Steve Gunn is always on the move
With Eyes On the Lines, Gunn crafts the best realized expression of his musical personality so far, proving himself worthy of Matador’s ranks.
Photo credit: Photo courtesy Matador
Steve Gunn has carved out a substantial corner of meandering guitar rock for himself, but he isn’t a household name — not yet, anyway. Eyes on the Lines, the Brooklyn-based guitarist’s Matador Records debut, heightens the sunburned folk-rock he has honed for more than a decade. Songs such as “Ancient Jules,” “Conditions Wild,” and “Park Bench Smile” merge breezy confidence and soul, finding balance between his most finely detailed and his most understated performances yet. “This is really a first band record for me,” Gunn says. “We did a lot of touring before working on this record, and I wanted to capture all that live playing in producing this one.”
Gunn is conscious of the shift in his writing. Lyrically, Eyes On the Lines looks back upon the year leading up to recording the songs, fleshing out an overall theme of reflection. “As you can tell it’s a bit of a travel record, which is a result of me being on the road more than half the year while writing these songs,” he says. “The album deals with a lot of different feelings and issues, but underneath it all there’s an overall message of hope throughout the songs. Perhaps one can hear that upon a close listen, it’s one thing I’m trying to convey in my usual subtle way.”
Eyes on the Lines places Gunn amid Matador’s stable of hallowed talent that includes indie rock legends Yo La Tengo, Pavement, Belle and Sebastian, Cat Power, the New Pornographers, Interpol, and countless more. Gunn has certainly paid his dues, having graduated from the ranks of small, DIY and medium-sized powerhouse labels (Three Lobed Recordings, Paradise of Bachelors, Digitalis Recordings). With Eyes On the Lines, Gunn crafts the best realized expression of his musical personality so far, proving himself worthy of Matador’s ranks.
Working with Matador allowed him more time to realize the songs with the band in a few different studio settings, which helped push his songwriting in some new directions. “I had been working on these songs for close to a year before going into the studio with them, and I was really looking forward to working on these songs with the musicians that I’ve been playing and touring with,” he says. “I felt like. as a band, we were were ready to go back into the studio, and it all started happening when I had enough songs constructed and demos/ideas were shared.”
Eyes on the Lines finds Gunn in full form, expanding from past solo, duo, and band projects, such as Gunn-Truscisnki Duo, Golden Gunn, Black Dirt Oak, and GHQ. Here, his music transforms sprawling-but-locked grooves into otherworldly jam sessions with eight longtime collaborators and peers, including John Truscinski, Mary Lattimore, and Nathan Bowles. Songs such as “Ancient Jules” and “The Drop” maintain a slow burn of Gunn’s agile and dusted style while incorporating shades of classic rock: The dovetailed bar blues and despot Americana of John Fahey, the scruffy heroism of Neil Young, and the sullen but sunny psych-pop of the Byrds. More upbeat songs “Conditions Wild” and “Heavy Sails” play out like world-weary rock, chugging through a tight but ramshackle run of buzzed riffs and barstool meditation.
Much of Gunn’s power comes on stage, and the guitarist holds his own no matter the size of the crowd. A recent tour opening for Wilco had Gunn and his band playing in front of upwards of 9,000 people each night. One show — a sold-out night at Red Rocks in Colorado — put the group in front of 9,525 people. But the band didn’t buckle under the pressure. They thrived on it. “Red Rocks is mind-blowing,” Gunn says, “and the way the seats are, the stage is sort of at the bottom so you’re looking at a wall of people.”
Gunn takes everything in stride, though, remaining open to each new challenge that come with greater success. “It’s a little daunting to step in front of such a huge crowd,” he says. “We were just grateful to be there.”
Now, Gunn and his band are taking their live show back to smaller clubs and venues, like Eddie’s Attic in Decatur. But the band remains just as potent in smaller, more intimate settings where they first developed. The change only inspires Gunn, who thrives on growth, and is always on the move, even when he’s unpacked and off the road. “I’d love to go anywhere,” Gunn says. “I’m always plotting somewhere to go when I’m at home.”
Steve Gunn plays Eddie’s Attic on Fri., July 15, with Spacin. $12-$16. 7 p.m. Eddie’s Attic. 515-B North McDonough St. (upstairs) 404-377-4976. www.eddiesattic.com.