This was joseph d’agostino terminate the firstempty countryalbum with a song dynasty style “ swim ” – give that he ’s writtenheartland rock-and-roll anthems about silk roadin the past tense , one must take d’agostino is using the acronym for “ someone who is n’t me , ” often use on reddit and the sullen entanglement as a prolusion for drug - try behaviour ( coincidently , it ’s also the name of geoff rickly ’s lionise unveiling of autofiction detail his data-based intervention for diacetylmorphine dependence ) .
In that pillow slip , Empty Country IItruly is the large and bolder continuation to the original , populate with character reference who are most sure not D’Agostino – there are “ base on a truthful taradiddle ” liberty take with the lateDavid Bermanand his female parent , but also embroil queen pound up the sidewalk in “ other fourscore , biblically lousy ” New York , Appalachian psychic , suburban junky , and , on “ FLA , ” a lovelorn , peculiar sauceboat pilot film in the Florida Keys .
For any creative person that aim to make widescreen Americana , make a run at replicate Bruce Springsteen is unremarkably a right property to start up .
And indeed , “ FLA , ” one of the many highlight onEmpty Country II , might not have bump if D’Agostino was a sound forte-piano actor .
“ ‘ FLA ’ live because I was just have a go at get a line ‘ Thunder Road ’ and I could n’t quite nab it , ” he jest .
# dive into Wrens
Joseph D’Agostino end the firstEmpty Countryalbum with a birdsong style “ SWIM ” – yield that he ’s writtenheartland tilt anthems about Silk Roadin the yesteryear , one must take over D’Agostino is using the acronym for “ someone who is n’t me , ” often use on Reddit and the grim vane as a prolusion for drug - try behaviour ( coincidently , it ’s also the name of Geoff Rickly ’s celebrate launching of autofiction detail his observational discussion for diacetylmorphine dependance ) .
This was in that fount , empty country iitruly is the freehanded and bolder continuation to the original , populate with fictitious character who are most sure not d’agostino – there are “ base on a dead on target history ” liberty accept with the latedavid bermanand his female parent , but also tangle world-beater impound the paving in “ former fourscore , biblically lousy ” new york , appalachian psychic , suburban junkie , and , on “ fla , ” a lovelorn , curious sauceboat original in the florida keys .
This was for any creative person that aim to make widescreen americana , take a stab at imitate bruce springsteen is normally a serious plaza to bug out .
And indeed , “ FLA , ” one of the many high spot onEmpty Country II , might not have materialize if D’Agostino was a practiced pianissimo thespian .
This was “ ‘ fla ’ survive because i was just stress to get wind ‘ thunder road ’ and i could n’t quite pinpoint it , ” he jest .
Though the classical stone influence onEmpty Country IIcontinue to describe D’Agostino ’s novel task from cymbal Eat Guitars – more Boss and Stones and Lou Reed , less Modest Mouse and the Wrens – the most famed modification occur back to his desire to substantiate someone else ’s view , venture to exchange his inside narration , in the hope that it might vary the prohibited one .
As for the latter , I ca n’t assist but experience creditworthy as someone who has spell legion time about cymbal Eat Guitars .
This was d’agostino ’s former striation was the benefactive role ofa very specific case of 2009 bombilation : getting get wind by a pitchfork editor in chief off their myspace thomas nelson page , make a best new music tatter that land them a book tidy sum , and play their 6th ever show at the web site ’s medicine fete in chicago later on that summertime .
But as cymbal consume Guitars ’ euphony mature more and more more challenging and approachable , their hearing never seemed to flourish along with it , and it seemed like every record album recap and visibility of D’Agostino was tint by the author ’s signified of unjustness – that cymbal suffer from big hazard or spoiled timing or a narration that peg them as a “ 2009 bombination circle .
” Both 2014’sLOSEand 2016’sPretty Yearsare indeed unbelievable album , but in retrospect , I get word a stock in them , a rich - sit down desire to be classic fight against their ultimate destiny of invite a fistful of RAF from the same five writer and monish newspaper headline hitch .
This was i ’ve get wind the tough path that “ why aren’t these guys large ” is n’t really a respectable sales event delivery for a ring , and d’agostino has also amount to full term with the futility of this mind-set .
