jorgensen--also felt "Wilco (the album)" reflected what fans would see in a live show.

The band recorded "Wilco (the album)" at the New Zealand studio of Crowded House member Neil Finn after a successful session laying down the "7 Worlds Collide" album, a collaborative benefit record and mini-tour featuring, in addition to Wilco, Johnny Marr, Radiohead's Phil Selway and Ed O'Brien, Finn's son Liam, Lisa Germano and others. At the recording helm was studio veteran Jim Scott, who worked previously as a mixer on several of Wilco's earlier albums.

Kotche spoke to SoundSpike about the recording process, how the live sound influenced the recording of "Wilco (the album)" and what fans can expect from the live show.

SoundSpike: What was it like to record in New Zealand?

That was ideal. That was at Neil Finn's studio. We were down there doing that "7 Worlds" project of Neil Finn's for Oxfam International. The vibe was so great at his place and the people were wonderful around there. The co-producer of our record, Jim Scott, was also doing that record. So we figured let's just hang out an extra week, get some basics and see if it works and we ended up getting all but one tune recorded. It was just a great environment.

What was it like to work with Jim Scott?

Jim's amazing, actually. We've been so lucky with all the people we've worked with in the past, the engineers from Jim O'Rourke to now Jim Scott, who has, of course, done stuff with the band for years and years. He just has a great attitude in the studio. Aside from all the technical skills he has, and the years and years of experience, he makes a very amiable productive vibe in the studio, for lack of a better term--and keeps everything really focused and keeps everyone in pretty much good moods. He knows exactly when to crack people up and knows exactly when he can get another take out of us. He knows when we're at our peak or when we're shy of it. Besides that, the sound he gets is very great, very live ... sounding. It's a brighter, bigger record than "Sky Blue Sky." I'm really happy about everything with Jim Scott.

Why do you say it's a brighter record?

I'm comparing it to "Sky Blue Sky." That record was recorded completely in a different type of way. We did it all live within very close proximity with no isolation. Some of the more soulful, maybe lighter material lent itself to that recording situation, whereas with "Wilco (the album)," we decided to go ahead and utilize the studio and go ahead and lay down a lot of different layers and overdubs. Just by the difference in that approach, it lends itself to a lot more sonic possibilities. Besides that, I think the songs had a little more energy than some of them on "Sky Blue Sky." It's just a different kind of record in every way.

How does the live sound carry over into the record?

You're getting a really nice, disparate mix of what we're capable of as a band and what we're interested in as a band. I think that's reflected in the new record. It's not a conceptual record in that we're going to make this type of record with these types of songs. It kind of jumps all over the place. You've got beautiful ballads, really orchestrated gorgeous songs like "Deeper Down," with "Bull Black Nova," which is more of a driving, more experimental song for us. There's just great pop songs in there. I think it's more of a snapshot of who we are as a band and it kind of epitomizes where we are now.

What can we expect from the live show?

We're still doing a good mix. Ever since we did that residency in Chicago two years ago, where we played our entire catalog, since then we had to learn every song that the band recorded on a proper record. Those songs, we still know them. There's rarities that poke their heads out at each show. There's inevitably one or two oddball songs, old songs from "A.M." or B-sides. We're playing anywhere from three to six new songs each night. I imagine that'll be more now that the record's actually out and people will know it. The set's definitely leaning toward music from this century but I don't think there's ever show where we don't have at least one song from every record.