Live

Live

• Read the Artist Biography
• See all CDs by this artist

MY FAVORITE THINGS
Ed Kowalczyk of Live
For much of the '90s, Live has served as the conscience of American postmod rock, consistently offering up brain food to counteract the ear candy that's dominated public discourse in recent times. But unlike fellow deep thinkers like Rage Against the Machine or U2, the lil' ol' band from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, has seldom pretended to have all the answers -- just a series of questions as exhaustive as their litany of jangly guitar riffs. On the quartet's new album, THE DISTANCE TO HERE, Live puts their audience through some familiar paces, mixing Bic-flicking anthems with chin-stroking quieter moments -- only this time around, the band sounds far more relaxed, more in control, and more attuned to life in the world of rock. In conversation with bn.com's David Sprague, Live singer-songwriter-frontman Ed Kowalczyk offers a glimpse inside the band's universe -- one that, in the end, reveals both meaningful philosophy and random finger-pulling.

barnesandnoble.com: You started playing in the band that would become Live in your midteens, so is it safe to assume that your musical interests were instilled early on?

Ed Kowalczyk: Absolutely. My mom and dad were very much into pop music, particularly things that had meaning. John Lennon really comes to mind as something that saturated my childhood. My parents listened to Bob Dylan, to the Beatles, but the love affair with Lennon's solo stuff was really pervasive. The sweet visions he conjured up with, say, "Imagine" were so beautiful that they still affect me very deeply.

bn.com: What would you say you took from Lennon's music?

EK: The idea of pushing consciousness, of trying to put across our vision of the world, which is essentially a positive one.

bn.com: Do you think you have many kindred spirits in that way?

EK: In many ways, I think Live goes against the grain of what seems to be popular these days, so there aren't many. I'm a pretty huge fan of Radiohead, who have a similar vibe to us in some ways. Thom Yorke is a really visionary songwriter, and their music can truly take you to another place, which is something I've always aspired to.

bn.com: Are there other things that you find yourself really liking, regardless of commonality?

EK: Well, I don't think we have that much in common with Guided by Voices, but I like them a lot. I love Al Green too, although I can't pretend that he's had much to do with the way I sing.

bn.com: From the onset of your recording career, you've worked with Jerry Harrison as your producer. What's the bond there?

EK: Well, we certainly have a lot of respect for the music he's done, both on his own and with the Talking Heads. But more than that, our aesthetics just aligned so well right from the beginning. We work very hard on it -- I'd say we spent a full year on this album -- but at the same time, things come together very naturally when we work together.

bn.com: Live has a reputation for being a very serious band. Are there any totally goofy things you like to listen to in your downtime?

EK: I'm probably the biggest Snoop Dogg fan on the planet, which a lot of people probably wouldn't imagine from listening to our music. But as far as totally goofy things...I really like the Beastie Boys a whole lot, especially the older albums. The supremely goofy LICENSED TO ILL is right up there with my favorite records of all time.