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Home  Archive music profiles Pedro the Lion
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Pedro the Lion |
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Written by Anne Valente
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Friday, 16 December 2005 |
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He does not preach but instead
grapples with his own questions, and in doing so lets us in on some of
the most beautiful material being produced today in the music industry.
With a new album out this month and a tour launched alongside Death Cab
for Cutie and Ben Kweller, Pedro the Lion has its plate full. The new
album Achilles’ Heel, marking their fourth full-length release and due
out on May 25, is just as tragically gorgeous as its predecessors and
shows continued movement in the right direction. And the tour, with its
dynamite coupling of Pedro the Lion with Death Cab and Ben Kweller,
promises to be a gem of a live show, delivering three stellar
performances for the price of one.
Much in the same way that
Iron and Wine is really just a one-man show composed of
singer/songwriter Sam Beam, Pedro the Lion is the pseudonym of David
Bazan, the humble force behind the stage name. Deeply religious yet
resistant to the pigeonhole of Christian rock, Bazan is a rare anomaly
in the music world. He draws upon his spirituality in the writing of
his songs, but you might never even notice it if you didn’t listen to
the lyrics. The music is both spiritual and secular, his faith not
necessarily the focal point of his work but certainly a part of it, as
an extension of Bazan himself. For Bazan, there is no such thing as
Christian rock; there is only music. He does not preach but instead
grapples with his own questions, and in doing so lets us in on some of
the most beautiful material being produced today in the music industry.
Because the media at times focuses too much on prying into
Bazan’s religious convictions, the real issue at hand is overlooked.
What is most important about Pedro the Lion is the amazing songwriting
and composition talent, and the subtle ways in which the music makes
you want to cry every time you hear it. Here, Bazan talks about these
things and more, no religion allowed.
What new challenges did you face in producing the new album, Achilles’ Heel?
Well, I was looking to have a little bit more fun on this one. I was
also aiming to achieve a new guitar sound, something a little different
than before.
What is involved in the songwriting process for you, or what inspirations foster your talent?
Everybody has different outlets for what inspires them. I guess I
started writing songs a long time ago and it just sort of made sense to
do that. I just really liked writing down the stories. When I get ideas
for something, the words just kind of come. Now, that’s what I do—I
write songs; it’s just kind of automatic. Probably every other day, I
just sit down and think up something, some of which is never going to
go anywhere.
So I guess you just have a natural talent for writing really beautiful music.
I don’t know. I’ve heard somebody say that it’s 90 percent hard work
and 10 percent talent, and I think that’s great. But sometimes I don’t
really feel that way. I’ve had a lot of friends who had just a lot of
bubbling-over natural ability and I always wanted to be like them. But
I always had to work really hard while I was writing songs. I kept
thinking, “Okay, how do I get better at this?” It’s great when you
start coming up with stuff that you like, but it’s really unfortunate
when you start wondering if other people will like it. You have to pull
back at some point and say, “Hey wait a minute, I’m the one—I have to
like this.” What other people want doesn’t really matter.
I
guess there would be some tension between what fans want to hear and
what you yourself want to write, just by being in an industry where it
is a job based on money.
There can be, but I think it’s my
responsibility to be proactive in fighting against that. I think it’s a
disservice to fans and to the people who are going to sell your record
to write a bunch of stuff just because you think people are going to
like it.
Is songwriting something you always knew that you
wanted to do, or when you were younger, was there something else that
you thought you’d do?
Well, in fourth grade I wanted to be an
astronaut. By sixth grade, my grades were already going downhill and
that’s because…well, I discovered girls. I started playing drums in
seventh grade and decided I wanted to be a drummer. I thought I’d be a
drummer for a living, but then I started writing songs and that took
over.
Did you have a favorite class or subject in high school?
One of my favorite classes was creative writing during my senior year.
Jazz band was really great, and marching band was a lot of fun—you had
drumline class. I really liked that, too.
What kind of music did you listen to when you were younger that maybe influences you now?
Well, I grew up in the church so I listened to a lot of church music,
like old hymns, and I know that comes into it now a little bit. But
also, in high school, I listened to The Cure, Fugazi, and the Beatles.
And then there was…oh what are they called? “Beds Are Burning”— Oh
yeah, Midnight Oil. I had a couple of records of theirs that I was
really into.
Any all-time favorite songs?
No. It changes
so much. I don’t know; there are records that I become obsessed with
for periods of time, and for different things. Some songs I like
because they’re really rockin’, and some songs I like because the
writing is so beautiful.
Have you been to any really great, memorable shows?
I’ve seen Fugazi a couple of times and those were amazing shows.
Radiohead was really good. Actually, I saw Low play at the Tractor
Tavern in Seattle and that was one of the best shows I’ve seen. I saw
Grandaddy in this coffee shop in 1994, and that was really one of the
best, too.
How is the current tour going with Death Cab for Cutie and Ben Kweller?
We haven’t met up with Ben Kweller yet, but Death Cab are old friends
of ours and we played our first show with them last night, and it’s
absolutely wonderful.
Unfortunately, we won’t get both of you
together here in St. Louis, but you’re coming alone at the end of
April. Playback definitely plans to be there.
Great. Come up and say hi.
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