Wilco

About Wilco

“In a lot of ways, Sky Blue Sky is our first record,” says Jeff Tweedy. “This line-up of the band is probably the closest to ideal I’ve ever been lucky enough to experience.”

It’s been more than twelve years since guitarist and songwriter Jeff Tweedy formed the Chicago-based Wilco, but Tweedy has never felt better about it. “I think that everyone was a little more relaxed going into this record,” he says, referring to the band’s sixth proper studio album. “There wasn’t this feeling that we were tugging all these old records behind us. There was no clear beginning or ending. But in terms of touring and recording – the two activities that we’re engaged in and truly enjoy – this record came into being around the time this line-up came together. Once we started to demo songs, everything felt a lot better than I ever thought it could.

“The live record [Kicking Television: Live in Chicago], which came out last year,” he says, “was a good way to create a clear line between the past the future. It was a way to cleanse our palette before we went into the studio to make our first record together.”

In the spring of 2004 – just before the release A ghost is born(the two time Grammy-Award-winner) – experimental rock and jazz guitarist Nels Cline and guitarist and keyboardist Pat Sansone joined Wilco full time, adding to the existing quartet of Tweedy, longtime bassist John Stirratt, percussionist Glenn Kotche and keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen. Cline was brought in for his guitar skills, Sansone as a multi-instrumentalist. You can distinctly hear both of their arrangements as ensemble players the first time you hear Sky Blue Sky.

“This line-up is definitely the epitome of the band itself,” says Stirratt, the only other founding member of the band. Stirratt played with Tweedy in Uncle Tupelo in its final years, joining in 1992 prior to recording the band’s last record, Anodyne. He’s been Tweedy’s right-hand musician and friend ever since. “We have a confidence that we never had before. There is so much trust in one another.”

Says Tweedy: “I’ve definitely felt inspired by all of the musicians I’ve been able to play with in Wilco, but in terms of finding a perfect scenario of living with and interacting with a band – on the road, and in the studio – this is a new feeling for me. If we all lived together, it would be like the Monkees.”

“Everyone chimed in,” says drummer/percussionist Glenn Kotche, who joined the band just before the recording of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot(2001). He had previously played with Tweedy and Jim O’Rourke in the trio Loose Fur. “We were really glad that the new guys in the band were not shy at all.”

Adds Stirratt, “Nels’ parts came from other places. He’s really mastered the use of effects, and he is such a great ensemble player. So is Pat. He really framed a lot of the songs in a great way, whether it’s with the Hammond organ, piano or string sounds.”

“Pat and Nels came in prepared,” continued Tweedy. “They basically knew everything from all the old records. All of us have been in bands for a very long time, and we have a strong idea of what we need to avoid in order to keep things harmonious.”

Part of what keeps Wilco focused solely on their music is The Loft, where the band has practiced and recorded music for almost 10 years.

“The Loft is a primary character in the life of Wilco,” says Tweedy. “It’s something we’ve worked on constantly since we started playing and recording there.”

“It has become the coolest it’s ever been as far as recording capability and comfort level,” says Stirratt. “It’s just at the point where it’s reached its peak.”

Explaining some of the technical aspects behind Sky Blue Sky, Kotche says it was recorded very differently than the way most records are recorded nowadays. “This is the way that records used to be made: there were no click-tracks or ProTools, and hardly any headphones used. I think more than half of the songs have Jeff’s vocals recorded live. You can hear The Loft in the recordings. You can hear all the instruments bleed into one another.”

“This was definitely the best use of time, too” says Stirratt of the process. “It did take a while, but we didn’t rely on first takes, and I think that influenced the way we developed the songs. At the same time, there is a little bit of spontaneity in there, too, and an edge of tenuousness.”

“The way that people seem to be reacting to the record,” Tweedy says, “does feel more immediate than any other Wilco album. It’s very straightforward and direct, lyrically. Everyone sitting there, with an instrument in their hand, the first time they’ve heard a song I’ve written. I think first impressions are important.”

“A lot of the gray areas were washed away,” says Kotche. “It was a lot more focused. It didn’t leave much room for sonic experimentation. In the end, though, the focus of Wilco is Jeff’s lyrics – that’s what people are relating to, that’s what people are affected by, and that is what, in the end, draws the listener in.”

“There’s something to be said of six guys bouncing ideas off each other,” says Stirratt. “Every record has been different, but this one was a joy to see what each person brought to the songs themselves. It’s definitely my favorite record to make in recent memory.”

Jeff Tweedy breaks down Sky Blue Sky

“Either Way”

I wanted to start off this record with this idea of acceptance.

“You Are My Face”

It’s more of a family tree, but not necessarily biographical. This song is one of the more conceptual songs on the record. It’s trying to reflect a present, past and a future in a linear kind of way, with the explosive section in the middle that’s a lot more kinetic than the droning past and the ambiguous future.

“Impossible Germany”

This song reminds me of waking up at a certain point in your life, and you ask yourself, ‘How did I get here?’ Sometimes you’re pretty grateful where you ended up. There are a lot of layers to that song since it’s been around so long. There are elements of political refection and historical perspective that I feel I’ve gotten more interested in as I’ve gotten older.

“Sky Blue Sky”

That is probably as direct as I’ve ever gotten in a song before. It’s a very crystallized moment: watching a parade go by in my hometown, and getting blocked from getting across the main drag, preventing me from going home. And at some point, thinking it was a good idea to turn around and not go home.

“Side with the Seeds”

It’s a pretty confusing song. There’s such a polarization in all of our lives these days, and there’s so much unhappiness. It’s a song that’s saying, ‘If an electron can do it, why can’t I?’

“Shake it off”

That’s similar to ‘Sky Blue Sky,’ in that it’s about a specific moment in time, a feeling, a reminder. The chorus is pretty direct: this too shall pass.

“Please Be Patient with Me”

I don’t know if there’s anything I can add except to point out, again, the title of the song itself.

“Hate It Hear”

My wife calls this song ‘The Liar Song,’ because I don’t know how to use the washing machine.

“Leave Me (Like You Found Me)”

This one has been around for a long, long time. There’s a simple sentiment in the chorus. Though it does become more expansive in the last verse when people are waking up, climbing the trees, and actively participating in their lives suddenly.

“Walken”

This song was on a set list once, written out like the spelling of the actor, Christopher Walken. It became too hard to shake that spelling.

“What Light”

Responding to the fact that this song was the one track posted on the band’s MySpace page, Tweedy says, “I don’t know what a single is.”

“On and On and On”

This song was actually one of the earlier songs that we demo-ed on this record, and over time – we played it once or twice live – I was doubtful about it making the record. At some point, it became the closer. It became much more meaningful to me after my mom died last September. There was something that allowed me to finish that song. I really wanted to write a song that my dad could listen to, and find some comfort in, that wasn’t a James Blunt song. I was very touched that my father was being soothed in any way by music. It did make me feel like this song was much more personal. I know how to write songs, so I thought, maybe I should write one for dad and have him respond to it. My mom died suddenly, playing cards with her friends, which is a pretty awesome way to go. She was 72. My dad and her met when they were 15, and they had not been apart that entire time. That’s a pretty major adjustment for a 73-year-old man to make.