With their heartfelt lyrics, raw energy, and unforgettable anthems, Soul Asylum defined the sound of a generation in the 1990s. And 30 years later, the American band continues to captivate audiences around the world. And it's not just their classic Runaway Train which gets the audience moving.
Ahead of their highly anticipated concert at Aria Complex on Saturday, Times of Malta interviewed frontman David Pirner about the gig, the new album that spawned the upcoming tour, and where the music industry is at right now.
Their latest album, Slowly But Shirley, is Soul Asylum’s 13th studio release. Over the years, their style has fluctuated between raucous and mellow, spawning hits like Black Gold and Misery.
“When we were starting out there were a lot of punk bands that had the same approach and aesthetic. Everything was loud and fast, and in fact, when we started out we were called Loud Fast Rules. As time went on, I wanted to mix things up, draw inspiration from different kinds of music, and not be stuck in doing things in one particular way.”
Pirner says the turning point in terms of style was when he first picked up the acoustic guitar, after developing a hearing problem.
“That was the first step in seeing just how versatile a four-piece rock band could be. The newest record is a little bit more ‘back to basics’. I made it with Steve Jordan, who produced one of our records in the 90s. The chemistry between us was extremely enlightening and educational for me, so when there was an opportunity to work with him again, I jumped on it. We went for more feel instead of more notes, using space instead of trying to fill it all up.”
Asked about the differences between American and European audiences, Pirner says he is especially fascinated when crowds whose native language is not English sing along to songs.
“I once watched Leonard Cohen in Spain and people were singing along to every single word, which I thought was really cool. But a rock club is a rock club wherever you go. It’s usually painted black, sometimes the toilets work and sometimes they don’t,” he laughs.
“Wherever you are, what stays with you the most is when someone is really kind. People can be dicks all day long, but then you get the cashier at the 7-Eleven or the truck stop, and they’re just real kind to you and you ask yourself, ‘Isn’t that how everyone should be?’ Hopefully we catch people in Malta on a good day.”
Pirner admits the band only had a vague idea of Malta’s existence before they were booked for the gig. But after watching videos on YouTube, they were intrigued.
“I was blown away. I had no idea how fascinating the history is, and I’m really curious to feel that air there. I’m an architecture fan and I’ve travelled a lot, but I feel like I’ve never seen anything quite like it,” he said, while also expressing curiosity about the Maltese language.
Speaking about the current state of the industry, Pirner, now 60, says he still listens to modern music.
“I might not like the music itself, but whenever I see young people making music, that makes me glad. Even though for me there’s a big difference between a Disney kid and some kid that plays jazz or punk rock in a club. I love hip hop, and there are still a few acts out there that I would still consider as rock bands.”
Is live music the only way to make money these days?
“Soul Asylum has always been a tight, low-overhead, punk rock thing, so we’ve always relied on live music, and we play a lot before we record anything,” he says.
Pirner has mixed feelings about music streaming apps like Spotify.
“I found them hard to engage with at first because they were a new thing. But I also can’t begrudge them because there are people who have heard our songs who otherwise might not have. Everyone should get their music however they want,” he says.
“Having said that, I am dumbfounded by the idea of a computer deciding what you’re listening to,” he adds, referring to algorithms that suggest what listeners should check out.
“Whenever I wanted new music, I had to go out and look for it by hanging around record stores, talking to human beings in person and going to clubs.”
On the band’s most famous hit, Runaway Train, for which the band won a Grammy Award for best rock song in 1994, Pirner says the song’s staying power is probably due to how relatable it is.
“I was in bad shape at the time. I was experiencing clinical depression – all this weird emotional stuff that I was growing into, and not very happy about growing into it. I guess people identified with that. I’m glad I could make people feel like they weren’t alone in going through that kind of thing.”
Pirner says he eventually got tired of the song and stopped playing it live.
“I thought it was too popular. But then you’d get people coming up to us after a show saying, ‘I drove 10 hours with my four-year-old child and you didn’t play Runaway Train’, and I felt like a bit of an asshole. In the end I rationalised it by telling myself that it’s only four minutes out of my life, and it’s actually a pretty good song.”
Saturday’s gig at Aria Complex kicks off a European tour that will visit 13 cities in three weeks.
What keeps Pirner going despite the strenuous nature of touring?
“I was asking myself that very question a few days ago. To be honest I approached this tour with a bit of trepidation. But at the end of the day, it’s so much better than all the jobs I had before being in a band. It’s not a perfect job, but I wouldn’t have it any other way,” the singer said, adding that Saturday’s crowd could expect “85 minutes of top-notch alternative rock.”
Tickets for the concert at Aria Complex on January 25 at 7.30pm can be purchased here.