“No one ever says a word about so much that happens in the world.“
-John Vanderslice, “Exodus Damage”

A swirling post-9/11 nausea figures prominently in San Francisco-based songwriter John Vanderslice’s recent work. Ever mindful of recent political controversy and regional instability, Vanderslice employs a striking array of characters in 2003’s Cellar Door and 2005’s Pixel Revolt. Guantanamo guards, stateless political tyrants, and hunk kids in camouflage are but a few of those to have emerged from a narrative style which favors front lines over headlines. I sat down with Mr. Vanderslice at Middle East in Cambridge, Massachusetts to discuss his approach to all things political. Ably distinguishing his own perspective from those of the characters he lends voice to, Vanderslice reveals himself to be a diligent and thoughtful student of current events. _(A full review of Vanderslice’s new record Emerald City and a Vanderslice Bookery reading will appear on the site this Friday)_

Upon hearing your music for the first time, I was especially drawn in by the song “Exodus Damage.” A reflection on the events of September 11th, the lyrics wrestle with the uncanny. There is a feeling of powerlessness, but also something darker — a sense that variables in play later described as diametrically opposed were actually interwoven. Can you bring the subtext here to the fore?

JV: I think about that all the time. In Orwelian systems, enemies can be fabricated. Was Al Qaeda created by us in some way? Were they in fact needed in Torah Borah? The U.S. has let Osama Bin Laden’s family go, and let the pursuit go on. For Bush, it didn’t matter if we caught Bin Laden. It would be in our interests to have a straw man, to have a way to control the press, to have an ongoing ‘state of emergency.’ I don’t doubt that there is an organic, coincidental movement that wants to demonize the U.S. However, the parallels with what we’re doing, particularly in Iran right now, to what we did in Panama are striking. Viewed in this way, the existence of Al Qaeda is in the interests of the administration, perversely.

Are you familar with the various ’911 Truth’ type movements? What are you thoughts?

JV: My personal feeling is that there is complicity. The NORAD response alone raises serious questions. With regard to the different movements, you have to be careful. The “Loose Change” documentary is horrible. So much of it is unsubstantiated, and does more damage than good to the search for answers.

So how does one navigate the labryinth of information that’s out there?

JV: Well, www.cooperativesearch.org is good, and there’s people like Peter Del Scott in Berkeley.

Your songs are often political, but not partisan. Were you concious of this in the writing process?

JV: There has to be narrative tension — even self-contradictory elements when you’re letting people know where you’re coming from.

The quality of your voice as you sing some of your more political songs is striking — almost indescrible — for me, ‘nautious” is most apt? Is this unrelated to the lyrical content, or are you consciously expressing a feeling of disgust?

JV: I’m always very sympathetic to the narrator, and to the characters in those kinds of songs. I feel you’re always going to have sympathy for the people you’re writing about.

How do see the relationship between politics and songwriting? I’ve read that you’re a fan of Radiohead — musical genius aside, do you feel that Thom Yorke’s more political lyrics have become increasingly sensationalist?

JV: I love “We Suck Young Blood” — it’s such an abstract and beautiful song about the West ciphening the resources out of developing nations. Thom Yorke has spoken out a lot about aid to Africa and the stinginess of the U.S. in regards to resources.

Interesting. I always thought that was a lame song about the record industry. I’ll have to go back and revisit it as more of a “Drop the Debt” anthem. I think that’s a great way of looking at it.

The political effectiveness of music in the 1960s was quite astounding. Do you see a relationship in the decline of student activism with the decline in the number of popular, yet political, artists?

JV: Well, the governing structures and institutions of this country know how to fuck you up and make you nihilistic and unable to act on anything. It makes you feel so defeated and absolutely powerless. Maybe when climate change gets really bad we’ll see more activism.

Is there anything you will be doing in 2008 to make a difference politically? Do you believe it’s even possible?

JV: It is possible to destabilize power systems. Ultimately, who is on the Supreme Court is a big deal. Adherence to the law is a major factor, of course — that the executive branch has to adhere to the judicial branch, etc. I don’t know… The Patriot Act was drawn up a long time before 9/11. It’s part of a bigger plan, and not something fleeting.

What inspired your adaptation of Robert Lowell’s “fall 1961” into song lyrics for Radiant With Terror?

JV: That’s about the Cold War — about the horror and unbelievable tension that Lowell addresses. We’ve had a reprieve from it, but it’s coming back — especially with the highly unstable global climate. Also, we don’t know even no how China is going to affect the bigger picture. With what’s going on now, you can’t just find a key that would unlock all the geopolitical mysteries. Is what’s happening now in the Middle East about an endgame with China? Iraq has to do with some kind of endgame with China.

Have politics and world events been on your mind while writing and recording the new album? What effective strategies for political engagement can you offer to readers?

JV: We’ve got to strip out partisan language and the belief that the left and right exist as coherent stable ideas. Oppositional politics is an illusion. You’ve got to pick one issue and roll with it. For me, the issue is the war in Iraq. It’s insidious what we’ve done. And so dishonest. Everything has been totally fabricated — it was never a measured international military reaction. Moreover, we have radicalized millions of Muslims forever. We’re in trouble.

The peaceniks on the left have to ally with the churches, as was done in activism against the Vietnam war. Still, I truly believe if you push up against the intelligence agencies, you’re going to get shot.

John Vanderslice Official Site
Barsuk Records