Evan Dando has a wide-ranging conversation with The Current Morning Show host Jill Riley. In it, the confessional Dando discussed the Lemonheads’ new record Love Chant, out Oct. 24 via Fire Records. He also shared insights about living abroad, the band’s upcoming tour, and a new memoir called Evan Dando: Rumors of My Demise.

Use the audio player above to listen to the interview, and find a full transcript below.

Interview Transcript

Jill Riley: You're listening to The Current. Singer and songwriter Evan Dando is the frontman of the Lemonheads. He's been the constant presence in that band since 1986. The Lemonheads’ breakthrough came with 1992's It's a Shame About Ray. 1993's Come On Feel the Lemonheads really cemented the band as iconic to the 90s alternative era, and there's a lot of new Lemonheads activity. There's a memoir, a new album, a tour, new record from the Lemonheads coming Oct. 24, it's called Love Chant, and it's the first Lemonheads studio album of original material in nearly two decades. And on the line this morning: Evan Dando. Hi, how are you?

Evan Dando: I'm well, thank you. It all sounds pretty impossible, really, but it's happening, and I feel like I'm still able to do it. It really sounds pretty far-fetched, but yeah, that's what's happening. We put a new record out, finally. I wasn't sure myself whether it was gonna happen. And just met the right people, moved to the right country, and it happened. We have another record that's almost finished, too.

Jill Riley: Well it sounds like you've had this burst of creativity. And you know, you said you're in a new location. You live in Brazil now. How has that move impacted your life and your creativity? It sounds like in a pretty positive way.

Evan Dando: It's just way better. It's just way, way better there. It's a way more healthy country than the United States, and I just feel good when I'm there. It hasn't felt good here [in the U.S.] for me since like 1989. And it's getting worse and worse. I don't know, I love being away. I lived in Australia for a while. I've always been an aspiring expatriate, but now I finally made it out. There's a lot of good people from America, and I love my country, but for me, it's better not to live there right now.

Jill Riley: Yeah, yeah. It sounds like this move has been a really positive thing for you, and a positive thing leading up to the record Love Chant. I wonder if you could talk about some of the folks that helped you make this record, because it sounds like you've assembled some new people, and some old friends as well.

Evan Dando: See, my wife's dad is a big deal in Brazil. He's a very popular songwriter and singer down there, and his brother, although they never helped each other out, it's so funny. They were in the same business. His brother, Roberto, he managed Elis Regina and [Antônio Carlos] Tom Jobim. It's amazing. I knew about them, but a lot of people never even heard of Tom Jobim or Elis Regina. I've always liked Brazilian music, but it's a different universe that people just don't know about. And that's how I met my producer. He put together a documentary about bringing them to LA and recording. And that's where I met my producer, which was great, because Roy Cicala built the studio, the guy who had the Record Plant in New York and recorded everything from the lost Elvis record. We have the John Lennon compressor that's on "Imagine," and we have cool stuff from New York, and the studio sounds great. And we have this really great guy called Yuri upstairs, who does like popular music down there. He's doing really well. It’s a really good scene down there. I don't know what I'm doing up here in Nashville, but here I am.

Jill Riley: Well, here you are. Talking with Evan Dando on The Current. When it came to making the record, I mentioned that you brought in some old friends as well. Talk about J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., someone that feels like, when I was reading your book, Evan, someone who feels like has been a constant in your life. Some of these people that —

Evan Dando: Yeah, since very early on my musical career, I always looked up to J. He was always a year ahead of me, and he's a year older. We've always had a funny connection with skiing. And I just think he's great, and he's been really kind to me over the years. So, what are you gonna do?

Jill Riley: Yeah, you're gonna make music with him, is what you're gonna do.

Evan Dando: Yeah, exactly. And Juliana [Hatfield], I guess, too. We’ve always made music even before J I started doing it, I've been doing music with Juliana. I quit Lemonheads for a whole year, and played in her band the Blake Babies, which was really fun. But, yeah, it's all in that book I wrote.

Jill Riley: Well, the book is called Evan Dando: Rumors of My Demise. And you know, one thing that I really connected when I saw the album art for this new record Love Chant, that the album art was full of these fishing hooks. I guess, after reading the book and seeing that album cover, what —

Evan Dando: Yeah, yeah, it's not like I'm Christian or anything.

Jill Riley: Right, right. Well, how did that become symbolic for you, though? When it came to the record?

Evan Dando: It's not symbolic. They're just fish hooks. It's an easy, fun thing to draw, and it looks good to me. Imagine it as a soft pair of socks. Everything's looked at from a marketing standpoint. From here on, if we're gonna keep our family going and stay afloat at all, we gotta stay abreast to finance the whole thing.

