Steve Wynn - Interview

  by Philamonjaro

published: 19 / 1 / 2024

intro

The Dream Syndicate's Steve Wynn talks to Philamonjaro about his new live CD 'Journeyman' and his recent European acoustic tour.

The Dream Syndicate’s founding member Steve Wynns has a prolific career. He was one of the central figures who helped make up the L.A. Paisley Underground scene along with The Bangles and others such as The Long Ryders and The Rain Parade. Collectivel they provided a defining college radio-friendly, indie sound of that time. He started a solo career in 1990. By 2007 The Baseball Project was formed with Wynn’s wife Linda Pitmon, and former members of REM; Peter Buck, Mike Mills and Scott McCaughey (REM’s touring guitarist). The Dream Syndicate reformed in 2012 and has been active since. All said, in his various musical incarnations, he is credited with over 50 releases. A working musician who never seems to slow down, Pennyblackmusic caught up with Wynn for an overview of all of his current projects. PB: How is your European solo tour going? What have been the highlights so far? STEVE WYNN: It’s been great—almost like two tours in one. I started with ten days up in chilly Scandinavia, flying each day to cover the miles I needed to cover in Denmark and Norway and Sweden before flying down to Athens. It was for a film festival screening of the Dream Syndicate movie. Now I’ve eased into an easier, breezier and mostly warmer couple of weeks in Spain. I thrive on variety. Highlights? Every day, every meal, every show - you have just got to soak it all in. PB: Playing solo seems like you have more opportunities for rapport with the audience. How is that for you? SW: Exactly. That’s what I love about solo shows and tours. In band shows, it’s all about the rapport with my bandmates and having the audience watch us like guppies in a fishbowl. We mix it up with each other and hopefully the fans catch and help ignite our spark. But at solo shows, the audience essentially becomes my bandmate. We’re all pushing and pulling together towards something hopefully memorable and connective. At his merch table Wynn had a new, limited 1,000 disc release of his solo show recorded live this past May. PB: What prompted the ‘Journeyman’ CD? SW: I played at one of my “regulars,” The Music Star in Norderstedt, just outside of Hamburg, last May and they have a great recording set-up. It was a good night for me and I ended up with a well documented souvenir. I’d never released a live solo acoustic album before so it seemed like a good time. PB: ‘Journeyman’ was recorded just four months ago, how did it get released with so much else going on with the Baseball Project and solo tour? SW: Oh, I always keep all of the burners on, at least at the simmer level – The Baseball Project, solo shows, The Dream Syndicate and ready to go at any time. The to-and-fro makes it fun for me and keeps them all fresh. PB: How did the new Dream Syndicate documentary come about? What was a highlight from its presentation at the 2023 Gimme Shelter Festival in Athens? SW: Dutch tele journalist and filmmaker Emiel Spoelder has been working on this movie for over a decade, interviewing, editing and traveling and it finally all came together during the pandemic. The response has been great and I try to show up wherever there’s a special screening especially when it’s in a place I love as much as Greece. I have so many friends there and the Greek audience has always been so warm and loyal when it comes to my shows and records. I think I’ve done more tours of Greece than any non-Greek musician. I’ll just officially say that’s true. Why not? PB: What is on the horizon for you? Recording? Writing? The Dream Syndicate? More touring? The Baseball Project? SW: All of that. I’m focusing for now on writing new songs for a solo album and a Dream Syndicate album. But I’m also finishing my memoir, which will be released late next year. Wynn mentioned that fans can look forward to seeing him live next April 2024 in London. But more on that news to come.

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