JamBase Questionnaire: Luther Russell

Welcome back to JamBase’s baker’s dozen to the bright lights of the music world. Last time we heard from Centro-matic.

new album

Luther Russell has been kickin’ up dust in the rock world since the early 90s, one of those steadfastly excellent, blue jean ready workhorses that lurk just outside the spotlight. After dropping some of the meatier classic rock minded music of the nineties with the short-lived Freewheelers (who included now Mother Hips drummer John Hofer), Russell has released cool, always interesting solo work and produced other similarly high quality artists like Richmond Fontaine and Horse Stories. Yet none of this quite prepares one for the master class tour de force of Russell’s fifth studio album, The Invisible Audience (released July 12 on Ungawa).

Over the sweeping course of 25 tracks, Russell shows a diversity and songwriting/production acumen that should be the envy of any musician worth their salt. This is the sound of experience and big ears, a lifetime spent trying out instruments and seeing what a studio can do to elevate the proceedings, a lifetime spent really listening to what constitutes a good hook, a genuinely bittersweet moment, a raunchy four-to-the-floor blast. In another era, where in-your-face talent like this was appreciated even by the corporate machine, The Invisible Audience would be splattered all over radio, and not just rock stations – there’s a few pure indie moments and some twang country audiences might dig. As it is, the album rolls from quality to quality, front loading the more immediate cuts but remaining plenty lucrative for listeners come the final stretch, the rare long set that doesn’t feel under-stuffed. Russell also manages primo evocations of two very difficult to reproduce talents, namely Elliott Smith (“Better Off Dead”) and Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac (“A World Unknown”), showing how a pro pays their respects without sacrificing his own personality. Russell plays most of the instruments, getting a smidgen of help from pals like Hofer and keyboardist Chris Joyner on select cuts, and still manages to keep everything moving and varied, a double album with the ambitions and general success rate of The Beatles’ White Albums and Todd Rundgren’s Something/Anything?. (Dennis Cook)

Here’s what Luther had to say to our inquiries.

Luther Russell

Band Affiliation(s): The Freewheelers, Federale, Fernando, Luther Russell (solo)

Instrument(s) of choice: Drums, Guitar, Keyboards

Nickname: Flaco

1. Great music rarely happens without…
Some kind of pain.

2. The first album I bought was…
The Beatles’ Story (Capitol LP)

3. The last song or album to really flip my wig was…
MGMT’s “Congratulations”

4. When I was a kid I wanted to grow up to be…
A writer.

5. My favorite sort of gig is…
In the middle of nowhere in a beautiful venue where people are in the mood to listen.

6. One thing I wish people knew about me is…
That I’m famous in Poland.

7. I love the sound of…
My dog snoring.

8. One day I hope to make an album as fantastic as…
The Who’s Tommy

9. The best meal I ever had on tour was at…
A place in Wilmar, North Dakota that purported to have and indeed did have the finest toast I ever tasted. Can’t remember the name, though.

10. I always find the coolest audiences in…
Portland, Oregon

11. The worst habit I’ve picked up being on the road all the time is…
Poor posture, coffee abuse and not having anywhere permanent to live.

12. Led Zeppelin or Radiohead, which flips your switch the most and why?
Led Zeppelin namely because I’m convinced Jimmy Page is a genius and because John Bonham never ceases to amaze me. Plus, they were underrated songwriters.

13. The craziest thing I ever saw was…
L.A. during the Riots was pretty crazy…

Luther Russell, ‘Motorbike’ – Video By Cam Archer from harvey west on Vimeo.

“A World Unknown” by Luther Russell from Garett Holden on Vimeo.

“Et Al” by Luther Russell from luth russ on Vimeo.

“109th & Madison” by Luther Russell from luth russ on Vimeo.

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