A few weeks ago, Chicago musician Mike Kinsella tweeted that he was heading into the studio to record an album of cover songs. "Super excited to de-amplify / snooze-up some of my all-time favs," he wrote. Now, in an interview with Exclaim!, Kinsella confirms that a new covers collection is indeed on the way, and it will be released by Polyvinyl under his Owen pseudonym.
Although Kinsella says he's not sure just when that might happen, he reveals, "I spent four days last week and I didn't quite finish, but I got a really good start."
The idea for a covers record was Polyvinyl's, since Kinsella finds starting work on material for a new full-length "mentally overwhelming."
"You're not so stressed about writing lyrics and song structures," says the former Cap'n Jazz drummer. "I hemmed and hawed about it and once I sat and figured out eight or nine songs that I really liked, that I'd like to figure out a way to do, I got excited about it."
The multi-instrumentalist says he wanted to cover songs that he loved when he was a teenager. "I wanted to do in a different way and make them my own."
Fans can expect versions of songs from an eclectic roster of artists, including Depeche Mode, Mojave 3, ALL, Blake Babies, Against Me!, Lungfish and former bandmate Davey von Bohlen's post-Cap'n Jazz group, Promise Ring.
"It would be very easy for me to do Smiths covers because it's the same style, but I thought it was more fun to pick pop punk songs or rock songs" Kinsella says. "I'm excited to actually finish it. I'm not sure when I'll do it."
In the meantime Kinsella confirms that Their/They're/There, the band he formed with Matthew Frank and Into It. Over It.'s Evan Weiss, have started work on their debut album.
"Evan and Matt just started working on the first full-length like a week or two ago," he says. "Those guys are going to get the skeletons of a few songs and then we'll start practising."
Of course, Kinsella also just saw the release of his own Cap'n Jazz spinoff Owls' Two, which is out now on Polyvinyl. Also, as previously reported, Kinsella will see the deluxe reissue of his lone album by his American Football project, again out on Polyvinyl on May 20.
Read our timeline on Tim and Mike Kinsella here.
Although Kinsella says he's not sure just when that might happen, he reveals, "I spent four days last week and I didn't quite finish, but I got a really good start."
The idea for a covers record was Polyvinyl's, since Kinsella finds starting work on material for a new full-length "mentally overwhelming."
"You're not so stressed about writing lyrics and song structures," says the former Cap'n Jazz drummer. "I hemmed and hawed about it and once I sat and figured out eight or nine songs that I really liked, that I'd like to figure out a way to do, I got excited about it."
The multi-instrumentalist says he wanted to cover songs that he loved when he was a teenager. "I wanted to do in a different way and make them my own."
Fans can expect versions of songs from an eclectic roster of artists, including Depeche Mode, Mojave 3, ALL, Blake Babies, Against Me!, Lungfish and former bandmate Davey von Bohlen's post-Cap'n Jazz group, Promise Ring.
"It would be very easy for me to do Smiths covers because it's the same style, but I thought it was more fun to pick pop punk songs or rock songs" Kinsella says. "I'm excited to actually finish it. I'm not sure when I'll do it."
In the meantime Kinsella confirms that Their/They're/There, the band he formed with Matthew Frank and Into It. Over It.'s Evan Weiss, have started work on their debut album.
"Evan and Matt just started working on the first full-length like a week or two ago," he says. "Those guys are going to get the skeletons of a few songs and then we'll start practising."
Of course, Kinsella also just saw the release of his own Cap'n Jazz spinoff Owls' Two, which is out now on Polyvinyl. Also, as previously reported, Kinsella will see the deluxe reissue of his lone album by his American Football project, again out on Polyvinyl on May 20.
Read our timeline on Tim and Mike Kinsella here.