david lowery – Vinyl Mag

David Lowery, frontman of Camper Van Beethoven and Cracker, professor at the University of Georgia, and general music-business-Renaissance-man, is preparing for the 17th annual Camp In festival taking place at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA.

Although previously located in Pioneertown, California, at Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, Camp In has taken place at 40 Watt Club for the past four years.

Lowery claims that this festival is geared specifically toward CVB and Cracker fans; there are multiple sets with different reincarnations of the bands, unique combinations of members, and re-imaginings of original material.

In keeping with the tradition of Camp In, Lowery says that there will be a variety of combinations of musicians playing sets during the festival. Performances will include a solo set with David Lowery (which he excitedly informs me is also a pizza party), a performance by Johnny Hickman at Hendershots, and an acoustic set with Lowery, Johnny Hickman and Peter Case “Pistol” (the “Trippy Trio,” as Lowery calls it)—which plays some reinterpreted, abstract approaches to Cracker songs. There will also be performances by Edward David Anderson of Backyard Tire Fire, The Heap, The Darnell Boys, Ike Reilly, Peter Case, Daisy, Eric Bachman and The Drapes.

When it comes to playing with two bands, Lowery explains that basic differences lie in the songwriting of CVB and Cracker, and therefore in the music itself. CVB, for one, tends to be more instrumental. According to Lowery, CVB began as a side project for the members, so each musician chose an instrument other than their primary one to play. (Lowery switched from bass to guitar/lead vocals.) He adds that their songs began with a simple structure and then gradually became more complex over time.

“When I’m writing, I’ll wake up in the morning, grab some coffee and just go through the lyrics or melody motif over and over until I find something,” says Lowery. Then, with a general idea for the song hashed out, Lowery would meet with the rest of the band to develop the idea by co-writing or recording a demo.

When it comes to Cracker, however, Lowery says the songwriting stays more in that second stage of co-writing with the band. He observes that there tends to be “more formal co-writing,” and he will also occasionally go to Nashville for sessions with songwriters to co-write material with him.

Over the years, Lowery says songwriting with his bands has remained very much the same, although writing his new solo album Conquistador took him on a completely different path. The central concept for the album had been on his mind for around 10 years. “There were lots of false starts. Then one day, I just had a bass drum—a marching band bass drum—and a mic, and it just sort of came together.” With the instrumentation in place, Lowery began reading the lyrics more like poetry or spoken word, and his abstract ideas finally solidified.

It seems nonsensical to talk to David Lowery (someone very outspoken about digital advancements and their relationship with musicians’ rights) and not to touch on streaming, so I asked him about how (and if) it affects his songwriting.

“It definitely makes it more challenging,” he tells me. “In the past, we would get a recording advance. Now, it’s not so much a priority to put out an album. We won’t set aside time to do it. Instead, I just try to squeeze it in the margins.”

Since releasing an album isn’t as lucrative as it once was, Lowery says he doesn’t actively take time off from his responsibilities of teaching or touring for creating an album; instead, he fits in writing when he can or when ideas come to him.

Shifting back to the festival scene, Lowery recalls a favorite memory of Camp In. “I pulled my wife up on stage and played this song ‘Palace Guards’ to her. It was almost like a stand-up comedy routine. I posed it like a love song—the audience loved it and thought it was funny. She had tears in her eyes; it was too funny. Now it’s hard for us to keep playing that song and take it seriously.”

Be sure to catch Camp In featuring Cracker and Camper Van Beethoven in Athens, GA at the 40 Watt Club from today, January 19 through Saturday, January 21. Tickets are available at crackersoul.com and 40watt.com.

Todd Gautreau has been a force in the music industry for years, and his current project, Crushed Stars, proves exactly why. With his newest album, Farewell Young Lovers, we not only feel the dreamlike ambiance of the record, but also sense a true, wizened passion for music. We talked with Gautreau and got the scoop on the new album, his influences, and even his feelings about Spotify.

Vinyl Mag: Your new album, Farewell Young Lovers, just came out on the 21st. What kind of response has it gotten so far?

Todd Gautreau: The response has been very positive; it’s some of the best press we have received so far.

