Baker’s Dozen Interview: Scout

By: Tender Branson in interview on Nov. 30, 2011

13 years ago Scout (here) dropped their debut EP on Chrysalis (the same company the housed the Proclaimers). Two short years later their breakthrough album, It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time, created a stir that had everyone clamoring for their attention. There were appearances on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien,” editor’s choice picks by Amazon.com, tracks on films and television shows and a tour with Sunny Day Real Estate. Then, after a follow-up album The Soft Life, Scout pulled the air brakes and everything came to a screeching halt…musically speaking. Here we are some 2,900 days later and those air brakes have finally been released. Recently I had the chance to interview Ashen Keilyn, the driving force behind Scout, as part of our Baker’s Dozen Interview Series. Amongst other things we talked about the hiatus, the new album and The End of History:

TB: You are putting the finishing touches on your first album since 2003, All Those Relays. I’m not buying the title, that you’ve been running relays for the past eight years, so what have you been up to?

Ashen Keilyn (AK): Ha! Well I do things slowly. It’s kind of like the story of the Tortoise and the Hare. I am the Tortoise in this case. Honestly I was not aware 8 years have passed. I got caught up in life and it took me a while to figure out how I was going to move Scout forward. Starting out on my own again was challenging. I had a lot of dots to connect, many starts and stops. Times isn’t something I can worry about. I just wanted to get it right.

TB: How would you describe All Those Relays?

AK: The title is a metaphor for life, for my life anyway. Friendships and relationships, our connections, they are an opportunity to learn, share, grow and pass the baton, as in a relay. I enjoy the camaraderie of making music and I enjoy the company of others, but I also know the time to myself to process and figure it all out is just as important.

TB: All Those Relays seems like it was a massive undertaking. Each song was crafted when it was ready and was based on a real life experience you had. The songs were then laid down in the studio with one (“Under Attack”) requiring 128 different tracks to make it say exactly what you wanted. What are you most proud of in terms of the album’s creation process?

AK: Not so much a massive undertaking…more like a lesson on patience, following your gut and believing you are on the right track. Especially when you get derailed. I wrote “Under Attack” to a little drum loop that had some layers on it and Steve (Schlitz) got the idea to have Jason (Molina) play all those parts. I would get overwhelmed with 10 tracks but his mind can make all those tracks sound like one little loop. I think it’s a challenge to him and he’s good at it. When I set off to make this record, I had to start out alone. Scout was just me now and I was starting all over again. That was scary. I hid in a group and now I was stepping out on my own. I wanted to make a record where my voice stood out more. I think Steve did a great job doing that on these recordings.

TB: So let’s talk about those who helped with the sounds on your album. Accompanying Steve (from Hurricane Bells and Longwave) and Jason (from Longwave) were Shannon Ferguson (Longwave) and Jim Eno (from Spoon). What type of elements did these guys bring to the album that otherwise may have been missing?

AK: I’m so thankful to my friends that played on this record and believed in these songs. I’m lucky to have such talented, creative people in my life. I have been a Spoon/Jim Eno fan forever and Steve, Jason and Shannon know me well. They made it easy for me. They listened to my demos and knew just what to add. I had a great time making this record with all of them.

TB: Part of the funding for the album came courtesy of fans via Kickstarter. What are the benefits of funding a project this way?

AK: I think sites like Kickstarter and Pledgemusic are fantastic! I had no idea how I was going to be able to release this CD. It makes the supporters of your music more a part of the process. I am so grateful to the people that donated and can’t wait to finally get this record out to them.

TB: My favorite song of the last month has been “Please Excuse Me.” It is a song that I connected with instantly because of the lyrics about fighting not being worth it and the town being too small for such volatile personalities. To me, it is the story of how relationships fail when people can’t step back and speak rationally to each other. How does the actual story behind the song go?

AK: Cool, thank you! I like that! Well I strung together some idioms. Tried to paint a big picture of love gone wrong with a little brush. I’ve always admired how Elizabeth Fraser of the Cocteau Twins wrote and sang songs. I often felt what she was singing before I knew what she was saying, know what I mean? For the longest time she was speaking another language. I try not to be so rigid in my writing. I’m not afraid to play with words.

TB: Prior to releasing the full album you released the Pi EP (November 15th). The EP includes “Under Attack” and alternative version of “Please Excuse Me” as well as a Guided By Voices cover and an unreleased track “Songs to Strangers.” What makes these four tracks work together and why were they selected to reacquaint the world to Scout.?

AK: We knew we wanted to release an EP before the record. Steve had an idea for a different mix of “Please Excuse Me” and we both thought “Under Attack” worked. “Songs to Strangers” didn’t make it on ATR so that seemed obvious. Then it was between a Replacements cover I recorded alone or the GBV cover we recorded together. “Game of Pricks” just sounded better with the others. Plus, Steve wanted to show his guitar solo skills!

TB: I would assume that you will be supporting the album with some live shows. Do you have any concrete details you can give us about where or when we could see Scout live?

AK: We have a show on December 13th at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC. It’s going to be an intimate little show. I really enjoy that venue. It’s very small and the sound is always good. Then we will be putting together a record release party and more shows after that.

TB: You guys are based in NYC. What do you like about the city?

AK: New York is full of beautiful, creative ghosts.

TB: As we mentioned earlier, a lot of your songs are based on experiencing life and living. Are there any particular places that you find inspirationally rich?

AK: 548 1/2 Hudson Street. But it’s not just locations. I get inspiration from documentaries. The Maysles are awesome…Grey Gardens, Gimme Shelter, Salesmen…Amazing.

TB: As the year is quickly winding down, what are Scout’s plans for the rest of this year and the beginning of 2012?

AK: It has been an interesting year for me personally. I thankfully have many new songs to flush out because of it. But I will be busy getting ATR ready for release and the usual things that go along with that. Hopefully I will be doing more of this, talking with people like you about this record, life, music and in this case food! I try not to get to ahead of myself. I am doing what I love and I’m grateful that people still take time to listen.

TB: Speaking of food, we pair our music with it. Do you get a chance to do much cooking? What would you make to go with your new album?

AK: I love it! I consider myself a foodie. I am not much of a cook, but my family has been in the restaurant business for over 35 years. I’m lucky to have friends and family that enjoy cooking and are good at it. So, with that said, I think a great snack plate would go along well with Scout…you get a little bit of this and a little of that.

TB: Any final words of wisdom?