His aim is true
Scott McCaughey is an indie renaissance man, playing in multiple bands
By Chris Nixon
For the San Diego Union-Tribune
February 23, 2006
Talking with Scott McCaughey on the phone is a lot like listening to his albums: friendly and pleasant, yet muddled with circuitous logic and odd imagery.
Take, for example, the new album with one of his many projects, the Minus 5. The band nicknamed its eponymous 2006 release “The Gun Album,” and for good reason. The cover features a 9mm handgun, the CD depicts a diagram of a disassembled gun, and three of the 13 tracks mention guns in the lyrics and title.
The quartermaster bakes a radio / The traitor's a ragdoll in the tornado / The funnel fades to gray / With hand upon the bible who's to say? sings McCaughey on “This Rifle Called Goodbye,” the first track greeting listeners on the album. Rife with surreal absurdity, the strangely dark lyrics play a nice counterpoint to the band's sugary pop hooks.
Here's what McCaughey said from his home in Portland, Ore., about the gun theme: “I hate guns. I absolutely hate them. So it's a weird thing for me to have a gun on the cover. But it seemed to make perfect sense to me at the time.”
“I use the gun thing as an image that goes through the record,” continued McCaughey, laughing at himself a little as he tries to explain the gun theme. “It's very antithetical to what I stand for and what I am into, but it kept turning up. It seemed representative of all the (stuff) in my life.”
His response is odd and charming, like the collection of jangly pop tunes contained on the album. The strumming retro sound comes honestly. McCaughey (pronounced McCoy) again uses his friend and longtime collaborator Peter Buck on the new Minus 5 disc. Buck is famous for creating his own retro pop sound. He returns the favor by using McCaughey as a sideman when recording with his band, R.E.M.
“I've learned so much about ideas for arranging and production (from R.E.M.),” said McCaughey about his time with R.E.M. “Working with those guys, I've picked up so much from all of them. Watching how Michael (Stipe) constructs melodies and works on lyrics is inspiring, watching Mike (Mills) go in at 2 in the morning. I've learned a lot about how he plays keyboards and organ especially. Peter (Buck) – just watching the consistency of how he goes out there. He's so precise on every take.”
McCaughey reached notoriety in indie circles with his band the Young Fresh Fellows, but has gone on to join or create Tuatara (with Buck), the Squirrels, the Lowebeats, the New Strychinies and also serve as “the fifth member” of R.E.M. since 1994.
With a substantial amount of indie cred built up, the new disc features two tracks recorded in Chicago with Wilco, along with guest appearances by John Wesley Harding, Kelly Hogan, Morgan Fisher (Mott the Hoople), Sean Nelson (Harvey Danger/Long Winters), and Colin Meloy and John Moen (the Decemberists).
The Minus 5 will perform in support of “The Gun Album” at the Belly Up Tavern with Robyn Hitchcock, where the band will backup Hitchcock and he'll join them onstage for a few tunes.
"It will be a workout, said McCaughey. "I'm guessing we'll be onstage 2 1/2 hours or close to it. Peter and I have done that quite a few times: Tuatara/Mark Eitzel/Minus 5/Tuatara/Minus 5/Cedell Davis. We've done some long ones when we're playing with all the bands. And the R.E.M. shows are always two-plus hours too, so it's cool. I don't mind. I enjoy it."
Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.
