An interview with Mike Watt

I think for most of us as music fans, freaks, enthusiasts, or whatever the term du jour is, there are a few artists that just stand out as somebody who you'd really like to sit down and chat with. At the top of my list was Mike Watt, who took some time out of his busy evening prepping for a show at Omaha's The Waiting Room on May 16, 2009 to chat with me about everything going on in Watt's world.

Sonic Dissonance: I wanted to thank you for taking some time to talk with me, I've been a big fan since '95 when you sold t-shirts off my car at the Ranch Bowl. Wanted to talk to you first about the album, I know you were recording in the northeast recently.

Mike Watt: Well, Raul and Tom did at Tony Maimone's studio in Brooklyn, May 3, 4 and 5, 30 songs. Well, 30 parts, it's really one big song, my third opera, it's called Hyphenated Man. I just did those songs. I was afraid of it being a little Minutemen-ny, it was influenced by the We Jam Econo, having to do that. Not having to do that, but getting to listen to music again. I thought it was very interesting to hear no filler. I thought the third opera, I'd try to make sure I remove "the Minuteman," the bass and have Raul and Tom play together.

I wrote all the songs... D Boon's father gave me these two telecasters, so I wrote on them. I'm not a very good guitar player, but I do a little bit of Minutemen, so I wrote all 30 of them on purpose. It's a little bit Minutemen, a little bit Watt and parts.

Continued on Sonicdissonance.com