New Bums is Six Organs Of Admittance’s Ben Chasny and Skygreen Leopards’ Donovan Quinn.

Their second long player, ‘Last Time I Saw Grace’ (releases March 19, 2021 via Drag City), is a return to their noir and gallows humour, but dialed to 11, with whispered and murmured voices shivering out over a bed of bluesy acoustic guitars and broken glass.

“Two people playing acoustic guitars and singing in a bedroom”

What’s the story behind working on ‘Last Time I Saw Grace’ and how would you compare it to your previous release, ‘Voices in a Rented Room’ from quite a couple of years ago?

Ben Chasny: The bulk of it came from an extended visit to Donovan’s house. When we recorded the first record, we both lived in San Francisco, only a couple houses away from each other. By the time we recorded the second one, I was living on the other side of the country. So this record was a full immersive experience, sleeping on Donovan’s floor, waking up and making coffee and getting to work all day, et cetera.

Donovan Quinn: ‘Voices in a Rented Room’ revolved around the sound of two people playing acoustic guitars and singing in a bedroom. There’s still a bit of that with the new one but we also layered songs with overdubs; specifically the type of parts that come from a studio rather than a live performance.

“Album has to be its own self-contained world”

How did you two originally decide to start New Bums and how do you usually approach the songwriting in this project compared to other involvements?

Donovan: We were buddies and liked each other’s music. Ben can do about a million things musically that I can’t so it was an exciting prospect.

Ben: This project is different for me than my other projects in that I hand over a lot of the lyric writing to Donovan because I think he’s a great songwriter. In fact, that’s a big reason to even be in the band with him.

Donovan: In terms of approach, to me a band, an album, movie, book, or whatever, has to be its own self-contained world. For example you can’t take a Leonard Cohen lyric and slap it onto a Ramones song cos it’ll feel false. With New Bums I try to write things that feel natural to our collaboration. But it’s not something I could honestly explain. More an instinctual process of what feels right.

<a href="https://newbums.bandcamp.com/album/last-time-i-saw-grace">Last Time I Saw Grace by New Bums</a>

Is your material set in stone by the time you record, or is it an ever-evolving process? Are there any songs from your past that you’d like to revisit or rework?

Donovan:: I would like to re-record every song I’ve ever recorded. Many times I have. Not to improve the song but because they do seem to evolve and change along with you. Townes Van Zandt and Bryan Ferry come to mind as musicians that did killer re-recordings.

Ben: Yes, and Nikki Sudden was another artist who often recorded different versions of his songs. This record actually does have a very old song of mine. ‘Hermitage Song’ was a song I wrote in the mid 90s.

“There’s something about the live setting that creates something of a pressure cooker on the work”

Do you discover new aspects of your songs developing in front of an audience?

Ben: There’s something about the live setting that creates something of a pressure cooker on the work. I don’t know if it heightens consciousness and forces one to react in new ways or if one is more sensitive to the listener, but things do seem to change

Donovan: For sure. After the first record we did a lot of touring and each night we found hidden avenues that weren’t apparent when we first put the songs together. By the end of the tour a lot of the songs were very different. Mostly as a result of Ben’s guitar work opening up new possibilities.

How are you coping with the current pandemic and what are your predictions for the future? Do you think the music industry will adapt to it?

Ben: If there is one thing I’ve learned in my years, it is that predictions are bullshit, especially during these times. I do know that there are a few people I like to listen to to try to make sense of the present and possibilities for the future in terms of music. Holly Herndon and Matt Dryhurst have been two voices that have really given me a lot of hope, especially with their new podcast.

Donovan, you recently released ‘Absalom’. Would you like to share a few words about that? Is there anything else you’re working on?

Donovan: ‘Absalom’, to me, was the best example of a style that developed over my last few records. After it was released I felt I had a clean slate and started a record that was its spiritual opposite which will be the second entry in a series called ‘The Cult of Strangers’. Recording should be done in the next couple weeks.

Ben [Chasny], you released ‘Companion Rises’ in 2020. Can you share some further details how it was recorded?

Ben: It was recorded much like the new New Bums except I used more processing and weird techniques. Both were recorded with the same mics and preamps and in the same rooms.

How about ‘Sleep Tones’? Is there anything else you’re working on?

Ben: I have a new Six Organs record coming out on Three Lobed in May as part of their 20th year anniversary. I usually don’t put out any major full lengths on any other labels besides Drag City because there really isn’t any need too. Drag City are the best. But Cory at Three Lobed is an old friend and put out one of the first Six Organs releases so when he asked if I’d like to join in on his series I said “of course.”

Would you like to comment on your playing technique? Give us some insights on developing your playing technique.

Ben: Two words: Pebber Brown.

Let’s end this interview with some of your favourite albums. Have you found something new lately you would like to recommend to our readers?

Ben: My friend Noel, who I used to play in Comets with, just turned me on to this amazing band, Dr. Pete Larson and His Cytotoxic Nyatiti Band. Pete used to run Bulb records. His new band is insanely good. I’ve also been checking on the new Pete Swanson, the new Bill Nace and Graham Lambkin and going back through my older John Hartford records.

Donovan: Been listening to a lot of Rahsaan Roland Kirk, especially ‘The Inflated Tear’ and ‘Volunteered Slavery’. Even if you’re not into jazz I think Kirk’s music can bring most listeners to a better place. After that I might put on ‘L’Incendie’ by Briggite Fontaine, Os Mutantes’ ‘Mutantes’, Circulatory System’s ‘Mosaics Within Mosaics’, and end with ‘Joy of a Toy’ by Kevin Ayers.