Interview: Tim Kile on debut album ‘These Things Are Being Gathered For The Fire’
Out April 28: The Wild Light and Arcade Fire co-founder delivers a grand indie rock ambition
AUDIOMACK . BANDCAMP . WEBSITE . FACEBOOK . INSTAGRAM . TWITTER . KILE KIDZ
Photo Credit: Tanya Lacourse
AUSTIN, TEXAS [APRIL 28, 2021] -- Tim Kile’s debut solo album has been a long time coming. The Austin singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist is set to release These Things Are Being Gathered for the Fire on Wednesday, April 28, and the path that got him to this moment has been as typically long and winding as one would expect from an independent musician. From his early days two decades ago as a co-founding member of Arcade Fire, to leading New England’s late-aughts indie rock hopefuls Wild Light, to the past several years honing his craft as a solo artist, Kile has witnessed his own creative spirit evolve alongside his own sense of self.
That proof is weaved throughout the 10 tracks on These Things Are Being Gathered for the Fire, a compelling record from an artist with a lot to say but not a lot of time to say it. The tracks are bold declarations of guitar-rock, where melodies dance in a sprawling fit of creativity around a seasoned perspective of life and what lies ahead.
Across six monthly singles so far, Kile has rolled out a consistent line of stirring compositions -- the grand indie rock ambition of “Wasteland,” the infectious jangle-pop bounce of “My Medicine,” the expansive sonic exploration of “Buddy Holly/Seazons.” Each single has its own voice, its own rhythm and pulse, all connected through Kile’s sensibilities as a songwriter and storyteller, weaving tales around innocence, corruption, doubt, faith, love, hate, the basic human need to seek transcendence, to understand the big picture, and to find the clarity that surpasses day-to-day awareness.
Michael Marotta of publi*sist caught up with Kile to discuss the themes swirling around his new album, his songwriting process, and how he finally got to this moment in time.
publi*sist: How excited are you to release your debut album?
Tim Kile: Super pumped. It ain’t music until someone hears it.
What are some of the themes that run through These Things Are Being Gathered for the Fire?
Thematically, there is a consistent language that runs through the album, using religious metaphor and language to describe phenomena that aren’t necessarily religious. But I think that language, even in our mostly post-religion modern world, has power in describing and understanding human situations. Most of the greatest lyricists work this territory - Bob Dylan, Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, PJ Harvey; they all use it as a penetrating and effective means of expressing certain human truths. There’s a depth and richness of expression, a sense of existential mystery, and a historicity that goes back millenia; it’s impossible to replicate these things. I studied Classics in college, and always wanted to employ a classicist’s approach. I wanted to understand the ‘canonical’ works; the greatest works, the enduring works, the Dylans, The Beatles, The Clash, The Smiths, the music that stands the test of time. Those works shaped my ambitions and my taste.
What are some of the things that inspired these songs?
I think the themes on the album are the classic themes: innocence, corruption, doubt, faith, love, hate, the basic human need to seek transcendence, to understand the big picture, to find the clarity that surpasses day-to-day awareness, “the peace that is beyond understanding”. There’s an attempt in songs like “Wasteland” and “My Medicine” to understand our current societal and historical moment in terms of these ideas. “Wasteland” is sort of apocalyptic in a classic sense, but it references hyper-current phenomena like getting a spray tan. “My Medicine” uses ancient religious expressions to try to understand the healing power of modern psychiatric medicine. “Jeremiad” is about getting your ass kicked by small town fascists in a bathroom stall at a bar, but it’s couched in the language of the ancient Jewish prophets. A Jeremiad is a searing lamentation or conviction, a calling-out of hypocrites and liars, and it doesn’t mince words. The prophets had a way of getting their asses kicked. The song is loosely based on a personal experience, or a couple of them, in the small shithole town in New Hampshire where I grew up, where you’re likely to get unmentionable names shouted at you by douchebags driving down the road in their trucks if they see you dressed a certain way. The song tries to elevate that very basic, very vulgar experience into something of almost prophetic significance.
What was the creative songwriting process for these songs like, and when/where/how did they all come together?
The songs come from all different periods and eras of my life, to the point that making it all cohesive was a bit of a concern throughout. I think we got it there, but it includes everything from songs I finished in the vocal booth, to songs I’ve had ready to go for years, even back to the Arcade Fire days. Going into recording I knew about 5 of the 10 songs were sure things, then for the others I had a list of probably 50 songs, and I trusted the process to reveal which ones were right for the time. Recording started with a solid month in Harlem with two producers, Brady Watt and DECAP, and as we got in the flow, recording 12 hours a day, it just became clear to me which songs wanted to be born. Which is a great feeling. It takes some faith to step into the creative process, you never know whether it’s going to come together, there are moments of doubt, but once you get in the flow and things start popping, it’s the best feeling I know of.
