An Interview with Pete Yorn

By: Sarah Youngson | August 03, 2010 | Music

Noted for his shaggy hair, chilled-out demeanor, and probably most famously for his Scarlett Johansson collaboration (Break Up, 2009), indie rocker Pete Yorn has a new album in the works. Pete Yorn, his self-titled LP is scheduled to be released in September, and many fans couldn’t be more pleased. Pete has been around for a while, releasing a steady flow of quality music, and securing himself a place in the popular consciousness, since Musicforthemorningafter, his 2001 debut album. An committed musician, last year saw two releases for Yorn, Back and Fourth (2009), which was one of his greatest successes (reaching #32 on the US charts) and Break Up (the aforementioned album with Johansson).

Pete Yorn & Scarlett Johansson from Break Up (2009)

Pete Yorn, which will be released on Spetember 28th, has a notably different sound than his previous records. Definitely going for a more raw sound than he has in the past, leaving out the layers and sounds that are usually found in his works, Pete remarked on the album’s straight-forward no-nonesense rock approach. Listeners might be surprised to hear that Pete Yorn’s original inspirations came from rock bands such as REM and the Smiths, which was his reason for the foray into a more straightforward, edgier sound. No stranger to Malibu, Yorn’s track “Paradise Cove” was spawned after a day of relaxation and play on the beach with friends. Malibu Magazine caught up with Pete on the roof of PC Greens for a chat about all that inspires him, his September 28 release of Pete Yorn, and strangely enough… Drake!

Interview with Pete Yorn

Sarah Youngson (SY): Your new solo album, which will be out in September (28th) is taking a bit of a new direction from your usual work. Could you tell us about it?

Pete Yorn (PY): I would say it’s a straight-up rock ‘n roll record. It might seem like a new direction but I’d say it’s return to the way that I first started recording music when I was a teenager. It’s just really stripped-down and bare bones. It’s really about the song and the vocals, and it has a lot of energy. It worked the opposite way. Because normally I like to layer a lot of different sounds.

SY: How did you get to be working with Frank Black? What was that like?

PY: That was an amazing experience. You never really know when you go into anything, and you work with anyone, especially one of your heroes. He was great! I think, as a producer he was really effective. He had really strong ideas and was able to articulate them. Some producers don’t really have that sort of style. They go with the way they hear things, they think about it, and they know it when they hear it but some people are able to just make it happen, and I respect that a lot.

SY: Do you enjoy collaborating with people in the music industry? What does that bring to the process behind the songs?

PY: Sometimes it can be a nightmare… But sometimes it can happen to be a good time. When it works it can help broaden my sound, and make it fully realized in a way.

SY: So, you worked on the album called Break Up with Scarlett Johannson… how did that come about? What was it like to collaborate with someone who’s not necessarily new to the scene but new to the production process of making music?

PY: Overall, she is an amazing talent, and I think that in whatever she does, she does it well - she’s pretty great. That came about it because we were friends for a long time – I’ve known her since she was a teenager. I just had this idea, and thought that she has the right character to play the female part…

SY: Are there any artists or albums that have especially inspired you to begin your career in music?

PY: When I was in 6th and 7th grade, what inspired me to play guitar, I remember, is that I got really into the Smiths and REM at the time. I loved Peter Buck and I loved Johnny Marr’s guitar. No one can write like that, and make melodies like that. And then I branched out. And now I’m back to where I started off…

SY: What do you plan to do after you release your album? A little bit of touring?

PY: Definitely touring. I wanna do some fall shows around the release of the record. Where I could, perhaps, like to play the record in it’s entirety. And then we’ll see, we might do some more shoes. I’ll probably do more shows later in the year.

SY: You have a song called Paradise Cove… that’s not anything to do with the place in Malibu, is it? Did any inspiration come from there and perhaps your time in LA?

PY: My friend lives in Paradise Cove, in one of those trailer houses. I went and stayed with him up there, a little while back. We had a great day at the beach, wandered around, and hung out… met some people. And the next day I kinda had written all of these lyrics, kind of relating back to my experience there. The whole song isn’t entirely about that place, but it was inspired by that day for sure.

SY: What are some of your favorite songs or albums out right now?

PY: Hm… New stuff?

SY: Or old stuff!

PY: I love that Drake single. There’s a Drake single, and I like it and it’s new. I don’t even know what it’s called but I hear it on the radio a lot. I like the production on some of that B.O.B. stuff. I think those records sound great! Do you know those records I’m talking about?

SY: Oh Drake, yeah. Definitely! I’m from Canada, near Toronto, so he’s practically from my hometown. I’m familiar.

PY: Oh, yeah, I thought I heard that accent! So those two right now, I would say. Especially because of their production.

SY: Well I can’t say I’m not surprised that you would choose those records…

PY: Yeah, well I guess I normally wouldn’t be, but I heard it and… Wow!

Look for Pete’s album, Pete Yorn in stores and online starting September 28, 2010.
http://www.peteyorn.com

The cover of Pete Yorn, his upcoming September 28 release.