Music, Style & Culture

Iron & Wine: ‘I Don’t Make The Same Record Twice’

'Kiss Each Other Clean', touring and Twilight.

Iron & Wine will release his new album 'Kiss Each Other Clean' on 24th January 2011, and just before Christmas we had a quick chat with him about it. Here we talk about his move to Warner / 4AD, his forthcoming touring, and one of his songs being requested by Kristen Stewart for the Twilight soundtrack.

How has the shift from Sub Pop to Warner Bros / 4AD felt to you, has it had an effect on your creative process?
It hasn’t. They did it after. The second record was the only one affected by outside sources, other than that one I‘ve done them all myself.

So they didn’t say you needed to change anything about the record?
No, they seemed pretty happy with it.

Brian Deck is producing this album again, how does it feel working on this new sound with someone you’ve worked with for many years?
It feels great. Brian is a good friend of mine and he has been for years, so when we’re making records we’ve sort of developed a shorthand with one another, that makes it a lot easier. He also helps me keep what’s familiar with what’s new, he’s a great ideas man.

Have you any plans to direct videos for singles off 'Kiss Each Other Clean'?
Yeah I‘d absolutely do it again, it‘s just a case of finding the time. Tim Rutili is going to be directing the next video, I know that much. Then we’re thinking about holding a contest for making the next video. I don’t know, I guess I just don’t have the time.

There is a definite change of sound on this album compared to your last record. What prompted this change in style?
Well I didn’t really want to make the same record twice. This record feels very nostalgic to me you know, and that was something I wanted to do when I was making it. It sounds like something from my parents old FM radio that I used to listen to in the car. I set out to make a record that sounded something like that.

Are you worried about fans reactions to the change in sound on the new record?
Well I guess you can’t please everyone. I mean, I want as many people to like my music as possible of course. But I think most of my fans will be used to change by now, all of my records are a little different so they’ll be expecting new stuff. I make records for myself.

Your song, ‘Flightless Bird, American Mouth’ was featured prominently in Twilight, how did this come about?
Well they approached me about it and asked if they could use it in the film. I’d never read any of the Twilight books, I didn’t really know about them but apparently the actress, Kristen Stewart, she suggested they use the song.

So it was directly requested by Kristen?
Yeah, apparently they were rehearsing the dance scene it’s used in and Kristen used the music in the rehearsal to keep time with the steps and they just decided to use it in the final movie, it’s pretty lucky I guess.

How does your writing / recording process work with your family life, is it difficult to find time?
It’s definitely more difficult each time. With each new record I’ve got more responsibility so I just have to work around family life these days. I drive my kids to school, I do my music work, then I stop again to go and pick them up from school. Yeah, it’s definitely more difficult.

How does it feel being on the road with a band compared to performing solo shows?
It definitely feels very different, they both have their advantages. If I play solo, it allows more for improvisation and reinterpretation with songs, I can change stuff as I go. But when I’m on my own, it’s all on me. It can also be pretty lonely. This isn’t the case with a band with me. The band also means I can reinterpret things, but in different ways.

You have a UK tour in March coming up. Now your back catalogue is quite extensive, how do you plan on choosing a setlist?
Well we try and play as many different songs as we can really. We like to do a lot of experimentation on tour. We like to play new songs in the style of the old stuff, and old stuff in the style of new stuff. Nobody wants to come to a show just to stand there and hear the album repeated, so we try and do different things each time.

Will you be bringing the full sounds of the album, complete with Brass, on your UK and European tours next year?
Yeah we will. There’s an 8-piece band that we‘re bringing on tour, featuring horns, keys, all sorts of stuff..

You stated in an interview a few years ago that 'The Sheperd’s Dog' was a political record. Do these themes continue in your new album?
I don’t know, 'The Sheperd’s Dog' isn’t really a political record, it was just caused by politics. I was very surprised by the George Bush re-election in 2004, and it just gave me a grand shift in perspective. I felt like I didn’t know the clothes I was wearing, like I had just woken up from a dream. In that sense, the new record is pretty similar. But I do think it’s more danceable.

Would you say it was less dark?
Musically, yeah. Lyrically though, I think it’s just as dark as the previous records.

Are you looking forward to further experimenting with new sounds and instruments on records in the future?
Definitely. Like I say, I don’t want to make the same album twice at any point. So future stuff will definitely include further experimentation. We always want to try out new things in the studio to keep it sounding fresh.

‘The Creek Drank The Cradle’ is now over eight years old. Do you feel like you can still relate to the songs off that album?
Yeah, I mean it’s been ten years, a lot has changed and I’m definitely not the same person I was before. But saying that I can still relate to all the old songs, it’s all still there underneath, I’ve just changed in other ways.