After sixteen years (sixteen long years, I might add), Toad the Wet Sprocket, a seminal band for many of us in the '80s and '90s, is coming out with another album! Currently on tour, Toad is releasing its new album New Constellation on September 3rd, 2013. This band was known for their thoughtfully deep lyrics. So it's no surprise that when I caught up with lead singer Glen Phillips we had quite a philosophical discussion about the new album, the work process, the current economy, and coming together again as a band after so long.
Hello! How are you doing today?
I'm doing well. Yeah. It's all good, I suppose.
I know you are in the middle of your tour. How's that going?
Oh, so far it's been great. We just played a few shows and you know getting... switching out crew and you know whatever else, just kind of getting up to speed I guess. But, all considered, it's been quite wonderful. Happy audiences. I mean the main thing is that it's been good to have new songs. Even just a few new ones that makes a huge difference to have something that's not fifteen, sixteen, twenty years old.
So you're playing a lot from your new album then?
Oh, we're playing a few from the new album. I mean, you know, obviously only a handful of people have the new record. And there's only so far you want to stretch an audience as far as new material. But you know, we're playing a few and we're having a lot of fun doing it.
I know you guys have toured on and off over the years but what made Toad decide to start touring again full time?
Well, I've always toured full time.
I know you have!
Yeah. We would try playing a few shows here and there and... I don't know, it's kind of a chicken and the egg thing. At some point it just felt a lot better. It felt like we could make a record and there's no point in making a record unless you're going to work it. I mean, this doesn't mean I'm not doing other projects anymore. This doesn't mean other people won't be doing other projects. But you know for now we're going to be doing one thing and do it well, and put the right effort into it to make it worthwhile. So this is what we're doing this season and we're all kind of investing our time and effort. But more than anything we just did it because we felt like we could all show up and enjoy it and do the right job on it. In the past there was still kind of too much history or strangeness looming over our heads. In the last few years it just seems like we all grew up enough or got over attitudes or whatever it was to make it so we were all happy to be there. So while it's like that we should be playing shows.
