In the past, M. Ward rarely seemed like the kind of character you’d want to run into in a back alley. His hushed, seductive come-ons might beckon you in, but inevitably, it would lead to an unnerving encounter. Indeed, over the course of his three previous albums, Ward has maintained an elusive guise that’s kept his music at arm’s length and somewhat less than easily accessible. While it’s not quite accurate to say he’s dropped his guard for his latest opus Post-War, it does provide more of an easier embrace, a cracked open pane that allows some hint of light into the darkened recesses of his reflections and concerns.
Amplifier caught up with the shadowy Mr. Ward and persuaded him to share some thoughts on the new album.
AMPLIFIER: It sounds like there's a bit more of a “lift� to the new album, perhaps more drive than in previous releases. What inspired you to add this new, slightly more energetic element to your sound?
WARD: I wanted to go against the record that came before it. In my opinion the last record (Transistor Radio) came too close to romanticizing the past...it’s a long story but to put in a nutshell - it is my opinion that my past is quiet, my present is loud and my future is whatever record I happen to be making at the moment...
In that regard, you've managed to strike this balance between your understated approach and all those different elements that seem to swirl below the surface. Is that a result of calculating the arrangements before-hand or simply allowing the songs to more or less materialize spontaneously?
I learned a long time ago that if everything is pre-programmed or pre-written before the musicians enter the studio, then you are selling the songs and the musicians and the spirit of music short.
How do you see the overall progression of your work so far?
I’m constantly trying to erase what I’ve learned - destroy what’s been made - head towards the light.
Is there a deliberate plan to add elements or shuffle the sound in a certain way in the name of progression, to avoid repeating yourself?
Every song is an experiment - whether or not the listener is aware of it - every song begins with an idea that I have never had before and a lot of the time it fails. The ones that fail in my opinion don’t make the record. The ones that make the record represent, in my opinion, a successful experiment where I created, with my engineers and musicians, some element of surprise... some kind of personal proof that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts...or just something that seems like a song somebody somewhere, at some time, could dance to.... or could have danced to.
Some refer to your sound as emo, downcast, hushed, world-weary, low-key…How do you characterize your signature sound?
In my opinion, the more of these labels the better. It’s satisfying when someone says a song is downcast and someone else says it’s hopeful. I like how peoples’ reactions to music are more about themselves than the music. Maybe it brings these things out that are gonna come out anyway...
Do you ever feel confined by any audio parameters?
At times, I guess I feel confined by every parameter. On a good day I feel confined by none....
Would you be just as likely to put out an upbeat power pop album, or a roots rock album if either mood struck you?
I’ve had lots of moods and lots of inspirations to make a million types of records but, at least in waking life, I have never had the urge to make a power pop album - and if that day should ever come it will be a sign that I have finally cracked.... or signed to a major label.
Your last album, the wonderful Transistor Radio, paid tribute to the glories of radio as it once was. Does the new album have any theme, deliberate or otherwise?
The title Post-War, in my mind, was designed to be a chronological backdrop for the events that occur to occur. I like how the term is going to mean something new to my generation and the next one very soon....
Do you think in terms of overall concepts before you record or go about it simply as a series of individual songs that happen to fit well together?
Every record I’ve ever made is a combination of old and new songs. I’m constantly recycling and revising old songs and old production ideas and mixing them with new ideas. I expect that’s how it will always be; the experiments on 4-track are the foundation to every record.
You seem to have a sort of a guarded, elusive persona - is that a deliberate attempt on your part - to keep an aura of mystery between you and your listeners?
No – I’m just old fashioned... I like J.D. Salinger’s approach... “photography can steal peoples’ souls if you let it.�
Please give us an idea of early influences.
I learned how to play the guitar by following chord charts in Beatles books with my brother’s acoustic guitar. A little while later I discovered Sonic Youth and fIREHOSE and bought an electric guitar and an amp...after some time I discovered Neil Young, Mance Lipscomb, Brian Wilson and John Fahey and learned some new tricks....
.... and which artists are you drawn to these days?
My favorite band right now is probably My Morning Jacket - I really don’t listen to much modern music.
What's next for you?
Touring the year away - thinking about 2007, but I haven’t come to any conclusions yet....
Any thoughts about the next career move?
WARD: Always, but I can’t tell you because I’m superstitious and I have a fear of jinx.
Interview by Lee Zimmerman
M. Ward’s Post-War is released on August 22, 2006.
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