Words by Jonathan Stout
Doug Gillard has always kept himself busy. Although he’s primarily known in the indie rock world for his legendary guitar hooks in Guided By Voices or melodic contributions to Nada Surf, Gillard has also released four solo albums and countless side projects. His newest offering, Parallel Stride expertly displays his musical sensibility and shows what a force to be reckoned with he remains in his own right.
Firmly rooted in the time-honored old-school virtues of catchy melodic craft, emotionally resonant lyrics and emotion-charged performances, Parallel Stride is automatically enjoyable and manages to hold the listener’s attention for its entire 37 minute runtime. As tuneful and hooky as anything else he’s known for, the record is sure to please fans of his previous work, while also further establishing his reputation as an incredibly strong solo singer/songwriter.
Off Shelf: The new album was recorded in the New York City area by co-producer Tom Beaujour at Nuthouse Recording, and Travis Harrison, who’s also worked on a lot of the GBV material, at Serious Business Recording. How long was this recording process? Were all of the songs laid down during the same extended period or were songs recorded gradually over a long period?
Doug Gillard: It was a combination of both of those things. I wasn’t trying to stockpile songs until I had enough for an album, but there happened to be a couple laying around that I’d started. I’d finished a couple more during the pandemic. I did the song with Travis “My Friends” several years ago, and I just kind of put it away. I also finished “New Vista” with Tom several years ago, but never did anything with it. I did a couple for various compilations for causes that were coming out around 2020, and went into Tom’s to do those and thought, “Why not do a couple more?”
So I started, but then the pandemic happened, with lockdowns… but I got myself back there, little by little, and last year there was a spurt where I got determined to finish it. So I wrote about five more and recorded them with Tom again. Then here we are!
OS: You’ve been very prolific throughout your career, both solo and with the various bands that you’ve been a crucial part of. Oftentimes, you play a supporting role, as lead guitarist or co-songwriter. Is it daunting or tedious composing on your own or does it come naturally?
DG: Musically, it comes pretty naturally. It’s not tedious at all, but lyric writing can be a tiny bit daunting. I don’t have notebooks full of lyrical ideas or poems but I have some titles and some phrases that I like. The music definitely comes first – I just make up a song the way I think it should go musically, without regard to what vocals will fit, or if there are enough verses. Then I scramble at the end like, “Gosh, I should’ve made space for this or trimmed this fat out.” But it’s always a fun process. It’s creative, and I enjoy creating.
OS: Even though you’re primarily known for your guitar work, you’re actually a multi-instrumentalist – having performed the bulk of the instruments for many of your side projects. Did you play everything on this album or did you have other assistance from backing musicians?
DG: I played everything on this except for a few drum tracks. I play drums on about three of them, but the rest – Ray Kubian plays drums on several, Travis plays drums on “My Friends,” and the others were made with programmed drums, created in Apple Logic. I gave them some fake names for the album credits – like Red Doberman, Devon Longhair… I forget the rest of them. The different kits in Garage Band and Logic each have names like Nashville, Manchester, etc. But the drummers themselves are all named things like Corey, Kolby, etc. So I decided to do something a little more interesting!
OS: Are there any instruments you are as enthusiastic about playing as you are the guitar? Do you have a second favorite?
DG: Well, I started out playing drums. I played in marching band and symphonic band all through school. But I didn’t really stick with playing a kit behind bands, although I’ve done it a few times – mainly on my own recording projects. I didn’t really keep up the chops on the drum kit. I’m ok, but I’m not even enough to pull it off. I’d rather rely on someone who knows what they’re doing.
I do enjoy drums, they’re fun. Playing bass is fun, I like that. I really wish I had more keyboard skills. The song, “Lost Alarmists,” off the new record was actually originally titled “Piano Song” and was written completely on piano. But I wish I had more of a natural skill for it. I can hunt and peck alright. I tend to play by ear, but I’m not very fluid on chord changes.
OS: I was wondering if you might be able to talk about the album art for Parallel Stride?
