*Article by Dan Durley — buzz Music Writer*
Mike Kinsella is no stranger to Champaign-Urbana. He established his strong roots in the music industry with his brother, Tim Kinsella, as founding members of legendary bands Cap’n Jazz and CU’s own American Football. He records his solo work under the moniker Owen, and is signed to Champaign’s own Polyvinyl Records. His new record Ghost Town comes out on November 8, and before then Mike is playing a show as Owen at The High Dive in downtown Champaign on September 24th as a part of Pygmalion Music Festival.
buzz: What would you say you’re greatest influences are for Owen?
Mike Kinsella: I would say ever since high school, it’s been an attempt to sound like The Sundays, The Smiths, or The Red House Painters, even though I don’t really listen to those bands anymore. I listened to all those bands in my formative years. Even a lot of Dinosaur Jr. You wouldn’t necessarily hear any of them (in Owen) except maybe within some of the solos. I always call my chord progressions “Fleetwood Mac progressions” because they normally resolve the progression. I’m not really into keeping things unresolved musically…
buzz: I know that you’ve self-produced or co-produced a lot of your work. Was their anything that happened in the production of your new album, Ghost Town, where you wish you had taken the reins completely and produced it yourself?
MK: Yeah, there are a ton of those moments on the record, but ultimately I can’t really produce records myself as well as I’d like to. That’s why I have other people produce my records now. When I find other people whose opinions I respect, the records turn out better with them producing compared to producing it myself. There are a ton of little moments on the record that I would love to play a million times over. When I recorded my records myself, I would keep playing a part until I would make a mistake that I thought sounded good, if that makes any sense. It’s sort of insane. I would go for feeling rather than perfection, but it’s ultimately better to have somebody say, “let’s move on…”
buzz: Is there ever anything from your back catalog that you think could have benefitted from having a producer?
MK: Oh, absolutely. I can barely listen to those albums. It just sounds like a guy learning how to record in his house. For the first record, I didn’t even have reverb on anything. It was insane. I didn’t really know what I was doing at all. Those records would have sounded a million times better with someone who has proper knowledge producing records. But in a way, I’m sure it [having a producer] would have changed the end product. So part of me likes it. But as a guy that would like to listen to “good-sounding records,” yeah, I would re-do them with a producer.
buzz: Are there any underlying themes that you delve into on Ghost Town?
MK: Yeah, there is definitely a lot of talk about ghosts. There are some lingering thoughts about my dad passing and growing up among other things. It wasn’t intentional. As the album came together I would just begin to notice consistent words and motifs running throughout. I just sort of lumped it all together.
buzz: Do you ever feel that when you play with a full band you are like an orchestra director? It’s one thing to have full creative control over a recorded project, but in a live touring setting is it ever hard to “motivate the troops” behind your vision of how things are supposed to sound live?
MK: I don’t play with a band too often, and I guess it would be for that reason. It sort of takes me out of the equation. I’m concentrating too much on what everybody else is doing, so I can’t really focus on actually playing the songs or getting into them. I’ll get caught up in all the details of where people are supposed to come in or how loud the drums are supposed to be, and I’ll sort of miss the big picture. So, in my mind it’s almost easier and more natural to play the songs by myself and let whatever comes out come out.
buzz: So you feel more comfortable touring by yourself now?
MK: Yeah, I think for these songs I’ve gotten more comfortable in the last few years getting somewhere by myself, getting everything in order by myself, and playing by myself. Then again, I toured this summer with another rock band, and I had forgotten how fun it is to just be with other guys on tour. There are definitely benefits to touring with a band as well.
buzz: Cap’n Jazz reformed for a short period last year. Did the Cap’n Jazz reunion instill a drive to get back to the prettier acoustic sounds Owen is known for?
MK: I enjoy rocking with Cap’n Jazz, playing loud and hitting hard. Although, It did end up making me appreciate being able to write the melodies to all the songs myself. We were just playing songs that we wrote 15 years ago, so there wasn’t much we could do. But while practicing those songs, there were a few times where I would play a part and feel like “man, I don’t even like this part.” It did make me eager to get back to doing my own songs.
buzz: Did you take anything from Cap’n Jazz creatively moving forward with Owen?
MK: Yeah, I think I did. I was hitting extra hard playing drums for Cap’n Jazz, and I think that energy definitely found its way onto the new Owen record. I recorded the drums for Ghost Town pretty soon after Cap’n Jazz played, so I’m pretty sure I was hitting the drums a bit harder than I have on other Owen records. I added in a few extra fills than I had on previous Owen albums as well.
buzz: What do you think has aided in your relative longevity compared to other artists that have a hard time sustaining themselves financially?
MK: Well, the tangible answer would be that I have a great label behind me, Polyvinyl. Polyvinyl really knows how to put a record out, and promote it and sell it. I also have a great booking agent from The Agency Group, Justin Bridgewater. He is willing to do as much or as little as I want to do. Most agents say, “Oh, you’ve got to play this many shows,” or “play with these bands.” Justin pretty much lets me do whatever I want. He is more of a friend who also just happens to be a booking agent. If neither of those were in place, there is no way I would be able to keep doing this. I wouldn’t have the motivation or the contacts to do everything. I would like to think that the reason why anyone’s still listening would be that I’m making honest music. Even if people aren’t aware that that’s why they like something, I think that they’re attracted to something that’s honest. Even if the shows I play aren’t too crowded, everyone there actually likes it.
Who: Deerhoof, Xiu Xiu, Braid, Japandroids + More – Polyvinyl 15th Anniversary Showcase
When: Saturday, Sept. 24 @ 2:30 (Deerhoof @ 9:10)
Where: The Highdive – Outdoor Stage
Ages: 19+
Cost: $25 in advance ($30 at the gate); free with festival wristband
Buy tickets here
Owen – “Good Friends, Bad Habits”
buzz Magazine: Music 
Posted on September 14, 2011
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