ACL preview: Blonde Redhead

Kazu Makino and twins Amedeo and Simone Pace are Blonde Redhead. For the past 14 years, they’ve been making music ranging from fiery art-rock to cinematic synth-ballads: Their 2000 release, Melody of Certain Damaged Lemons, is an indie rock classic (you’ve probably heard “In Particular” or “This is Not” before). Since then they’ve released the downtempo Misery is a Butterfly (2004) and this year they’re back with the more expansive 23. Along with many of their indie-rock compatriots, Blonde Redhead have risen to the fore of their genre, inspiring a new generation of bands. Though originally I planned to speak to Amedeo (guitars and vocals), I instead spoke to the band’s other guitarist and vocalist, Kazu, about the band’s work and upcoming performance at ACL Fest.

That Other Paper You’ve been to Austin before, right?

Kazu Makino Yes, a few times. It’s a nice city, different from other parts of Texas. We spend a lot of time at the Whole Foods headquarters. And I like Emo’s, though I think the PA system is getting a little old. We were really looking forward to playing at Stubb’s, where we were scheduled to play. But the storm came, and we had to cancel the show. Sound check was promising, though.

TOP You were playing the outdoor stage, I assume.

KM Yes.

TOP Now you’re playing the Austin City Limits Festival, and that’s also an outdoor venue. One of the things I was wondering is, since especially on your last two albums you have this very dreamy, expansive sound, how do you tailor that to festival settings? Do those songs translate well in a large festival setting?

KM Our music isn’t that laid-back; it’s actually pretty loud and a very good set of songs to play live. So not too much worry there. We wanted that sound, but it’s not that ambient. They handle well in live situations.

TOP That’s the direction you’ve been heading, towards this more grand, sweeping sound. You used to get compared to Sonic Youth a lot, but now that’s not really accurate. Was that a conscious move, or did the music just head there?

KM I think we are changing unconsciously. That’s the truth of it. I don’t really think, “We need to change.” I don’t really remember the last time we’ve been told we sound like Sonic Youth.

TOP Even Sonic Youth doesn’t sound like Sonic Youth anymore.

KM [laughs] That’s the limitation of writers’ imaginations, isn’t it? We don’t really have time to worry about that.

TOP Do you try not to listen too much to what critics have to say?

KM Oh no, I love reading good writing, but it’s hard to come by.

TOP The other thing that changed with your new album is your producer. You worked with Alan Moulder after almost 10 years with Guy Picciotto [of Fugazi].

KM I don’t think we worked with him for 10 years, but we did three albums. It was great, and I hope to work with him again. It’s never, for me, “Oh, now we have to change. Now we have to do something new.” It’s more intricate than that. Guy was in our minds until the last second. We feel like he’s part of how we work as a band. It’s hard for me to see these things from a distance, objectively. We’re just trying to write good songs.

TOP That’s the thing about being in a band, I guess. You can’t take the step back that critics do, nor should you.

KM You can’t worry about where you’re placed in a musical world. You get paralyzed.

TOP So, for you, what does the new album mean? Is there a theme?

KM I guess there is, but I don’t know what it is. It comes from a certain place in our lives, and all our music comes from the same body and soul. Sometimes there are albums where the songs sound nothing like one another, and that’s also just a reflection of your mind at that time. I don’t really feel like I need to put a name to that.

I’m sorry, am I not being a big help?

TOP Oh, no, I’m not asking you these questions expecting some canned response about the theme of the album, “We consciously made the decision to sound like…” I was just curious about what your approach was. So let’s change the subject. Have you been listening to any new music?

KM We only just started listening to new music. While we were making the album, I didn’t listen to anything. I find that when we’re making records, I can’t really listen to anyone else’s music. It’s distracting. You’re so introverted that you can’t really go out there to catch what’s around you. So now that we’re on tour, we’ve only just started listening to new music. We’re playing with a band tomorrow in Montreal called Editors, who I’m excited to see live.

TOP Do you listen to Peter Bjorn and John?

KM Oh, yes.

TOP Did you know you’re playing at the same time as them at Austin City Limits Fest?

KM Oh dear! Catch both bands.

TOP Shift halfway between them? They do that a lot at ACL, like Wilco and My Morning Jacket, or Arcade Fire and The White Stripes.

KM That’s kind of inconsiderate, right?

TOP So, I just have to ask, do Amedeo and Simone ever switch places on stage to trick people?

KM No, they look very different these days. I don’t think I’ve ever made a mistake. I suppose I know them quite well. They think, they act, they move, they talk — they even swim differently.