THE WAR ON DRUGS with STILL CORNERS and ARC IN ROUND at the Horseshoe (370 Queen West), Friday (December 9), 9 pm. $13.50. HT, RT, SS, TM. See listing.
Adam Granduciel is amused by people’s perception of him as a jilted bandmate.
The Philadelphia-based musician started the War on Drugs in 2005 with the help of then-unknown guitarist and singer Kurt Vile.
Vile and Granduciel had a breakout year in 2011, the former due to his lauded solo album Smoke Ring For My Halo and Granduciel for his propulsive summer release, Slave Ambient (Secretly Canadian). Expect to see both on critics’ year-end lists.
Vile ceased being a regular contributor to TWOD around 2008, causing some people to think Granduciel had been ditched by the shooting star and left to pick up the pieces of his band.
“People always ask, ‘How did you find the courage to move on?'” says Granduciel with a groan. “It’s not as dramatic as people think. We’ve remained friends, and he played on the new record. I still play in his band [the Violators] and I went on tour with them during the summer.
“Things change, you get older, the music got out there, and we got busier. We don’t hang out four nights a week and record like we used to.”
Both Vile and Granduciel’s records embody a new, laid-back, Americana rock ‘n’ roll sound emanating from Philadelphia, though Slave Ambient explores deeper rhythms and textures. Its songs are fluidly moving units, with Granduciel’s vocals – Tom Petty-like at their best – clearly the last ingredient added to the mix.
“Drums and rhythm are the things I spend the most time agonizing over,” he says. “The sound of the drums and the way a song is built on the rhythms are the most important things to me.
“I hate to use the word ‘groovin’,’ but I always like being locked into a feeling without being overly dynamic. You don’t always notice [drums and rhythm], but they’re moving the whole song.”
Interview Clip
Adam Granduciel of the War on Drugs explains part of his songwriting process, and whether song length was an issue making the new album, Slave Ambient.
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