It seems only fitting to christen this project with an interview with my old friend Ben Chasny of Six Organs Of Admittance and various other projects. I did the math recently and deducted that I've been following Ben's musical evolution for nearly two decades. Apart from being an exceptional guitar player and songsmith what I admire most about Ben is the consistent amount of integrity he has applied to his work over the years. The man has a saintly work ethic with a impeccable track record. Just sample any given song (instrumental or vocal) off any of his 18 or so releases and you are immediately struck with a sense that what is presented carries the weight of something deeply personal and meaningful. Ben's purity path invokes a special kind of sympathetic magic which instantly translates to the listener. It's easy to trust Ben's music, it's easy to believe in his words. Or simply, the shit is real. What I find most amazing of all is that from the early days of home recorded cassette releases to the fully accomplished studio albums of recent years Ben's dedication to purpose has never faltered. The degree of magic has been a constant throughout. So lets get into it.....
- Preferred instrument for songwriting?
I almost always write on an acoustic guitar, even songs that I know will later turn into electric songs. There's something about the timbre that I find very open, as if there are more possibilities with an acoustic guitar. Then again, guitar is my only instrument, so that probably has something to do with it.
I almost always write on an acoustic guitar, even songs that I know will later turn into electric songs. There's something about the timbre that I find very open, as if there are more possibilities with an acoustic guitar. Then again, guitar is my only instrument, so that probably has something to do with it.
- Can you approximate how many songs you're written in your life thus far?
I haven't really thought about it but looking back I think probably about 100 for Six Organs, so that would be totally by myself. I've written more with other people as well.
- Is songwriting a spontaneous affair or do you have a ritual for conjuring ideas for music?
Songs come in all sorts of ways for me. I used to collect fragments of music and fragments of lyrics and then try to see what parts might go together and then flesh the song out from there. Lately I work on a song and the lyrics all together from beginning to end. I have songs that I wrote years ago that continually have the lyrics change, which is one reason why I never record them. I tend to write the lyrics very fast and then do a little editing at the end. I guess I've always been inspired by that vision of Van Morrison in a trance just sort of singing to the music for Astral Weeks. Often the words have a cryptic nature but I know the exact code to reveal what the song is about.
- Can you chronicle or explain the typical process in which you go about transforming a spark of an idea into a complete song?
I almost always start with the music. I just tend to be more musically oriented than lyrically. I suppose that explains why I don't have the best singing voice. But when I do write lyrics they always mean something. There is no sense in having throw-away lyrics. I can always do an instrumental. So lyrics are important to me. One thing I have been doing lately is recording the music and then taking a drive and listening to the music in the car. Since I like to sing in the car to other music it sort of sets up a nice horizon for melodies and words. Another thing I do is listen to the music with headphones half-cocked with my guitar in my lap and write the melodies on the guitar as I listen. I've been doing that for a long time.
- Do you feel your music is a refection of true self or an extension of a fictional entity you wish to be?
I feel that my music, and everyone's music, reveals worlds. There are different worlds for everyone. Some people have more than one world that they create. In this way, sometimes our lives have a greater similitude to a particular world that is revealed, and sometimes less. I never feel as if any of my music is really an extension of anything in my day to day life. In fact, I see different stages in the person who is typing this now, the person who writes the music, and the music. I don't know if any of those stages exist on the same plane. They are related but perhaps more refracted then reflected.
- Songs are like children and it's hard to play favorites. However is there a certain song that you are particularly proud of? Why?
Right now I think I would answer Light Of The Light. It seems to be pretty self contained and it has some sort of coded references that make me smile.
