SAM COHEN INTERVIEW
KDUP sat down with Sam Cohen before his show at the Doug Fir and discussed the Grateful Dead,
Donald Trump, and his newest work with Danger Mouse and 30th Century Records…
Your last record Cool It came out in 2015 and I was curious if you came in contact with 30th Century Records before or after that record?
They found me after that record came out. Actually, Brian Burton, AKA Danger Mouse, caught wind of the record through some friends who heard one of the singles on The Deli magazine in New York City and sent it his way. Brian got really into the record and got in touch about working together in general. We started doing some sessions that he was producing and I would play on some things and he would leave the room and sort of leave me in charge of the production. We then did a song together called Lose Your Illusion that was put out on the 30th Century compilation record and eventually we talked about working together as a label.
Brilliant work on Lose Your Illusion, is a new record in the mix?
I’ve been working on writing a new record and I got 15 songs, which for me, is a lot. I usually don’t write much more than the contents of the record. A lot of people write a million songs. I usually don’t, I construct a record and when it gets to a certain point that I’m comfortable with, then I stop writing. For this record, I have way more ideas as I write in different directions. I’m approaching this record more as a writer rather than constructing sounds and piecing lyrics with it later.
Are you planning on playing all the instruments on this record? I know you’ve done that in the past.
No this one I’m not. I did that mostly for Cool It. On this new record I’m more interested in ensembles.
How was working with Danger Mouse? Has he given you free reign or does he work closely with you during the sessions?
We’ve only done the one song, I’m sure we will do a whole lot more for this record. I pretty much have free reign to do what I want. I would love to work more with him but I’m on a pretty long lease.
What was the first gig you ever played?
It was Claire’s 7th Birthday party. I was like 12 years old, it was my first band called Mr. Murray or Psychosomatic Bull Dog… Our classmate’s sister was having a skating party and I remember I had the flu and I rallied and did the show. I was like holy shit there are healing powers from playing live!
What should people be listening to right now?
They should be listening to what I like: German electronic music from the 70s like Cluster and Harmonia and Eroc. For songwriters, Jim Sullivan, Bill Callahan, Leonard Cohen, Ariel Pink (his production is amazing), and Cass McCombs. I like progressive weird shit. And how could I forgot! I love the Grateful Dead!
Didn’t you work with Bob Weir of the Grateful Dead?
I did a concert called the Bridge Session which was with Bob Weir and The National. I was lucky enough to be asked to play guitar for that. Then got to go back and do a thing for an anniversary show for Jerry Garcia’s 70th birthday, called Move Me Brightly, and thats where I first met Cass McCombs. Jonathan Wilson played, Mike Gordan played bass and it was a real cool hang and an honor to be apart of that.
What’s your dream venue to play at?
I was saying just the other day if I got really big I would still want to come and play small intimate venues. I would set up shop and play 10 nights in that city and hang out. The more intimate show I feel I play better. Those are also my favorite viewing situations, I don’t go to big concerts.
Favorite Cartoon character?
The skeleton on the motor cycle in Grateful Dead [laughs] Just kidding…
Whats the message to the youth?
Don’t give up on your soul and know that all this shit is bullshit. Distrust your phone, distrust advertising, and believe in the good stuff. Materialism is becoming deeper and deeper engrained in our culture.
Whats the biggest lie in the world?
I think the biggest lie in the world is the idea that there is this definable god that is interested in our daily lives and wants us to do this or that, especially kill other people or demand other people to fall in line with one thing or another. I think that real spirituality is understanding that we are born out of the earth that we are standing on, which is born out of the universe that it inhabits, which is born out of space. And something flows through all that and organizes it into the systems that science can observe, and to me, that is whatever god might be, whatever religion tries to explain. But I think the biggest lie is, what way to many people accept religion as, which is this sort of dogma that causes them to feel they are on the correct side and can then justify their agendas. It gets into power and the people fall for all sorts of lies when they are powerless, like everyone who supports Donald Trump.