It’s an unlikely new marriage — that between rugged indie musician Doug Martsch and the polished (and much maligned) music production software Pro Tools — but it looks to be a lasting relationship.
The seminal songwriter who fronts indie rock stalwarts Built to Spill is happy to talk about his first experience with Pro Tools, the software that has become synonymous with the overproduction of records. Martsch used the sound-creation system for his upcoming album.
“I loved it,” said Martsch, a celebrated indie musician regardless of the fact that he’s released his past five albums on Warner Bros.
“I mostly loved having it at home, and I did a lot of recording and editing at home where you can listen to the songs over and over again.
“You can listen to something over months and get familiar with it in a way so you can really know what the best mix is instead of having to wing that stuff from the one mix you take home from the studio.”
The fastidious Martsch didn’t go all in, mind you. The drums and bass on the new record were recorded on 2-inch tape, and he’s using Pro Tools mainly as a tape machine and recording that product onto half-inch tape — and then recording it back onto Pro Tools from the tape.
We caught up with Martsch earlier this week and talked about his many unintentional guitar solos and his Denver show Saturday at the Westword Music Showcase.
Q: I hear you’re in the studio right now. What exactly are you up to today?
A: We’re mixing. We should be done with this in a week, and then we’ll master it. Hopefully it will come out in September.
Q: When you first signed with Warner, did you ever think that you’d be here a dozen years later recording your sixth record for the label?A: I didn’t expect this at all. I was really reluctant — not reluctant, but leery. One of the things I was worried about was that they’d push us hard and try and sell our stuff hard. This was before we made a record, and it was part of the reason that record was the way it was — it was a reaction to that.
I thought they’d want a hit and overexpose us. And my other concern was that we wouldn’t sell anything and they’d drop us. It’s been better than anything I could possibly imagine.
Q: I know you guys locked yourself in the garage to create the last record, to remind you what Built to Spill was supposed to sound like. Anything like that this time around?
A: This time was a little different. This time, we didn’t have to do that because we had some songs and other little bits and pieces left over from the last record, and we’d just jam on them during sound checks and when we had some rehearsal time.
Q: One thing I’ve appreciated about your music is your love of the guitar solo. I’m guessing you’re a fan of guitar solos?
A: Not at all. I don’t have any special sort of loyalty toward guitar solos. I don’t think of myself as a guitar solo person. I know I do a lot of it, but I’m more akin to Thurston Moore — where it’s more about noises and sounds and tones rather than notes or noodling. I like that stuff, too, but I don’t have the chops.
Q: So guitar solos aren’t as central as the overall aesthetics?
A: I just like the way they sound, like with J Mascis, Caustic Resin and Neil Young — so I guess there are a lot of bands I’ve loved that have the guitar solos. But I never think about that stuff at all. When you put it that way, you have to note that we’re not conscious of it. But there are a couple guest guitar soloists on this new record.
Q: Don’t you already have three guitar players?
A: Yeah, we have three guitarists, but we still had to get others. Treepeople’s Scott Schmaljohn plays on a Treepeople/post-punk-sounding song. And Paul Leary plays a different solo — if these songs even make it on the record.
Ricardo Baca: 303-954-1394 or rbaca@denverpost.com
BUILT TO SPILL
Indie rock. Westword Music Showcase in the Golden Triangle with the Fluid, Meese, Cursive and 50 local bands. Saturday. Noon to 10 p.m. $9.33-$20.
