Peter Buck (of R.E.M. and countless other projects) might not like to give interviews, but he sure gave a long one to David Daley for Salon: Peter Buck: “I think we were all really ready for a change”.
From the piece:
Buck has always stood at the ready to produce an album or get in the van with friends. He made four albums — in August! His list of credits is an amazing one that covers some of the most vital rock artists of the last several decades: the Replacements, the Feelies, Uncle Tupelo, Robyn Hitchcock, Corin Tucker, the Decemberists, Billy Bragg, Suzanne Vega, Warren Zevon, not to mention his work with the Minus 5, the Baseball Project, Tuatara, Grant-Lee Phillips, John Wesley Harding and so many more — including his latest project, Tired Pony, Buck’s second album collaborating with Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody.
Buck was the member of R.E.M. who always wanted to do more, faster — so maybe it’s no surprise that he has filled his time since the beloved Rock & Roll Hall of Famers disbanded in 2011 on project after project, while also curating the Todos Santos music festival, where all of these many acts often play together. Then there’s his solo career fronting a blisteringly fun bluesy/rockabilly band, often backed by all-stars he’s lent his name to in the past; a second vinyl-only album is close, and one song has already been revealed.
And here’s that song that has been revealed — as much a performance poem as a song, a meditation on place and being:
A snippet from the interview:
Do you miss playing those songs?
Well, I love those songs. But I never want to play “Losing My Religion” again. “Man on the Moon,” it’s a great song. But it’s five minutes long and I’ve played it a couple thousand times.