With Jeremy Messersmith’s latest album, The Reluctant Graveyard, topping many reviewers “best of” lists; it’s no surprise NPR took notice. This third release soars with the power pop we know and love; jangly guitars, soaring harmonies, bouncy piano, and pounded out with a danceable beat. There are even strings to give it that orchestral pop feel. I caught up with Jeremy in Madison, Wisconsin at the UW Rathskeller. The tour includes most of the Midwest, as well as, a stop at World Café Live on WXPN, and an NPR Tiny Desk Performance.
What is your musical background? Do you have any musical training?
“I played trumpet in middle school and for my church. Then I got braces so that ended that. I learned acoustic guitar. Attended North Central University in Minneapolis and earned a music degree in 2002.”
List all of the instruments you play.
“Guitar, bass, piano, drums, trumpet.”
Were you in any other bands?
“In college I was in a band; we were called So-fi. Then our mini-van was stolen and that ended the band.”
What artists are your influences?
“Oh the typical bigs, The Beatles, The Beach Boys. As for some new ones, I like Elliot Smith and Radiohead. I definitely like Radiohead, although I haven’t heard too much of their new stuff.”
What is your favorite Elliot Smith song?
“I would have to say ‘Baby Britain.’ “
If you could work with any other artist (dead or alive), who would it be?
“David Bowie, Brian Eno, Jon Brion, Richard Swift. Even though they are great musicians, I guess I am thinking more of working with them as producers.”
What was the first CD/record you ever bought?
“It was a Christmas album by The Gaither Vocal Trio.”
What was the first concert you ever went to?
“It would have to be when I was thirteen or fourteen, DC Talk.”
How is the “pay what you want” working out?
“Awesome, but it’s a little hard. I’ve sold way more copies with bandcamp. Actually it’s paid off my recording studio time and CDs as well.”
Who is in your back up band this tour?
“Andy Thompson on drums, Peter Sieve plays guitar, Ben Rosenbush on cello and keyboards, and I play bass. We also have a string section with Erica Burton (from The Laurels String Quartet), Pauline Bertsch, and Kimberly Salisbury. Normally I use The Laurels String Quartet when I’m in Minneapolis.”
How did you get them involved?
“Well, Andy Thompson has been with me since the second album. The first album, The Alcatraz Kid, was just myself in my basement. The Silver City was Andy, Dan Wilson (from Semisonic), and myself. The new one, The Reluctant Graveyard, features Andy again, Dan Lawonn (from The Laurels String Quartet), and Brian Tighe. You might know Brian from The Owls. He was also in The Hang Ups.”
The Hang Ups were awesome!
“Well, Brian is all over the new record with guitar modulations. There was a lot of collaboration on this one.”
I’m sorry I missed your solo tour last summer, how did that go?
“Uh, okay. It was just my GPS and me driving around by myself. It wasn’t very well attended. Some nights were great; others were just me and the bartenders.”
How do you achieve the beautiful vocal harmonies live, especially on “Violet!”?
“It depends on the soundboard, whether we can hear each other, but I travel with a number of great singers so we can pull it off.”
When you write songs, what comes first, the music or the lyrics?
“It depends. With ‘Dillinger Eyes,’ I had the lyrics first. ‘Violet!,’ I had the melody first. “Deathbed Salesman,’ I had the music for a really long time before I came up with the lyrics.”
What instrument do you begin writing songs with? (guitar, piano, etc.)
“Usually guitar, but lately I have been playing more piano, so sometimes piano.”
One of my favorite Replacements songs is “Skyway.” You do a great job with it making it your own. What made you decide to cover that song?
“When I did The Silver City album, it was a tribute to Minneapolis, so I started thinking about what Twin City artist would be a good fit. I started listening to all of the Replacements albums and that track just stood out. Such a great song with a nice twist at the end.”
Your latest release is a number of remixes off The Reluctant Graveyard. I don’t recognize any of the remixers, how did that come about?
“Most of the remixers are Minnesota friends, although there is one guy from South Africa that did three of the tracks. I uploaded all of the tracks reduced to stems, or pieces of the tracks, and let anyone do whatever he wanted with them. There are actually some that I like better than what I did with them. I have been donating all of the proceeds to Doctors Without Borders, around 500-600 dollars so far. Two of my sisters are nurses and my brother is in medical school, so maybe that had an influence on that.”
What are your future plans?
“I have two more records in the works. All I can say is that they will be a lot different than the previous three!”
Jeremy Messersmith is a man on a mission. He’s an excellent songwriter that has great songs that definitely need to be heard live. Whether solo or with his top notch back-up band, look for him to grace your city soon. He might even surprise you with his selection of covers he uses for encores. Check YouTube for a number of his live covers. For more information about Jeremy, check out www.jeremymessersmith.com.