Is there one singular aspect or moment of the album that is your personal favorite?
Some favorite moments for me - the “Wasteland, Satan, Spray Tan” chorus in the album opener, “Wasteland” feels pretty inspired. I don’t write songs with big choruses that often, so it’s a kick when I get one. Makes me wanna write more big anthems when I hear that jam. I feel very close to “Buddy Holly/Seazons,” the lyrics in that song, it’s kind of about the mystery of creativity, the mystery of rock music, the reincarnations of melody and sentiment through generations, which is what this, or any album is all about. There’s that line in the Nick Cave song, “I know it’s only rock n roll, but it gets you right down in your soul.” I concur. I also value the moments of humor, the moments that make me laugh, because I think it’s hard to pull off. In “Jeremiad,” the first lyric I thought of was “You’re slaves, to your bellies and your balls, or rather not your balls, that would be an improvement.” I laughed when I thought of that.
What mental approach did you take to writing these songs?
I’m proud of how stylistically diverse the album is. That’s something I don’t see artists in the indie world trying to do very much anymore - going for the gusto, the big statement, the sprawling mess of creativity. To my ears, so much current indie rock seems to be about carving out this narrow little franchise sound and just plowing that tiny corner of the earth. It makes sense in a way, in our time of music overload, to develop a trademark sound and kind of stick to it so people know who you are. But I miss the days of the ambitious asshole artist, who’s reach slightly exceeds his/her/their grasp, but they go for it. I grew up on the White Album, London Calling, Wu Tang Forever, Mellon Collie; I’m a sucker for the big messy double album. This is obviously not a double album, and I tried to keep it pretty tight, but that’s the stuff that inspired me, made me wanna make music. I’m guessing I’ve got one of those double albums in me a little down the road.
What are some things about Tim Kile, the person, people may be surprised to learn?
People might be surprised at the level of duress under which the album was made. I have autoimmune illness, and as the project progressed, my health was in a state of severe deterioration. It got to where I just couldn’t eat anything without excruciating pain. Having a sip of a smoothie would cause me pain for days. I kept losing weight, and I eventually had to be hospitalized for 11 days with malnourishment and dehydration. I had just finished the record, and it was sort of like I passed the finish line just in time for this complete personal collapse. The title itself, These Things Are Being Gathered for the Fire, came to me in a dream from this period.
In a restless, semi-conscious sleep I dreamt that I walked, heavy, consumed with the attachments of day-to-day life: receipts, to-do lists, sets of keys, empty contact lens boxes, all the bullshit and kitsch that clutters our view every day. They filled my pockets and soul in that infinite sort of way that can only happen in dreams. In a state of deep distress, I cried out, “Why is this happening to me!!” And as clear as day, a voice answered, “These things are being gathered for the fire.” I immediately fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
In the subsequent period and health challenges I faced, that dream functioned as a North Star. It was a beacon of hard hope, helped me believe that what I was going through had an end, that I would ultimately conquer these obstacles, that they were being consolidated, and they would be ‘consumed by the fire.’ In a way, that circle is now closing. It took a long time to get back to myself, but I’m there now. It’s time to fuel the fire.
Hit the private link up top to preview “These Things Are Being Gathered for the Fire .” Direct all press inquiries to Tim Kile at timkile@gmail.com or Michael Marotta at michael@publisist.co.
***
‘These Things Are Being Gathered for the Fire’ album artwork:
Design: Casey Galfas
***
Tim Kile bio:
Tim Kile is a recording artist based in Austin, Texas. A co-founding member of Grammy Award winners Arcade Fire and Columbia Records' Wild Light, Kile has released music and toured worldwide in support of bands such as The Killers, LCD Soundsystem, Arcade Fire, MGMT, The Wallflowers, and Doves.
With the release of his debut solo album These Things Are Being Gathered for the Fire later in the year, Kile is prepared to greet both new and long-standing fans with his richest work yet. Evoking the sweeping romanticism of The Cure and early U2, the incandescent musical sophistication of Elliott Smith, and the lyrical sensitivity of a young Nick Cave or Conor Oberst, Kile’s compositions entrance and intrigue, bringing the listener back for listen after listen.
Classically trained on piano and voice, self-taught on guitar and bass, Kile performs most of the instruments on his recordings. These Things Are Being Gathered for the Fire is slated for release in Spring 2021, preceded by a run of singles.
Press contact: Tim Kile at timkile@gmail.com or Michael Marotta at michael@publisist.co.
SPOTIFY . AUDIOMACK . BANDCAMP . WEBSITE . FACEBOOK . INSTAGRAM . TWITTER . KILE KIDZ