A Conversation with The Feelies’ Glenn Mercer – HuffPost 5.11.11

Mike Ragogna: Glen, how the heck are you?

Glenn Mercer: Great, thanks.

MR: What inspired The Feelies reunion and the new album, Here Before?

GM: It’s the same motivation as before, really. It’s great to reconnect with friends and fans and to express ourselves through our music, and it happened at a time when everyone was able to be a part of it.

MR: Have you guys been getting together and performing through the years anyway?

GM: Well, we started talking about it around 2002. We had some business that came up, some requests for licensing, and I guess since that point, we began to get more and more requests for playing lives shows and to reissue our back catalog. It seemed like the interest in the band was growing. But it wasn’t until 2008 that we could get everybody to the point where we could focus 100% on the band, which meant writing new songs and recording a new record. We didn’t just want to get together for the sake of a reunion and have it be purely nostalgic, although it’s fine to have that element, we just didn’t want that to be the only reason for it.

MR: over the years, you’ve been cited by several artists including R.E.M. as having influenced their work. And Here Before is technically the fifth Feelies album?

GM: That’s right.

MR: What was it like being together from the first rehearsal through your time in the studio recording Here Before?

GM: Well, the first rehearsal was a little bit awkward because we set ourselves up in a circle. I guess our reasoning was that we needed to make eye contact for cues and such, and for whatever reason, it just didn’t settle well. So, the next day, we set up the way we do when we play live, which is, I guess, similar to the way we used to rehearse, and that made a big difference in the sound. It might have something to do with the fact that it was our second day as well. It just seemed to be a lot more relaxed.

MR: Do you think it was like muscle memory, your having played so often together through the years?

GM: A little bit. But you have to remember I played with Dave, Stan and Brenda pretty much the whole time we were apart as a band. For me, it wasn’t that unusual – you just put us together and we’re bound to make a sound. It came kind of naturally, really.

MR: Of course, especially because of the relationships that already existed there. But was it different coming together with a new album mission after all this time?

GM: For Bill, it was probably a bit different because he hadn’t really played much in the time that we were apart. But the rest of us have all played and played with each other over the years.

MR: How did the material come together? What was the creative process like?

GM: We pretty much started writing right away, but it took us a while to get to the stage of having enough material and getting into the studio. Bill still lives in Florida and Brenda is in Pennsylvania, so we couldn’t get together too often. But we found that when we did get together, like when we had a gig, we’d spend most of our time rehearsing for the gig and not have enough time to go over the new stuff. So, at some point, we realized that we had to put the live playing aside for a while, and once we did that and focused all of our energy on putting the new record together, it came together pretty quickly. We made demos last summer and started recording for about two weeks, and then we did four sessions over the course of four months – some in the Fall and some in the early Winter.

MR: Are there any songs on this album that have a special meaning or story behind their creation?

GM: Not exactly, no. Well, Bill and I were asked to do a soundtrack for a film and it didn’t work out – once the film was finished they decided to use someone else for the music and then the film wasn’t released in theaters. But there was one song, “Bluer Skies,” that I wrote on an organ. I had already recorded a demo of the song thinking I could use it in the film, and when that didn’t work out, I liked the song so much that I adapted it slightly to include it on this album.

MR: What was it like returning to the studio with the group?

GM: It was good. You know, we had played together for a couple of years and we had already made the demo, so we knew the sound that we were going for. I think it all worked out well – it was pretty effortless, really. We put in long days but we didn’t really have any major problems.

MR: When you were in the studio, how were you able to gauge when the work was complete? How did you decide that the mixes and the sound and were just the way you wanted them on the tracks?

GM: Well, like I said, we had already done the demo, so we had that template established. Really, it was just a matter of recreating that, but leaving a bit of room for each studio version to have its own sound and evolution into the track we wanted. A few of the songs were different from the demo, but by and large, the work we had done on the demo really paid off. That allowed us to go in and complete the record in about two weeks, which is pretty quick for us.

MR: Are there plans to tour for the album?

GM: No. Right now, we’re not really in the position to do anything like that.

MR: I read the great review that you guys got in Entertainment Weekly. Once again, The Feelies are critical darlings, how does that feel, pun intended?

GM: Great. It’s better to have that response than have the record be panned.

MR: Are there currently any artists on the music scene that make you excited about where the industry is going?

GM: I don’t listen to a lot of new stuff because when I’m working on things with The Feelies, it takes up a lot of time. We also all have families, so music isn’t really completely full time for us. If people recommend bands to me, I’ll definitely listen to them, but I’m just not really up to date on a lot of new artists to be honest.

MR: Have you ever happened upon American Idol or any of those types of shows when you’re with your family?

GM: No, not really.

MR: But I assume you know the concept of a show like American Idol. What are your thoughts on it and the process they put contestants through?

GM: I don’t know. I think it’s kind of awful. (laughs)

MR: (laughs) Do you think there could be any type of show of the same vein that could develop and showcase talent with a process that isn’t quite as contrived? (laughs)

GM: Well, I think that the inherent problem is that they’re mixing television and music. TV could certainly be a great tool for promotion, but in those types of shows, that’s not the case. It’s backward to me – it’s seems like the music is exploited for the television.

MR: I guess they were trying to create something different than the mix that we basically had in the ’80s and part of the ’90s with music videos being the prominent musical force on television. How do you feel about videos?

GM: Well, we did a few years back. I don’t know. (laughs) We didn’t complain about doing them, but I’m sure glad we don’t have to do those anymore.

MR: It seems like most artists really need a constant visual presence that will hopefully go viral to promote their music.

GM: I guess, I don’t know. It’s really up to the individual. I know many people who just listen to the music on their iPhones and don’t really need the visual. And there are some that say they enjoy listening to The Feelies while they’re driving, and that provides a visual all it’s own. (laughs)

MR: (laughs) True, I never thought of it like that. Are The Feelies planning any sort of live shows or appearances in the near future?

GM: Yeah, we have a few shows coming up in Spring and Summer. Then we’ll probably do a few more in the Fall and Winter.

MR: Great. Is there any advice that you would like to give to new artists?

GM: Protect your hearing. Don’t turn up the music too loud.

Transcribed by Evan Tyrone Martin