Music OUTSIDE THE FESTIVALS
DRAWN FROM MEMORY Illustrator and musician Chad VanGaalen’s no frills lo-fi approach is winning him fans, including his own grunge idol J Mascis, finds Claire Sawers
W e join Chad VanGaalen at home in Calgary. It’s morning, and he’s lounging on his bed with his dog, and telling us how he first got into making music. ‘Since I was about five, I was really into comics. For years I’d been going to this book store in Calgary, Phoenix Comic Books. [The owner] built this little record store section out back, with a bunch of boutique vinyl. In Calgary we didn’t have anything like that; so it was pretty special. I’d go in and buy a comic, and pop in to the record store. I was more interested in the cool record covers. But the guy [. . .] saw I was coming in a lot, and wanted to give me some records to “try and weird me out”.’
So 15-year-old VanGaalen began taking home Pavement, Nirvana, Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh and Shellac records. ‘After that I was completely hooked.’ ‘AT 15 YEARS OLD, I COULDN’T EVEN
back, saying “Awesome!” That was it; kind of the perfect way for me to be working. He realised what I do is kind of psychedelic, and a bit unplanned. . .’ The visual side of VanGaalen’s work is a swirling, trippy, cartoon blur of monsters and bubblegum colours. There are shades of Daniel Johnston’s hallucinogenic wig-outs, or David Shrigley’s doodles, and it reveals VanGaalen’s true passion; illustration. ‘Maybe one day I’ll get bored with music, but not drawing.’
Musically, VanGaalen doesn’t sound like someone bored with making music. Last month he put out Diaper Island, his fourth LP, and to many his sharpest and most cohesive to date. It’s a woozy, gently indie rock record, twanging and swooning with folk sounds. He’s stripped back the layers, and returned to the minimalist, no- frills grunge of his teens. ‘In the past I’ve put prepared piano pieces on my records, or instrumental electronic music. I want to compartmentalise my music now. I feel like the rock stuff just came really easy; it might not be as eclectic or as experimental as earlier stuff, it just felt more honest.’
In a few weeks, VanGaalen has an art exhibition opening in Amsterdam, before collaborating with animator friends on a short film. ‘I’m slowly but surely getting my shit together,’ he says, still with the (overly modest) mumble of a stoner rock dude.
. Captain’s Rest, Glasgow, 18 Aug; Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, 19 Aug. See list.co.uk for a longer version of this interview.
DREAM I’D BE DOING WHAT I’M
DOING NOW’
Fast forward to now, and thirtysomething VanGaalen is not only making his own music, and animating his own videos, J Mascis is now a friend, after the singer got in touch and asked him to animate a video. ‘Yeah, as a 15-year-old, I couldn’t even dream I’d be doing what I’m doing now. It’s completely surreal.’ Mascis was a Sub Pop labelmate and got in touch after a mutual friend described VanGaalen as, ‘this kind of stoner rock dude’. Mascis saw some animations of his, and asked him to create something.
‘So I sent back an email saying, “Hey man, I really don’t know what this is going to turn out to be. . . I really like your songs, hope you don’t think I’m too flaky, but I really can’t tell what I’m going to make you. Hope that doesn’t sound too stupid.” And J gets 108 THE LIST 18–25 Aug 2011
list.co.uk/music
HITLIST LIVE MUSIC HIGHLIGHTS
Chad VanGaalen See interview, left. Captain’s Rest, Glasgow, Thu 18 Aug; Sneaky Pete’s, Edinburgh, Fri 19 Aug. (Rock & Pop)
Adam Stafford The Y’all is Fantasy Island frontman from Falkirk. See album review, page 109. Stereo, Glasgow, Sat 20 Aug. (Rock & Pop)
Dolly Parton The leading lady of country with the phenomenal voice – and formidable poitrine. SECC, Glasgow, Sat 20 & Sun 21 Aug. (Rock & Pop)
The Avett Brothers Harmonising brothers with a mellow country/indie sound. The Arches, Glasgow, Mon 22 Aug. (Rock & Pop)
Interpol Dark and dapper indie rock from New York. O2 Academy, Glasgow, Tue 23 Aug. (Rock & Pop)
The National Those lyrics, that voice. And the crowd went wild. Corn Exchange, Edinburgh, 23 Aug, O2 Academy, Glasgow, Wed 24 Aug. (Rock & Pop)
Eagulls Hardcore meets alt.rock, from Leeds. Nice’n’Sleazy, Glasgow, Wed 24 Aug. (Rock & Pop)
Trembling Bells Local psych-folk outfit. Stereo, Glasgow, Thu 25 Aug. (Rock & Pop)
Amanda Palmer One of The List’s cover stars – (above) – is lead singer of Dresden Dolls, and half of Evelyn Evelyn, a conjoined twin punk cabaret in the Edinburgh Fringe. Check @amandapalmer for details of impromptu Twitter gigs while she’s in Scotland. HMV Picture House, Edinburgh, Thu 25 Aug; The Arches, Glasgow, Fri 26 Aug (Rock & Pop). Evelyn Evelyn, Assembly George Square, 17–21 Aug, part of the Fringe. See page 113 for details of how to win Interpol, Avett Brothers and Amanda Palmer tickets.