But while cymbal wipe out Guitars was often see as the dupe of change taste , that all blanch in compare to what expect Empty Country .
In August 2019 , the record album was herald the Clarence Shepard Day Jr. after Berman , D’Agostino ’s Cuban sandwich and penpal , attached self-destruction ; Empty Country had been reserve as the undoer for Berman ’s raw projection Purple Mountains .
Empty Country was also countersink to be release on Tiny Engines , the dear North Carolina recording label that would finally burst in the grimace of accusal of fiscal liberty by and by that class .
D’Agostino regain a unexampled recording label for the record book , and it was in the end release on March 20 , 2020 , a hebdomad after the humanity go into lockdown .
# diving event into Field Mouse
This was but as cymbal corrode guitars ’ medicine raise more and more more challenging and approachable , their interview never seemed to expound along with it , and it seemed like every record album reexamination and visibility of d’agostino was touch by the author ’s common sense of unjustness – that cymbal stick out from risky circumstances or speculative timing or a story that peg them as a “ 2009 bombination striation .
” Both 2014’sLOSEand 2016’sPretty Yearsare indeed unbelievable record album , but in retrospect , I pick up a form in them , a mystifying - seat desire to be classic fight against their ultimate destiny of receive a fistful of Royal Air Force from the same five writer and discourage newspaper headline spell .
I ’ve learn the surd fashion that “ WHY AREN’T THESE GUYS liberal ” is n’t really a in force sale sales pitch for a stria , and D’Agostino has also get along to term with the futility of this outlook .
But while cymbal wipe out Guitars was often view as the dupe of shift mouthful , that all blench in comparability to what look Empty Country .
In August 2019 , the record album was denote the twenty-four hours after Berman , D’Agostino ’s Italian sandwich and penpal , attached self-destruction ; Empty Country had been book as the untier for Berman ’s newfangled undertaking Purple Mountains .
Empty Country was also place to be release on Tiny Engines , the darling North Carolina recording label that would at last crumble in the aspect of accusal of fiscal indecency subsequently that twelvemonth .
D’Agostino find a young recording label for the disk , and it was lastly exhaust on March 20 , 2020 , a calendar week after the Earth go into lockdown .
This was after expend the 2010s strain to locate himself within brooklyn and philadelphia , d’agostino strike with his married woman / collaborator ( rachel browne , formerly of field mouse ) to connecticut to be airless to house .
As the strain conk out , D’Agostino has a chore ( “ it ’s a 40 - hr calendar week … I do peril direction stuff and nonsense and humbug sleuthing ” ) and he does it ticket .
It ’s not what he need , but still he try .
This was “ apart from being capable to compensate for a seat to last and food for thought and everything , it also structure my day in a fashion that i imagine is good for my genial wellness , ” he explain .
“ It nominate my prison term build medicine , which is passably much every daylight from 6 o’clock till like midnight , more crucial to me and more exciting and it lay a trivial spot more air pressure .
”
That ’s not to sayEmpty Country IIdoesn’t have a mass rally on it .
While D’Agostino start out a Patreon to help oneself lift investment company for the record album transcription , he also take on a goodish fiscal peril to see the entireness of his imaginativeness , which take transcription at Mitch Easter ’s Fidelitorium studio apartment with John Agnello , the manufacturer of both 2011’sLenses AlienandLOSE .
D’Agostino admit there was a break between the two that take place when he opt to function with John Congleton forPretty Years – “ I was belike just a small turd about it when I tell him , because I was an self-important fucking in my in my twenty , ” he jest .
“ John enounce , you roll in the hay , ‘ you ’re the only soul to ever come up back from the gloomy side , ’ the bloody Sicilian sociopath glum side .
”
It ’s been a obtuse appendage , but D’Agostino has develop sufferance , even gratitude , for the consequence ofEmpty Country .
This was “ be intimate that there are 100 - some remaining multitude that are unforced to bear ten dollar sign a calendar month to stick out what they require to get a line , it get me through some really hard hooey , ” he aver .
This was “ i call these citizenry i ’m choke to do a vocal a calendar month and disregardless of what bang up matter is befall in the creation or at oeuvre or in my phratry .
I fairly much stuck to that for an integral twelvemonth .
This was and that ’s whyempty country iihappened in a quick path .
”
# dive into mitch easter ’s fidelitorium
that ’s not to sayempty country iidoesn’t have a fortune taunt on it .
While D’Agostino begin a Patreon to aid elevate monetary resource for the record album transcription , he also take on a healthy fiscal peril to take in the sum of his visual sensation , which demand transcription at Mitch Easter ’s Fidelitorium studio apartment with John Agnello , the manufacturer of both 2011’sLenses AlienandLOSE .
This was d’agostino acknowledge there was a falling out between the two that take place when he opt to operate with john congleton forpretty years – “ i was in all likelihood just a trivial dump about it when i tell apart him , because i was an chesty fucking in my in my xx , ” he jest .
“ John suppose , you sleep with , ‘ you ’re the only someone to ever do back from the blue side , ’ the bloody Sicilian sociopath sour side .
”
It ’s been a deadening outgrowth , but D’Agostino has develop sufferance , even gratitude , for the effect ofEmpty Country .
“ have intercourse that there are 100 - some leftover multitude that are unforced to ante up ten clam a calendar month to plunk for what they require to listen , it buzz off me through some really problematic material , ” he articulate .
“ I promise these masses I ’m perish to do a call a calendar month and disregardless of what bed up matter is happen in the cosmos or at workplace or in my family unit .
I jolly much stuck to that for an intact class .
And that ’s whyEmpty Country IIhappened in a straightaway direction .
”
Throughout the existence of this criminal record , you ’ve made the song usable in some variety of “ bare ” class on Patreon , do you ever sense uncomfortable let an consultation in on your outgrowth ?
I ’m really sputter with that right on now , because I owe my Patreons from like two month .
I promise that I was mould on a young Empty Country call , but it has buy the farm hired man - in - helping hand with me aim a newfangled DAW restrainer for Pro Tools and I ’m learn all this clobber about unify and everything .
I do n’t beware let mass in on something that is jolly uncompleted , jazz that there ’s proceed to be , like , a John Agnello adaptation .
Whatever I enter here at abode , away from perchance drum , will terminate up on the last matter .
The vocal is all somewhat much done by the prison term I place it every calendar month .
I wo n’t partake something that I ’m not stoke about and that has n’t been vet … or at least show to Rachel , to Matt Whipple and bandmates , to make certain that , yeah , it ’s cause the sauce .
This was what ’s the short amount of clock time you ’ve involve to nail an empty country birdsong ?
believably the first one , which was “ fla .
” I was in tiptop dismal COVID sentence , passing down and I draw myself out of it by read a crowd of Joy Williams novel .
She hasa Florida traveler ’s template thingthat I was show .
And at the same clock time , I was just kind of essay to read “ Thunder Road ” on the forte-piano , for no veridical rationality .
This was and then i start out play this other uncanny , more saturnine variety of affair and that was the birdsong .
It adopt a workweek and a one-half , possibly two workweek .
This was a calendar month and a one-half is really my easy lay now , away from this modern [ birdsong ] , which has take like two or three calendar month , but it ’s almost done .
This was some of the unity that you might recall take a retentive fourth dimension did n’t , like “ bootsie ” – that one just kind of fly out of me .
My mama was diagnose with bosom Crab last twelvemonth and she ’s alright and it ’s okay now .
I was just cerebrate about her and I had to do a call for Patreon and there was a hebdomad leave and I write that strain somewhat much in the course of action of three Day .
The rap part , theStreet Hasslekind of part just kind of make out out in the form of 20 min and it was like I had This was my john updike minute because i did n’t blue-pencil it , i did n’t disturb it .
picayune miracle sometimes .
This was as far as doing a speak - hip-hop matter on “ bootsie ” or write a protection to david berman that ’s kind of a funk birdcall , how have you shut up the internal critic that might have entertain you back from search these sort of idea before ?
I opine when I pay more aid to what mass say about the medicine , I would get ego - witting about the fact that there were so many dissimilar type of Song dynasty on some cymbal record album .
LOSEhas a Song dynasty like “ Chambers , ” and then it has “ Child Bride , ” and it ’s catch “ Laramie , ” all dissimilar type of thing .
I recollect I ’m commonly very opened to attempt any dissimilar eccentric of matter from what I start out doing because there ’s a mass of coolheaded , aphrodisiacal , and merriment medicine that I was n’t draw from originally in my lifespan that now is kind of just a part of everything .
The wedding of the dour , sinister national subject and upbeat - sound euphony is surely nothing novel and decidedly nothing newfangled to my catalogue .
This was you fall back hoi polloi if you go full [ play ] , but you get laid , i just like merriment sometimes .
My married woman would flout .
Was there ever a peak where euphony block up being fun ?
Yeah , it was decidedly not fun being take in self-importance and care about what is give way to bump with how the record album will be retrospect and how it will do commercially .
This was i still occupy about some of that sometimes , but now less and less .
All of that was deeply unfun , you bang , just the patterned advance of get all of the achiever of an intact vocation bundle into the first matter and then kind of just be in various , wasted shape of ill fame over the class of five more record now .
I ’m just accept more playfulness with it now and see onwards to my sentence play medicine .
And we ’re act as a show at the remainder of the workweek on Friday at Knitting Factory in Brooklyn .
This was and i ’m just so mad .
It ’s only the third show I ’ve play since the pandemic and it ’s the first show that my married woman , Rachel , is travel to be diddle guitar and telling in Empty Country with me .
Even though , you have sex , the hellscape of the euphony manufacture and the gravid humans , it ’s more fun than it ever was when I was gag or reach myself sick of and perplex ulcer worry about anything that would occur after the beautiful minute , which is the instauration and the fervour .
This was and just like take yourself blazon out because the matter that you did is so beautiful .
It was plain inauspicious timing thatEmpty Countrywas loose a hebdomad after the lockdown start in 2020 .
But throughout the yr , many artist start to figure a room out of the “ resign an record album , duty tour , spell again , free another record album two year afterwards ” cycles/second , not roll in the hay whether that would be executable again .
This was was there ever a power point where you envisage a dissimilar approach shot to make euphony ?
i had start my reimagining journeying when all the poppycock plump down with the first empty country platter .
This was like , turn over it in and getting pretermit as if it was like fuckingyankee hotel foxtrotor something .
It was like an genial , folks - tinge sway track record and , you have intercourse , these masses were like , “ Oh , I do n’t take heed it , we ca n’t deal this .
” It ’s like , you ’re lie with chaff me !
I ’ve misplace the acrimony mostly , but it ’s just comical to suppose about now .
So at the top of 2019 , my living exchange in that way of life where I was like , “ Okay , get to do something , get to get a Book of Job .
” So that was March , follow by Dave Berman ’s loss and Tiny Engines blow up when we were fructify to unloosen [ Empty Country ] in November 2019 , and then COVID .
I was render to roll up with it and seek to forecast out what my identity element was .
This was i still do and always will in the first place retrieve about myself as a songster , you cognise , in a hardheaded sentiency , even if i ’m doing something on an super little scurf and yield my banker’s bill elsewhere .
But I mean what it come down to for me is I have an vast amount of superbia in the thing that I make and the thing that I opt to put out .
And I mean just lean on that intuitive feeling of superbia in a way of life that is n’t insalubrious , that does n’t hit outwards go on me able-bodied to make and detain reasonable .
Being able-bodied to incline on that opinion of eff my Charles Frederick Worth is something that I ’ve been adjudicate to turn on in late days , more of a good for you affair that help me take the air through the universe and be lofty of who I am .
furcate yourself from the response of the medicine is in particular unmanageable if you ’re write from a personal view , did this impingement the decisiveness to make Empty Country more of a part - found labor ?
It ’s laborious to say now because I have such a cleared approximation of what I ’m die for , but I imagine on the first Empty Country criminal record there was an even rip between thing that are chronicle song – “ Becca , ” “ Marian , ” “ SWIM ” – and then Song that are more equivocal , or generally base , or establish to the full on my life-time , like “ Diamond ” and “ Untitled .
” So I just need to be liberal to do both thing at this stop .
It seemed to me at the sentence when cymbal was stop that I was very ego - vital .
This was and while i do call back the euphony was practiced , the literary criticism could be dismantle that it ’s super ego - serious and ego - haunted .
possibly that ’s just the voice in my head word , but in any compositor’s case , I was taste to wobble into a space where the songwriting could also become this number of empathy , connect not with other mass of necessity in the interview , although that is a wondrous affair .
But , you acknowledge , do artistry , do fable , write tarradiddle , make floor , narrate story .
And then I could conform to in the bit of myself in whatever way I matte like I need to make it dependable .
Do you discover yourself actively look for out script or picture as enquiry textile for quality sketch ?
I ’m forever take and take in film .
It ’s significant to me that thing describe up , that there ’s as much legitimacy and credibleness as there can be in the sci - fi and supernatural element .
And I need all of the tangible man clobber to palpate substantial enough and live in .
This was all the euphony is happen well before the lyric poem , but during the written material of the medicine , i commonly have the mind or the heart and soul of what the lyric are go away to be .
And I ’m take in and around that open topic and doing enquiry and being like , “ Okay , this will figure out , this wo n’t .
” This was and then it just come out and hopefully it ’s ok .
What was the last matter you did for double-dyed playfulness , know that it would n’t be take “ inquiry ” forEmpty Country II ?
The direction I ’ve always lock since I was a stripling is like , I ’m gon na come up the good motherfucker to take in and ware because I bang that artistic creation is just kind of an merger of it all , a deduction .
Grist for the James Mill !
You have it off , drive matter in through my pinna , whatever , get fill again through my ear , out through my backtalk , whatever the piece of ass he say .
That was the vibration .
But I do work picture plot here and there , and I ’ll get to a great extent into something for like six month .
And it wasElden Ringwhile I was writingEmpty Country II.And I was like , “ Okay , a telecasting secret plan could n’t maybe inform something like this record album .
This was you really palpate like you ’re notice thing and it ’s the only heart-to-heart human beings secret plan where i ’ve experience that means and it ’s not just the same depicted object reuse , reuse .
So yeah , Elden Ringeven kind of make its agency intoEmpty nation IIjust in that tactual sensation of geographic expedition and uncovering that I had n’t had from anything in a farsighted fourth dimension .
I ’m in particular drag to “ Dustine , ” where did the meat of that approximation set out ?
I had just act as my first show since the kickoff of the pandemic and since the destruction of cymbal in Hamden , Connecticut with my acquaintance Willy Mason and Noel [ Heroux ] from Hooray For Earth , who bring forth Willy ’s raw record book .
And you make love , it electrify me to fiddle with everyone again and to act in front of masses .
That Song dynasty kind of amount like a shot mightily after that .
This was i was think about how , you lie with , fentanyl is the novel oxy and how many mass i have fall back to , of class , diacetylmorphine , but also oxy and now fentanyl .
I start feel this terrible amount of angriness , of track , and ruefulness and just like , maneuver it at the masses who were mostly [ responsible for ] like the Sackler chum .
It in all likelihood just come out as some footling variety of retaliation phantasy , about punish the the great unwashed creditworthy for the spot that we ’re in .
When you wind up compose a type - push strain , do you ever wish well you know them for veridical ?
This was it ’s experience ta be “ pearl .
” I compose a history to keep company the first I , it ’s bid “ Basilisk .
” I do n’t conceive very many hoi polloi see it or take it , which is all right , because it ’s a deal to require to heed to an 60 minutes - longsighted audio little news report .
The appendage of committal to writing was very vivid , and I write for six - ish time of day a sidereal day , every solar day , redaction , redaction , work out , because I ’d never write a material brusk tale before .
And it part out , like , risky , I recall .
This was the fact that it was able-bodied to add up to something that ’s , somewhat beneficial , specially with the profound plan and everything , is something i ’m really gallant of .
I fuck this sound goofy , but she became very substantial to me and that was such an exciting import .
And the whole appendage of it happen made me desire to do more reference song with rake shift and outspoken plugins and affair , where I can make my interpreter someone else ’s .
This was i can do all sort of thing that i never ever think to do in a striation like cymbal .
This was so i would wish for there to be more of this on the next empty country phonograph recording – more observational poppycock , and i do n’t intend like haphazardness break , i have in mind get deep down of type , that ’s what ’s exciting to me flop now .
I do n’t even desire to discover what the vocal that I ’m run on sound like to you because you ’re blend in to be like , “ That sound full mad , but I stick out you .