Jill Riley: Well, I'm talking with Evan Dando on The Current. Evan Dando from the Lemonheads. Their new record is called Love Chant.

Evan Dando: It's named after a Charles Mingus song. The title track "Love Chant" is a bit reminiscent of the song, "Love Chant" by Charles Mingus. Check out the Charles Mingus song.

Jill Riley: I've heard a couple of the songs ahead of the record's release. There's one called "Togetherness Is All I'm After." That one really stood out to me. And I wonder if you could talk about that song specifically. There are a couple lines that really stuck out to me. "The strategy of time is you can speed it up. You can slow it. The strategy of life is that it's gone before you know it." 

Evan Dando: I like to contradict myself, and then there's a contradiction. I think contradicting yourself is a good thing to do in songs. And that one, I'm playing all those dumb solos on the first take, and then we just kept them. But one other guitar, and John Strohm did a guitar [solo], who wrote most the song. And it's pretty. I think it's real pretty.

Jill Riley: Yeah, I agree.

Evan Dando: It has a reference to the Jackson 5. "Let me fill your life with joy and laughter."

Jill Riley: Oh, "I'll Be There," right! There it is. And we have arrived on the same page. You are listening to The Current. I'm on the line with Evan Dando of the Lemonheads. So let's see, there's the book, there is the record, and then the Love Chant tour.

Evan Dando: And another record too, coming up really soon.

 Jill Riley: Wow. Well, you're not gonna wait another 20 years. So it sounds like you've got something ready to go.

Evan Dando: Starting to make up for it. Well, I wasn't ready anyway, though, to make records. So it's good I waited.

Jill Riley: When did you feel like you were ready? What was the thing that kind of told you were ready?

Evan Dando: When I got off dope, really. Off heroin, you know. Really, just got back into playing drums and making stuff up. Because that's what I do, you know?

Jill Riley: It sounds like the drums was kind of the thing that brought you back, and getting off of drugs helps. But also finding that inspiration, and going back to playing drums, finding inspiration there.

Evan Dando: Just going back to that. And getting away from the States, you know, all the things that I was doing before. Just getting away from all that stuff. And having a new family is really great. My life has become more wholesome.

Jill Riley: Well, and you're going to be doing some touring, before you go back home to Brazil, doing some touring.

Evan Dando: I really want to go home. I'm like one of those horses that break free at the end. I don't know. I'm half wanting to bail right now and go home and come back for the tour, but I don't know if we have time. When's the first show? Do you know?

Jill Riley: All I know is that your Minneapolis date is in early December.

Evan Dando: I can't find a list of the tour dates anywhere. It just says an ad for something. I'm not very good with the internet. But maybe lemonheads.net or something.

Jill Riley: You can check it out when we're done talking. But I know that you're coming back to Minneapolis, and you have a good history with this town. I wonder if you could talk about, maybe some stories from the Twin Cities.

Evan Dando: It's a great place, and people are on it. I remember people protest stuff more there. People are just smart there. And I always love Grant Hart and all the musicians and from there. Grant came on tour once, opening up for a few shows, back in 1988 or something. It was funny. And let's see, Bob Mould came to our first show. You know, we've been lucky out there.

Jill Riley: Well, the Love Chant Tour will be at the Fine Line, Dec. 6. The rest of the dates, you'll arrive where you need to arrive at Evan.

Evan Dando: Yeah, wherever you are, and that's where —

Jill Riley: You're supposed to be. And you know what? That's something that I picked up on in your book. As we wrap up here, I'm curious, because in your book, I thought, this is a guy that I think, if I read this correctly, or I picked up on it, do you really believe that things happen for a reason? Because this thing wouldn't have happened. How do you go back and change things?

Evan Dando: It's all about avoiding the cartoon anvil. It's going to fall in your head if you go a little too fast or too slow. It's just pronoia, right? People are constantly doing things behind your back for your benefit and stuff like that. You gotta think things the right way.

Jill Riley: Yeah? Well, it sounds like you're in a pretty peaceful place now.

Evan Dando: Yeah. I'm good. I'm never peaceful, but I'm happier and less happy. Always at war with myself. It would be stupid not to be. I mean, be silly not to be. Anyway, so, yeah, nice talking to you.

Jill Riley: That's Evan Dando of the Lemonheads. The new album is due out Oct. 24 it's called Love Chant. That tour is coming to the Fine Line on Dec. 6, and Evan Dando's new book is called Evan Dando: Rumors of My Demise. You are listening to The Current.

Credits

Guest – Evan Dando
Host – Jill Riley
Producers – Nilufer Arsala
Digital Producer – Natalia Toledo

External Links

The Lemonheads Website: https://thelemonheads.net/