Anders Parker has released five albums under the Varnaline name, two with Space Needle, two critically acclaimed solo releases (Tell it to the Dust & The Wounded Astronaut) and one soon-to-be-released collaboration with Jay Farrar-under the moniker Gob Iron. His new self-titled album will be released on Baryon Records on October 31, 2006. In his own words: As a reaction to the long recording and self-producing process of my last two records, Tell It To The Dust and The Wounded Astronaut, I wanted this one to be fast, quick, live and immediate. I also wanted to throw a lot of it up in the air and see what happened... meaning: I didn't want to make all of the musical decisions myself. Originally I conceived this record as a solo record - me singing and playing acoustic guitar or piano with no overdubs. But as I was writing these songs I realized that I didn't want to record them alone. So, I needed a band and a place to record....

Los Angeles
My first plan to assemble a band on the East Coast and record in New York City fell through, prompting a last minute change of coasts. I called up my friend Adam Lasus, who co-produced the second Varnaline and Space Needle records (as well as Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Clem Snide and Helium, among many others) and who had just relocated his Brooklyn-based Fireproof Studio to a converted pool house in Los Angeles, California. Knowing The Band recorded their second, self-titled record at Sammy Davis Jr's pool house in LA...well, already I had good vibes about heading west.

The band came together surprisingly well: Ken Coomer (Wilco, Uncle Tupelo) flew out from Nashville to play drums. Eric Heywood (Son Volt, Jayhawks, Richard Buckner) played pedal steel. He recommended bass player Jennifer Condos (Joe Henry, Stevie Nicks, Warren Zevon) whom I had never met but felt like I had known for years after a couple of days. And Adam Lasus got Kirk Swan (Dumptruck founder, Steve Wynn band) to play electric guitar.

Recording
All of the songs on the record were played, sung and recorded live in three days. No one had heard the songs prior to the sessions. I would play the songs for the band, usually outside at the table in front of the studio, and then we would go in and track the tune. Most songs were captured on the 1st or 2nd take. Once the basics were finished a few overdubs were in order. Sally Timms happened to be in town on tour with her Mekons band-mate John Langford so I managed to get her to come by and sing on the opening track, "Circle Same." Kristin Mooney brought a bottle of red wine and sang on a few tunes, "Dear Sara," "Missing" and "Belated." Phil Hurley (Gigolo Aunts) played a neat little solo on "Airport Road" and sang on a few things too. And in a little flurry of East Coast recording, Kendall Meade (Mascott) sang on "Winter Coat" and Mark Spencer (Blood Oranges, Freedy Johnston, Lisa Loeb) played piano and moog.

Self-Titled
I've made a few records now under many different conditions: some all by myself on a 4-track, a few with sizeable budgets and a band in big studios and a couple that spanned those two worlds. What I hoped to capture on this new album was simply this: the sound of a band playing these songs live in a room. In some ways it is still an acoustic record, but no longer a solo one. Even with everyone's amazing contributions, it remains simple, clear and uncluttered. In that spirit, I decided on the eponymous title.

Here are a few thoughts on the songs:

Circle Same
Written in Vermont a few weeks before Hurricane Katrina. I wasn't sure exactly what it meant and was about to start tinkering with the lyrics but then the storm came and I figured it was best to leave it as written. Not because it's about a hurricane, but because it seemed to make more sense after the storm hit. Perhaps about the cycles of life, the unchanging-ness of change. One of the few instructions that I gave the band was that everyone should play their own loop on this song. Make your circle and go.

Missing
Also written in Vermont, this time in the dead of winter. For a fellow traveler.

Oh, Monkeywrench
Last song written. Penned in a piano rehearsal room at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. Finally joined the iPod/laptop generation and got to thinking about how great these toys are but how obtrusive and sometimes distracting they can be too. Then expanded the thought into idea of how we are ruining the world around us and surrendering to technology. I'm not a Luddite, but I'm down with Edward Abbey.

Dear Sara
Can't really remember where I wrote this. I think I started it on the road sometime last year. Concerning conversations with a friend about mortality, darkness, choices, change, death and dogs.

Airport Road
There's one everywhere, but there's a specific one near a place where I go sometimes that means I'm getting close to where I want to be. And there's something about the light and sounds of an airport and the smell of airplane fuel that I've always liked.

Under Wide Unbroken Skies
For travelers and lost friends.

False Positive
Written in Durham, NC, after seeing yet another frustrating White House press briefing. The lies and twisting of the truth. It's amazing what people will say and believe. There was a baseball player that was once described by the owner of his team as a "fat pussy toad". Couldn't help but think of that every time I saw Scott McClellan.

Belated
Also written in NC. I was sick as a dog and had a really high fever but somehow managed to sit at the piano and write this song. True story, for what it's worth. A birthday present for a birthday missed.

Proof
Always looking for proof of something. Sometimes you gotta have faith, other times proof.

Pajarito
Concerning a bull that brought the bullfight to the people.

Winter Coat
About the barren winter landscape of the northern wilds. With apologies to Neil Young, Paul Westerberg and Joni Mitchell, all of whom I borrowed lyrical snippets from for this one.

Pink Clouds
Tried to capture a conversation I had many years ago right at the last light of the day concerning the fleeting moments of life.

Album Discography

1996 Varnaline Man of Sin
1997 Varnaline Varnaline
1997 Varnaline A Shot and a Beer EP
1997 Space Needle The Moray Eels Eat the Space Needle
1998 Varnaline Sweet Life
2001 Varnaline Songs in a Northern Key
2004 Anders Parker Tell it to the Dust
2005 Anders Parker The Wounded Astronaut EP
2006 Space Needle Recordings 1994-1997 (collection)
2006 Gob Iron -- Title TBA
2006 Anders Parker Anders Parker