We had a chat with anti-folk artist Block about his vulnerable new single ‘I Thought I Won The War’ and what’s next for him
As an artist with decades of experience who has been credited with helping launch the anti-folk movement of late 1990’s New York, Block is somebody who has won over the respect and admiration of listeners for his ability to convey his wit and charm through his sound while also a sense of emotional vulnerability and heart that leaves a real impression on listeners.
The artist’s latest single ‘I Thought I Won The War’ is one that we have championed on this site for the artist’s thoughtful exploration of the feeling of being in too deep in a relationship that you have no business being in, and the anxieties and pressure that that can cause as you seek to make your escape. Following this excellent release and the upcoming release of the artist’s upcoming new album Love Crash, we had a chat with Block to find out a bit more about the release, the influences behind it, and the artist’s future plans.
Hey! We love your new single ‘I Thought I Won The War’, what more can you tell us about it?
Thank you! Usually for me, it starts with a guitar lick. I start to play it over and over and then words just pop into my head. It’s a pretty easy thing for me to do. The hard part is the second half of the song––actually finishing it.
Typically, the lyrics end up being an unconscious blending of things going on in my life. In this case, I was in a relationship that was highly painful. But at the same time, I was watching a lot of World War I and World War II documentaries. It occurred to me that the daily interactions I was having with this person weren’t totally dissimilar than, say, a soldier facing an opposing army. I thought it would be interesting to have the main character going about his life with somewhat surreal battlefield images interjected into his otherwise daily routine.
I voice-demoed the songs on this album to make sure I was on the right track. I’d share them with producer Chris (Kuffner) and he’d let me know. The production for this one was pretty straight ahead and standard and Blake Morgan’s mix really brought it to the next level.
What was the process like putting it together?
Recording at Grand Street was a sublime joy. Best recording studio I’ve ever worked in. The engineer on my record, Ken Rich, has it set up perfectly. He doesn’t waste any time getting a set-up arranged. As a consequence, we could work in a stream of consciousness way without letting the technical side of things get in the way. His place is sort of like a songwriter’s Shangri-La!
What were your biggest influences when creating it?
Great question. I suppose they were unconscious influences. Sometimes I’m actually thinking of a certain songwriter’s style when I write a song. But in this case I wasn’t. That said, Lou Reed has always been a true north for me. He set the bar as high as it can be set for these sorts of things as far as I’m concerned.
What should we expect from your upcoming new album Love Crash?
As I stated earlier, I was in a tough place, emotionally and romantically – cracked open – sort of a mess. At some point while I was going through that, I thought, “don’t waste this”. Of course, as always, what I think I’m writing about and what I end up actually writing about are usually two different things. I’m very proud of this group of songs. I went to some places I’ve never been before in my music.
What else do you have planned for the near future?
I’m starting to play live shows again, which is really fun. People from the “before time “ tend to disparage the current state of music making. But I think it’s great. I’m having so much fun working on the seven-second movies that will stream and accompany each song on Spotify. There’s so many little areas where we can make things now. And that’s what I love doing most, making things. Just keep making things.
