Standing on the shoulders of Giants

Surrounded by mounds of backpacks and gear in a bus lounge, John Linnell’s middle-aged hipster style doesn’t quite make him look like a rock star.
“If you’d said to me in 1983 that I’d be here now,” Linnell said, “I probably wouldn’t have believed you.”
But after blowing the doors off the Bluebird on Feb. 28 with its patented brand of offbeat pop, Linnell’s band They Might Be Giants proved that it’s still rocking out after more than 25 years.
Over the years, Linnell and fellow multi-instrumentalist/songwriter John Flansburgh’s group has risen from two guys writing goofy songs to a touring band with a fervent following, with theme songs for shows as wide-ranging as “The Daily Show” to “Malcolm in the Middle.” Although They Might Be Giants’ appeal to the college crowd has continued to grow, Linnell can’t explain its success.
“We’d never heard of college rock, until we were at the top of the CMJ (College Music Journal) charts,” Linnell said. “We just write what we would like to hear.”
One reason might be Linnell and Flansburgh’s adaptation to the times. They Might Be Giants embraced the Internet early, and the band has always given away free music to its fans. Despite starting without considering the band “a career,” Linnell acknowledges the need to change. From computer sequencing in the ’80s to their creation of idiosyncratic live shows in the ’90s to free Internet promotion in the ’00s, Linnell and Flansburgh have remained cutting-edge without “hanging around in the studio with lab coats.”
This ongoing change is reflected in the group’s music as well as its evolving live show. After covering a wide variety of styles and themes, Linnell and Flansburgh have moved into a new area: children’s music. Three of their last five original albums – No!, Here Come the ABCs and this year’s follow-up Here Come the 123s – have focused on bringing the same sensibility of their adult-minded music to kids. It may have started like a side project, but the band’s success with kids’ music has turned into a serious career move.
Songwriting, though, has remained much the same for Linnell and Flansburgh. While the duo has grown into a full live touring band, most of its writing takes place individually with collaboration occurring only after the songs are nearly written. Linnell and Flansburgh’s process allows for their wide range of themes from 19th century presidents to the science of the sun.
“There’s no checklist of topics,” said Linnell, “but the less self-conscious we are about it, the better.”
This doesn’t mean that others aren’t let into the creative process. On its last non-children’s album, 2007's The Else, They Might Be Giants worked with legendary producers the Dust Brothers, with commercial and critical success. Always on the lookout for new ideas but wary of others “messing around” with their sound, Linnell and Flansburgh received an album that Linnell says “still sounds like us, but with something we never would’ve done on our own.”
As a band with additional work and collaborations with indie-culture icons such as the magazine McSweeney’s and cult-favorite cartoon “Home Movies,” They Might Be Giants has always kept its independent streak. But with its latest albums being released by Disney and alongside the aforementioned TV theme songs, Linnell thinks he and Flansburgh have loosened up a bit when it comes to deciding what collaborations to do.
“If our dignity is on the line, we don’t want to do it,” said Linnell, “but we’re pretty good judges of the material now.”
Despite the changes to the band, its music and its market, They Might Be Giants continues to grab new fans. Linnell seems a little perplexed by all the fame, crediting word of mouth and an active live show, but the fame is still surprising, considering the group’s eclectic and ever-youthful following. Regarding its quirky pop lyrics amid a genre of dour indie rock, Linnell asserted that the band “never felt like part of any scene.”
Why do they still appeal to young people?
“That’s the big mystery,” said Linnell. “I mean, I don’t go out to see bands any more, but people keep coming to see us.”
Even without a specific genre, They Might Be Giants’ unique geek-pop has longevity in an industry where bands rise and fall overnight.
The band has been successful beyond its wildest dreams, but Linnell and Flansburgh now have families for whom touring is difficult. For now, though, Linnell’s commitment to the band continues, asserting, “We still feel the same way about it.”
If the screaming crowds at the Bluebird are any indication, so do its fans.