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Wincing the Night Away
Saturday Night Live
It's taken three years between Chutes Too Narrow and Wincing the Night Away. What took so long?
Would it be accurate, then, to say that Chutes Too Narrow actually took longer to make as a record on its own?
It seems like people think that [Wincing] took considerably longer, but they're not taking into consideration the fact that you guys weren't actually working on the record the whole time.
How much weight do you give to the Garden State push, as far as how much hype is surrounding this release?
One the eve of [Wincing's] release, what is your prevailing mood?
Saturday Night Live
Yeah, that's pretty exciting.
I didn't, actually. I don't have a TV, so...
Did [Saturday Night Live] go well?
SNL
Seems kind of disappointing.
On Wincing, especially on the song "Turn On Me," there seems to be a fear of disappointing someone. That could come from a lot of different places, but it is interesting considering you have a record coming out that people have such high expectations for. Were you worried about changing and growing and losing fans as a result?
I've read that the title of this album is a nod to your insomnia. I also read something where you were talking about how revisiting hard topics while writing a song sometimes affects you physically, as far as making you ill. Is it healthier for you to be done working on the album?
Chutes Too Narrow
Do you worry about, having worked through some of that stuff, and then, now, being in a place where people joke that the Shins are poised to take over the world...having gotten married and seeming like, from what you are saying, you're in a happy place—
Do you ever worry that happiness will have a negative effect on your art?
Brady Bunch
I'd like to talk about your live show a little bit, as well. I was curious if the show you played fairly recently at the Crystal Ballroom, was that scheduled at a time when you thought the album would be out, or was that meant to be a preview show?
Well, it seems people were excited to hear the new material, regardless.
You guys are so polished live that it can sometimes, if you've listened to the albums so much, it can sound like listening to the album in a big room with a bunch of people. But it seemed like, on the new songs, it was a bit more like seeing a performance.
I've heard other people agree with that sentiment, that seeing you live is not so different from hearing you recorded. I mean, having Marty [Crandall] up there bouncing around is definitely fun, but does it ever concern you that people think that you are too polished of a live band to be exciting?
Oh, Inverted World
Mellow Gold
The new songs were definitely really fun to hear you play live. I've listened to "Phantom Limb" so much that it seems like an old song to me...You're living in Elliott Smith's old house, right?
And you didn't know that at all when you bought it?
Do you feel like that's just a neat piece of trivia, or...
Do you feel like it's an inspired place to work on songs?
Ah, a labor of love.
Does the rest of the band live in Portland now?
Oh right. He's not just a touring member, he's considered an actual member of the band now?
I noticed you have a good NW collection of help on [Wincing] with, well, Chris Funk—who seems to be on everything now—and with Anita and Eric...
But it seems like, even before, when you had just moved to Portland, people started calling the Shins a Portland band. There was a show you did at the Crystal Ballroom, and it seemed like you guys were really proud to link yourself to this city. Why do the Shins identify so strongly with being a Portland band?
How did it end up that the other members moved here. Was it just a matter of convenience?
Another big topic with this release is whether or not the Shins will be leaving Subpop, or if you'll get too big for them. Do you have any ideas of where you see the band going label wise?
That sounds appealing, for sure. So you don't really think that all the talk about a major coming to steal you away has a lot of weight?
What else are you looking forward to now, as a band? I know that you're going to be touring again, but what lies ahead that you're excited about?
It seems like it could be a little nerve-wracking trying to create like, " Sea Legs," live...
Do you think it going to be awhile again before you get back to songwriting?
Oh, congratulations!
Wincing the Night Away
The Shins release
Tuesday, Jan. 23. Read a review of the album here.
WWeek 2015