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Currently on tour and one busy guy, Cass McCombs is out there supporting his recently released, gorgeous and critically acclaimed record Catacombs, on Domino Records. You can hear a few tracks from the album on his myspace page. Here, he chats with me about, among other things, that new album and its creation, the rigors of touring and his dream show billing.


Miss Ess: You have a lovely new album -- where was it recorded?

Cass McCombs: Ariel (the producer) subletted an old house in Hollywood he found on craigslist and we recorded in the living room, in addition to various other spots around town.

ME: How did you decide what production moves to make and how to shape its sound? Love the bit of country twang added by the pedal steel sounds.

CM: I don't know much about production, that's not my line. I'm just trying to make it as simple as possible, as delicate as possible, so the personality and emotion of the performance is a straight-shot to and from the heart, direct. Several of the songs on this record were recorded one hundred percent live, including the vocal -- now that's a real test of will power. That was the hardest thing I ever had to do in a recording situation; it takes true endurance. It's no problem for Barbra Streisand, but it's hard work for me.

ME: Where did you write most of the tracks for the album? Did you have anything in particular in mind as you wrote?

Sometimes I think that I might throw the word love around too much... I do tend to fall in love with music and sometimes don't know how else to describe it. But I worry that it might take away some of the value of the word. How do I describe an album that I love more than any other if I have already claimed to love dozens of albums this year already? I might need to just start describing albums as pretty good. I do seem to use this phrase a lot when describing my feelings of certain situations, but I really actually mean pretty great when I say pretty good. So when I say love or great, I really do mean it. When an album like this new album by The Gossip comes around I really wish I had a new word to describe it. I do love it...but I really, really love it. I was a bit worried that I might just sort of like it. How could they follow up the brilliance of the last album Standing in the Way of Control? There was just no way. Their albums have been getting better and better but I was worried they had just gotten as good as they were going to get. This new album also marks their debut on a major label. They have gotten to be huge stars in England with the last album and were signed. I was worried they were maybe too busy playing big festival shows and doing big fancy photo shoots, too busy to concentrate on making another brilliant album. But I really had no reason to be worried. I had heard rumours that the new album was going to be great, and it most certainly is. Music for Men was released last week digitally and as an import. We will have to wait for the domestic CD and LP until later in the year, but I could not wait for this one. I had to pick up the import. I had to hold something in my hands. I wanted to look through the liner notes as I listened to the album for the first time. I wanted to own the album! You know, like we all used to do.

Cass McCombs is one of the best bubbling-just-under-the-radar songwriters around. Cass's got a new video out, fiercly featuring actress Karen Black (Five Easy Pieces, Easy Rider), as well as our own dear Greg in a skateboarding cameo, for his song "Dreams Come True Girl." The track is a sweet, ambling, highly hum-able song that will be on his upcoming album, Catacombs, out on Domino June 1. The single is also out now on 7". Check out the vid below: