Luna,
Girl Trouble
Paradigm
215 SE 9th Ave., 241-5862
10 pm Friday, March 31, $10
Luna's Discography:
Lunapark (1992)
Bewitched (1994)
Penthouse (1995)
Pup Tent (1997)
The Days of Our Nights (1999)
Dean Wareham, vocalist-guitarist for Luna and former leader
of underground geniuses Galaxie 500, is living proof that
reputations mean nothing in the music business.
Though beloved by fans for more than a decade and a half,
Wareham and Luna recently found themselves homeless. Elektra,
Luna's label since 1992, suddenly dropped the dreamy pop
quartet last year, right as the band was about to release
its fifth album, The Days of Our Nights. The band
bounced back, released the record on an indie label and
quickly piled up some of its strongest reviews ever. Wareham
recently spoke with us by phone, in preparation for Luna's
first show in Portland in far, far too long.
WW: So, how does it feel being an indie rock
band all of a sudden?
Dean Wareham: It doesn't really
feel like we're in an indie rock band. The thing is, the
guys who run Jericho Records, they all come from major labels.
They just don't have as much money to throw around on every
little thing. We made the record for a major label, anyway.
I've heard several versions of how Elektra rejected
The Days of Our Nights. I'd heard you turned it in,
and they sent it back and told you to redo it; I've heard
they made you put "Sweet Child o' Mine" on the album. Can
you set the record straight?
Yes, they asked us to put
"Sweet Child o' Mine" on there. We did it as a B-side, and
they wanted to put it on there. Our response was if they're
excited about it, let's do it. It wouldn't have been my
first choice. As for the other rumor, no, they didn't tell
us to do anything. I mean, they asked us to remix a song,
but that's standard. That's the radio. They'll say, [mocking
voice] "Yeah, sounds pretty good. Could do with a remix."
I think the thing to do is hand it in and tell them it's
being remixed already.
Were you surprised when Elektra dropped you?
I would
have not been surprised if we handed in the album and they
said, "No, we're not doing this." But the way they dragged
it out was a little strange. I remember saying to Justin
[Harwood, Luna's bassist] two years before that I wouldn't
be surprised if they dropped us. It wasn't a shock.
Was there a nervousness within the band when you were
dropped?
We thought we'd find somewhere, but we were
in a hurry, because the album had already come out in Europe
and we couldn't afford to wait too long. I mean, 6,000 imports
came into the country, so if we didn't get it out, there
wouldn't have been a point.
Lyrically, how much of you--in a personal way--is in
your later work, as opposed to your earlier work, with Luna
and Galaxie 500? Do you think you're more reflective now
or then?
Maybe earlier on. Each song is not a personal
song about me. My life is just not that exciting. Some of
it is fiction writing. Writing your memoirs is not going
to provide interesting material. On the other hand, a lot
of it is very revealing about my wishes and desires, dreams.
So "Dear Diary" is not about me stalking a girl, but parts
of "Four Thousand Days" are about me. Thematically, this
record is preoccupied with living at night.
Well, you could say that about Penthouse. On
"Chinatown," weren't you "coming out to play" after sunset,
"out all night/chasing girlies"?
[Chuckles] Yeah, so
I guess it's been a theme for the last few records.
Galaxie 500 has found a whole new flock of admirers,
especially with the release of the box set a few years back.
How was it, going back over that material again?
I'm
proud of those records. It's generally aged well. I mean,
if I listen to the lyrics, I think some of it is youthful
and silly, but in terms of the sound, it isn't like, "God,
that really sounds like an '80s record." The inspiring thing
about Galaxie 500 is that it just proves that people who
can hardly play can get together and make some pretty nice
music.
Sort of like the other band that Luna's always
compared to, the Velvet Underground. Luna's been around
for eight years now. Are you sick of those comparisons?
I
suppose it has its place as a reference point, but I don't
think it's very accurate. Maybe around the time of Bewitched,
since Sterling Morrison played on the record. But we've
made five albums, and if you sent this record out, or the
last record out, and they didn't already know that we're
supposed to sound like VU, I don't think anyone would come
up with that.
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Willamette Week | originally
published March 29,
2000
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