John Vanderslice talks tunes, Twitter, B-Town

John Vanderslice, the singer-songwriter who began his career with the band Mk Ultra, has been a solo act since 2000 — the year that began his run of 9 studio albums in 11 years. His most recent work, “White Wilderness,” was released on the Bloomington-based label Dead Oceans. Before he played at The Bishop Thursday with Damien Jurado, we caught up with JV to run down everything from his music to bin Laden to Twitter.

IDS: Your previous works had a meticulous sound — Pitchfork has called you a tinkerer. What was it like recording “White Wilderness” in three days?

JV: It was very different because I ceded a lot of control to other people, and that was the first time that I’d really done that. There was also a ridiculous time constraint on the record. Everything was mixed down and done in eight days, so it’s essentially a live record. I was listening to a lot of big band stuff, like Duke Ellington and Frank Sinatra, and I really wanted a cohesive, all-in-one-room sort of sound. It was a huge challenge, but once the tape is rolling you just do it. There’s a lot more pre-production though, you can’t really just make shit up.

IDS: You’re on Twitter, which has become sort of a polarizing medium for a lot of celebrities. What are your thoughts on it?

JV: It’s remarkable how immediate and personal it is. It’s amazing — I forgot my charger in the hotel room, and I put on Twitter that I needed a charger and someone loaned me one. That’s pretty minor but also kind of major. Compared to two years ago, it’s such a bizarre but more efficient way to communicate. And as far as being limited, brevity is a good thing. There’s no cap to content on the Internet except Twitter, so there’s something interesting about that.

IDS: Some of your previous works dealt specifically with 9/11 and the aftermath. What was your reaction to the death of Osama bin Laden this week?

JV: I had sort of a non-reaction. I don’t think it meant a whole lot to me. Everything is still in place and still going. These people are created for a reason. They’re an important focal point to drive policy, and I don’t really think it’s about individuals. That stuff is all content-driven, and until you understand the reason why people want to attack you or bomb your airports, then it doesn’t matter if one person dies.

IDS: You’ve started this audience participation project. What is that all about and how did it happen?

JV: Basically I’ve never believed there was a real line between audience and performers. I’d always assumed that at a show there were good musicians and songwriters in the audience. It’s not so rare to get up on stage and play your music; other people do it too. There’s something interesting about not having any barrier between audience and performer. It feels honest and it feels natural. A little chaos is good during a show. Bands can really calcify into a performance, and this catches you a little off guard. It can be terrible and it can be amazing. But it’s important.

IDS: Does playing in Bloomington have any special significance since it’s the home of your record label?

JV: Oh yeah. For sure. We want to play well, and it’s really important. You want to keep your team excited about what you’re doing. For me, it’s one of the more important shows on the tour.

IDS: Everyone talks about touring getting old. Your blog specifically mentions you missing your cats. What are your future plans?

JV: Jason (Slota) and I are touring Europe in September. We’re also playing a couple really special shows that are not announced yet. We’ll also start working on the next record which will be another record with the Magik*Magik Orchestra. I definitely have some stuff to take care of at home, and I want to get going on that.