The Royal Basement Podcast #3: Chris Murphy of SLOAN
If there is any contemporary band who has turned me on my head in terms of what a pop song can be, it's Sloan. When loud guitars and screamin' dudes were all the rage in the early 90's, the band turned their back on that sound and went back in time, carving their own path by tastefully borrowing from the 60's and 70's while forming their own sound. Comprised of four different songwriters, Sloan is a complex and multi-faceted creature that has spent the last 23 years redefining the classic pop canon, making some absolutely crucial classic recordings in the process. I was lucky enough to get to chat with Chris Murphy about his beginnings, inspiration, songwriting and gear selection process, as well as having him pick out a mini-DJ set for the podcast. Put your ears on a Q&A with Chris Murphy of Sloan.
Editor's note: I mistakenly attributed ten studio albums to Sloan in my introduction. Commonwealth is actually their 11th studio album. I ran out of fingers when counting and forgot what came after ten. My sincerest apologies to Sloan for discounting a record.
As a bonus, here's a video I filmed at their Tractor Tavern show here in Seattle, featuring one of my favorite Andrew Scott-penned numbers, "The N.S." (also off of Between The Bridges) with Chris Murphy on the skins.
And for the uninitiated, here's a playlist of some of the finest songs in the Sloan catalog. Hit shuffle and go to town.