Earth Day

By all accounts, Earth’s most recent album should have never happened. It’s good it did, because it may have saved the band’s mastermind, Dylan Carlson. Aside from the whole life-saving thing, this year’s Americana-tinged and curiously-titled The Bees Made Honey in the Lion’s Skull may also be the best album the legendary drone doom band has ever made.

“Up until now most of the work I did was very conceptual and based around one idea, which influenced the music whereas this time around, the music came first,” Carlson says just days before hitting the road on his first North American tour in two years. “On this one, there was no arching concept or idea for the record, just music.”

Although now back in the forefront of the scene they helped to originally spearhead, the band’s dark era existed the same time as Carlson was having his own. After moving to Los Angeles to avoid making music from 1996 to 2000 and battling addictions with drugs and alcohol, the drone guitarist was never sure if he would return to Seattle, or making music. “Some people move to Los Angeles to make music, I moved there to not make music.”

As the band’s contract with Sub Pop expired and the label decided to not renew a contract with the band, Carlson was in the throes of drug addiction issues and used the Sub Pop exit as a way to reassess his life decisions. “It was a good thing I wasn’t involved in music at that time because I was consumed with other pursuits. It was a period of introspection and personal growth. Taking care of myself, and getting rid of the things that were impeding my life. I wouldn’t be at where I am now if I hadn’t done that.”
And now that he has, Carlson speaks of the latest incarnation of Earth, in place for the last 4 years, as being the best unit he has ever worked with, and this from a bandleader that has worked with over a dozen different musicians on his studio albums. “Now, I’m surrounded by people that I trust,” he says. “Just knowing that whatever these guys come up with its gonna be killer, it allows me to focus on other things. Things I never had the time to focus on in the past.”

It will take only a cursory listen to realize that the influences for the new album come from a wide spectrum. “Music from India,” Carlson says. “Anything with a spiritual framework, Gospel, some of my favorite music like R&B.”
The Bees Made Honey marks a new height of maturity for the 40-year-old musician and his band. “On our old records,,” Carlson recalls, “we would consciously try to play the anti-song, not using distortion, avoiding conventional methods or techniques.” Abandoning this way of thinking has paid off and instead focuses on, “What’s going to help the song, or what sounds good?”

Convincing legendary jazz guitarist Bill Frissell to contribute provided a good start. “I’ve always been a fan of his playing, he kind of did the same thing as me. Exploring the more American traditional music. He’s always been an inspiration of mine, I’ve always admired his playing,”

When asked if he was nervous to work with one of his idols, Carlson pauses. “We gave him a lead sheet the night before and he came in and did three or four tracks in one day. He’s one of those amazing musicians that hears something and immediately can play to it.”

Earth plays at Tractor Tavern tonight. For more on the show go here.