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SXSW interivew: J. Roddy Walston and the Business
J. Roddy Walston and the Business snapshot dreams lost (“Brave Man’s Death”) and reclaimed (“I Don’t Wanna Hear It”) with wolverine fury. The Baltimore-based quartet scored a last-minute slot at Mr. & Mrs. T and Rachael Ray’s Stubb’s party on Saturday.
“It was a surprise to us,” lead singer Walston says. “I think they booked the whole party and (someone at Vagrant Records) sent over our demo. Between their reaction and Rachael Ray’s, things got shifted around and we got added.”
American-Statesman: How did your set go at Red Eyed Fly (Thursday afternoon)?
J. Roddy Walston: It went great. We had the exact opposite SXSW experience a couple years ago. We played a pizza parlor that was turned into a club and no one was there. Everything this year is awesome. We played the same way that we played at the pizza parlor in 2008, but everyone seems to be reacting.
Earlier this week, you told us that you wanted to eat at Torchy’s (Tacos).
I haven’t been yet. I got free jeans, though, which nearly brought me to tears. I needed jeans so bad, like I literally would’ve taken anything with a crotch in it. We’re living on the edge right now (laughs). We’ll try to get (to Torchy’s).
You’ve talked about Paul Westerberg’s influence on you.
I heard him and Big Star at the same moment. Something about those two connected. With Westerberg, we were kind of trying to tap into a wild (streak). We were touring and feeling something branching out, and they’re such a dangerous band. They have an entire record where they’re obviously just blasted. Not that I necessarily want to do that.
Now, (Westerberg’s former band) The Replacements’ song ‘Alex Chilton’…
Oh, right. (Chilton’s death earlier this week) is pretty shocking. I’m really, really bummed out. I’ve been so involved in this experience that I haven’t really gotten to dive into what happened. Do you know?
Looks like it was a heart attack.
Man. Big Star’s “#1 Record(/Radio City)” definitely changed my life. I would’ve loved to have actually seen him play. It sucks. I think every single song on “#1 Record” is mind-blowing. I don’t cry too often, but that record will bring a tear to your eye.
Not many would say the same for (Queen’s) ‘Fat Bottomed Girls,’ but you guys do a great cover.
You know, we’re still a band who people don’t know when we roll into a city. That’s the one (cover) that might pop out because people know it, but we don’t want to be stuck playing it for the rest of our lives. We had to pull the plug on it after a couple tours.
How does living Baltimore influence you as a songwriter?
I grew up in southeast Tennessee. There’s no comparison. (Tennessee) is this weird, perfect world, and then we move to Baltimore. It’s like, “Oh, this is different.” Within a week, our bass player was laying out the contents of his wallet for a dude.
Does ‘Brave Man’s Death’ relate to that?
That’s probably the most direct reaction to living in Baltimore. The whole song stems from the core idea that I don’t want to die in a bed or have a heart attack. I want to go out with a bang.
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