It’s been a while since I talked to Roxborough resident Dereck Blackburn -- the songwriter and sole band member of Lostwars. At the time, Blackburn had just finished the Lostwars project, an album called End Of. We had a great conversation about recording, ‘90s bands and the nature of being a recording artist in these times of the digital download.I haven’t been able to get the interview “written up” and in the meantime, Blackburn’s music has gone unmentioned here. It’s way past time to remedy that omission.
Blackburn, who helped master Fool on the Hill, the live Beatles songbook recording by local pianist, Chris Marsceill, has put out a pretty terrific album in which he has played all the instruments --guitars, drums, bass, keys and synth -- performed all the recording duties, mixing and mastering. All at his home studio. Talk about DIY, Blackburn is the real deal.
Blackburn grew up in Illinois and has spent time in different corners of the country -- Boston and Denver working in IT -- before moving to Roxborough two years ago with his girlfriend. No longer in the IT biz (it's a rough job market out there) he’s working in music exclusively. His business is called Quiethouse Mastering. So, thanks in part to a slow economy, Blackburn has had time to work on End Of. See? There is some upside to the recession after all.
But just because it’s homemade, don’t mistake End Of as some sort of sleepy, bedroom, 4-track collection a la Lou Barlow. Blackburn’s music could be called dreamy, maybe. But it is a music driven by dynamite layers of guitar (acoustic and electric) and big rhythms over which Blackburn sings (often harmonizing with himself). The most remarkable thing about the album is that Blackburn did it all by himself. It’s hard to imagine this music not being made by a full band.
Sonically, Blackburn pays some homage to his influences -- As a kid who grew up in the Chicago suburbs, he idolize the guitar playing of Billy Corgan. As a songwriter, he looks up to Richard Buckner, a rootsy “alt-country” singer and songwriter. He also told me he likes everything from New Order to Radiohead. On first and second listen, End Of recalls Corgan, The Bends and the Cure for me (but not in a way I’d call derivative at all, there isn’t a musician alive that doesn’t recall his or her influences). Whether it’s in loud guitar rockers like “A Wish” or the spacey “The End Of,” Blackburn covers a lot of rock ground. It’s moody, atmospheric stuff yet still very melodic. All of it enjoyable.
Blackburn’s been playing in bands since high school (he’s 30 now), and that experience shows here. In Illinois, he was in a band called Zimmerman’s Note a “noise rock,” experimental band known, he said, for its live shows. He’s been playing on his own since 2003. He’s had a lot of time to work on the songs (15 on the album +6 bonus tracks) on End Of, and the time shows in accomplished arrangements. These are well crafted, nuanced songs that develop and resolve. They're compositions.
When recording the songs, what Blackburn did, he told me, is start with what were essentially acoustic guitar compositions (in fact he’s been out playing these tunes unaccompanied) and build around them. Sometimes, all that is added is a shaker, as on the song “Mistrust.” Other times it’s a full rock band sound, like on the opener “1000 Luna Moths.” “I added sonically what each song called for,” he said.
When recording the songs, what Blackburn did, he told me, is start with what were essentially acoustic guitar compositions (in fact he’s been out playing these tunes unaccompanied) and build around them. Sometimes, all that is added is a shaker, as on the song “Mistrust.” Other times it’s a full rock band sound, like on the opener “1000 Luna Moths.” “I added sonically what each song called for,” he said.
What’s ahead for Blackburn is promoting the album and looking for other musicians to work with, ultimately to put a band together that he can collaborate with. “This is all about me, but I’d really like to work with other people and get a group,” he said. And Philly, he feels like, is a good place to do it. “It’s easy to work in music here. It’s much more organic and easy to work with people,” he said. “Once you meet musicians, they’re interested.”
Hopefully, he puts a band together soon, because I’d love to hear these songs performed live by a full band. In the meantime, listeners will have to “settle for" the recorded version. Oh well. It’s the kind of settlement that’s easy on the ears.
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