On June 19, 2001, the Shins released their debut album, Oh, Inverted World. It was originally released on the Omnibus label, but was later picked up and distributed by Sub Pop. From its release, Oh, Inverted World enjoyed critical acclaim — and it experienced another surge in popularity in 2004 when two of the songs from the album, “Caring is Creepy” and “New Slang,” featured in the soundtrack of the film Garden State, written and directed by Zach Braff and starring Braff, Natalie Portman, Peter Sarsgaard, and the late Ian Holm.

The Shins are currently on tour in celebration of the album’s 21st anniversary; the tour includes a stop at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis on Saturday, Sept. 10.

The Current’s Zeke was able to connect with James Mercer, the singer, songwriter and frontman of the Shins, to talk about the album’s milestone birthday, the band’s approach to the tour, and what Mercer thinks of the album in retrospect. You can listen to the interview using the audio player above and read a transcript below.

Interview Transcript

Edited for time and clarity.

Zeke: It's Zeke here joined with James Mercer of the Shins. You're about to embark on the 21st anniversary of the Oh, Inverted World anniversary tour. How are you feeling? Are you excited? What's going on?

James Mercer: Well, you know, I am excited. That's definitely part of the thing. I'm, I'm somebody who's been enjoying the slower social life. I'm a little bit apprehensive and a little bit super excited.

Zeke: How are you preparing differently for this tour versus tours in the past? Is there any difference in operation and getting ready?

James Mercer: Well, we're doing songs we've never done before. Like, for instance, "Your Algebra," we've never performed that. So we've been doing choral arrangements for that with the girls from Joseph, a band called Joseph that's going to be opening up for us. Yeah. So that's very different. And Patti King and the three girls from Joseph will be working on arrangements and stuff. It's really cool.

Zeke: Oh, Inverted World is turning 21 This year, if it was to go to the bar in order is drink, what would be the drink of choice?

James Mercer: God, what kind of cocktail it'd be? It'd be a Tequila Sunrise, I guess.

Zeke: Oooh, that's a perfect little cocktail to have during the times of seeing the shows. Now, you're coming to Minneapolis on September 10, playing at the Orpheum? What's your favorite Minnesota memory?

James Mercer: Minnesota memory? Oh, that's pretty good. Well, for for me, it's playing at First Ave, probably, early on, knowing that it had something to do with Prince and that whole world, and Prince still being alive. So yeah, I'd say that. That was pretty special for us.

Zeke: What's your favorite Prince song? Speaking of Prince. 

James Mercer: Oh, "Kiss."

Zeke: That's a legendary song by him!

James Mercer: Yeah. When you listen to that song. By the end of it, you're just in awe. And you have a difficult time, you know, believing that a human made it!

Zeke: Yeah, I mean, he could have been out of this world.

James Mercer: He absolutely was, man. Yeah.

Zeke: How do you approach music now, with your production and writing? Like, what's your process? And how has it changed over the years?

James Mercer: Yeah, that's a good question. It hasn't really changed too much. I mean, there's any number of ways that a song can come into the world. For me, I generally am sitting with an acoustic guitar and playing, just kind of aimlessly, putting chords together and kind of half listening, half singing, you know, and I just kind of wait for things to happen. And usually something does.

Zeke: Will there be a new album coming out and more singles?

James Mercer: Good question! Broken Bells, my other band, we've got a record coming out this year. Hopefully, you know? And, and then after that, you know, I really can can concentrate on the Shins, and we've got a bunch of songs in the can, and we've got songs that we still need to record. So we've got a lot of material; enough for an album, for sure. So I don't know, you know? Everything takes longer than you think.

Zeke: Time and writing and coming up with the concepts. How do you differentiate if it's going to be a Broken Bells project or it's going to go to the Shins when writing?

James Mercer: Well, generally Brian [Burton, aka Danger Mouse] and I work when we're together. And so I don't sit at home and come up with Broken Bells material. We get together and we do it on the fly. Brian of late has been putting together some samples and stuff for me to listen to. So that's straying a little bit from the way we used to do it. But generally, we get together and pick up an instrument and start trying to create stuff together.

Zeke: Looking back 21 years ago, and is there any song on the album Oh, Inverted World that makes you change your mind, gives different meanings to you? What's your thoughts?

James Mercer: Well, I mean, I think many of the songs I look back on the situation I was in when I wrote the song. Sometimes it's almost a feeling of pity for that poor bastard who is dealing with whatever, you know, the breakup, or the or, or even, you know, finding new relationships or just struggling to figure out life in general. So often it's that, but it's looking back and I think sometimes about it with empathy for who I was.

Zeke: Well, we're excited to see you here in Minnesota on September 10 at the Orpheum. Anything else? Parting words for Minnesota?

James Mercer: Oh, just we can't wait to get there, and we're excited to get on the road if not a little apprehensive, but it's going to be a lot of fun and we know it.

Zeke: We're looking forward to seeing you then, and thank you for your time.

James Mercer: Very good. Thank you so much, man.

External Link

 The Shins - official site