VM: Do you have any touring plans for Farewell Young Lovers?

TG: Nothing extensive. just some occasional dates. I’ve always believed Crushed Stars is best experienced on record.

VM: You’ve worked with Stuart Sikes, someone that works with some pretty big names (White Stripes, Modest Mouse, etc.). What has that experience been like? How did that connection come about?

TG: My drummer, Jeff Ryan, introduced us a few years ago. Usually I will record most of the parts in my home studio, and I will bring to Stuart to record the drums, mix and apply the finishing touches.

VM: You haven’t released a new album in a few years. What has made this album take so long?

TG: In between Crushed Stars records, I usually do a Sonogram record. The last one, How We Saw Tomorrow, came out last spring, then I started Farewell Young Lovers, which took about three months to record.

VM: Who are your greatest musical heroes?

TG: I admire the way Steve Kilbey has been so prolific, both with The Church and his various collaborative projects. Brian Eno has also been more influential than most people will ever realize.I admire artists who’s longevity can be attributed to their constant evolution and exploration, something you don’t see as much of in the music industry today. Most things now have a shorter shelf life. Instead of nurturing artists, labels just sign whatever’s hot at the moment then move onto to the next thing.

VM: We’ve seen that you’re very anti-Spotify. Can you tell us more about your opinion on that issue?

TG: I realize many people will disagree with me, but in my opinion streaming is very damaging to indie artists, because it is replacing record sales and providing a fraction of the royalty rate in its place. Last year, CD sales continued to fall across the industry, but for the first time digital sales also dropped significantly, largely attributed to the rise in streaming services, primarily Spotify.

I understand a $10 a month subscription for unlimited on demand music is, for many people, an offer that is too good to refuse. I have heard the rationalizations used – ‘Oh, I use Spotify to discover new music, then if i like it i buy it.’

But last year’s drop in sales suggests this is the exception rather than the rule. A streaming service removes any incentive to actually purchase music, since you have unfettered access to it any time you want, why buy it? And let’s be honest, in this digital age it is easy enough to discover new music without using a streaming service.

Another excuse is, ‘Well I may not buy the record, but if the band comes to town I may go see them and I may buy a t-shirt.’
Most indie bands tour one to three months per year. The last two indie shows I went to were artists with a significantly larger following than myself, and there were maybe 30 people in the audience. When you factor in the costs of touring, playing to small crowds even if they all buy t-shirts is not going to replace the lost revenue from the decline in record sales due to streaming. There are several articles online, most notably by David Lowery and Damon Krakowski of Galaxy 500, which delve deeper into the math.

Others blame the labels for the unfair royalty allocation to the artist. There is some truth to this, but as a label owner I can attest to the fact that even when you factor in the label portion, streaming revenue is minuscule for indie music.
This concerns me not only as an artist not a music fan. With lower revenues, ultimately labels will sign fewer acts and retain only the ones that are most profitable. This is already happening and it will result in less variety and fewer choices for listeners.

I don’t agree with a pay-per-use model for music. You don’t buy a book and pay the author only on the days you read it. You don’t buy a jacket and pay the designer only on the days you wear it. So you shouldn’t expect to pay a fraction of a penny each time you listen to a song. Artists won’t be able to survive. Your favorite band may be able to struggle through releasing 2 or 3 records in their 20s, but at some point they will have to earn a living and do something else.

I understand there is little we can do to stem the tide of streaming’s popularity. It’s too easy for someone to pull up a song on Youtube, Pandora or Spotify, why pay a dollar for a download? We can only try to change people’s attitudes towards the value they place on the music they listen to.

As an artist, all I can do is keep my music off of Spotify to retain a modicum of self-respect. I would rather give my music away for free than have a company like Spotify profit from my loss.

VM: Where do you see yourself musically in 5 years?

TG: There are a couple of things I want to do musically that fall outside of the Crushed Stars or Sonogram umbrellas, so new projects will be hatching soon. Hopefully, I can continue to juggle them all.

Tag: david lowery

Camp In 2017: David Lowery x Vinyl Mag

Words with Crushed Stars’ Todd Gautreau