DG: The center art of the front cover – not the border, which I did – was done by my wife’s father, Andrés Morales who went to medical school. He was born in Mexico, where he also attended medical school, and the cover art is actually his medical illustration from circa 1950. It depicts cells mutating, in pen and ink. The family had framed a few of his illustrations and they let me take a couple. This was one of them, and I thought it could make a great album cover.
OS: Were you drawn to it just as a cool piece of art or did you see a correlation with it to the music you were working on?
DG: Just really thought it was a cool piece of art. It was before I was putting together Parallel Stride, but ended up working well for it. I received the family’s blessing to include it, so I went with it. It’s not really germane to any theme of the album – it’s just a piece of art unto itself. But his illustrations were really cool.
OS: This record comes at a moment when Guided By Voices have somewhat unofficially paused touring, which naturally frees up some time for the members. I know you talked about it some but was the content of Parallel Stride composed since the last tour or are these compositions that you’ve been holding onto for awhile- waiting for an opportunity to record?
DG: We’d been on and off touring for a long time – it was never nonstop. There was always a show coming up, but there would be weeks off and plenty of time to do stuff. I guess when it gets down to really being in the studio and mixing, which was within the last year, that much did coincide with the break from touring.
OS: What kind of music inspires you nowadays? What kind of sounds inspire you to pick up an instrument?
DG: I’m always inspired by different things! The sounds that I like and the sounds that I go for are always evolving. So I guess it depends? I would say I’m drawn to warm guitar sounds, but other times I like the cold ones too! I go through phases… lately I’ve been checking out a lot of classical guitar players. Not that I personally have that kind of right hand dexterity but they’re neat to look at and hear their sounds. It used to be a lot of post punk for me – I mean, I really loved the Cocteau Twins and the kind of glassy sounds they got. But I was only a teenager when that was going on.
I’ve always liked a lot of different kinds of things. I seem to get the most inspiration simply by sitting down and playing. Sometimes you really surprise yourself, and you have to make sure you record the idea somehow so you don’t forget it!
OS: Do you usually use voice memos on your phone or do you have a field recorder?
DG: Usually voice memos. It’s just the easiest. Except if your phone falls between the subway tracks! Then those ideas just get lost. (laughs)
OS: You’ve also done some movie scoring and soundtrack work. Is that something that you plan on doing more of in the future?
DG: I would really need to catch up with technology. I don’t think I have the gear currently. It was a lot easier to do about twenty years ago. I could definitely do something at home in Logic, or with Tom or Travis, but it’s not something right now that’s in my future. I’d always like to do it again though! I’m open to it.
OS: What would you like to accomplish in the foreseeable future?
DG: I guess just make more records. I don’t have anything in the pipeline right now, but I just hope to keep playing.
OS: Any new collaborations or reunions planned?
DG: Well, I’m always open to having Death of Samantha do something else. I don’t know that we will but that’d be great! Bambi Kino, my Hamburg-era Beatles tribute, will probably play a few shows. That’s mainly just a live show thing, but we might do some more recording.
There’s a project called Scarcity of Tanks with Matthew Wascovich, who forms different bands and one-off projects. I did a few with him a few years ago that haven’t come out yet. He pairs different people together who usually send him their parts, which he then sings on top of. There’s one that’s still due out- it’s Brendan Canty [Fugazi] on drums, myself on guitar, James McNew [Yo La Tengo] on bass and Dez Cadena [Black Flag] on the other guitar, with Matthew on vocals. Then there’s another one with Mike Watt [Minutemen], Nels Cline [Wilco] and myself. Matthew also has quite a few other recordings he’s working on that don’t involve me, so he’s just always busy in the process of getting them out. I was on one that he released last year called Flowers Destroy.
OS: Do you plan to tour the material of this release?
DG: I’ve got a few shows scheduled in the New York area. I’ll probably do some shows throughout the year, into next year, if I can. Not anything intensive or concentrated.
OS: Well, I don’t mean to misread you, but it seems like you’re in a pretty comfortable state of your career, where you can kind of choose what you’d like to do and still remain busy.
DG: Yeah, I mean there’s no big label pressure to get anything on the radio. In a way that’s too bad, but also you have some freedom. The songs can just be the art that you want them to be – they don’t have to meet any criteria. And that’s kind of cool.