Phil Elverum on Mount Eerie, his music, and listening to rap and black metal at the same time (2012)

Interview date: 03.08.2012

Phil Elverum has, as Mount Eerie, just recently released Clear Moon (you can read the review HERE), which, like its predecessor Wind’s Poem, is getting incredible responses from the media and listeners alike. This delicate mix of lo-fi, indie folk and black metal is the product of a one-of-a-kind mind, which RockLine tries to understand and unpack in this exclusive interview.

RockLine: To start off – how are you feeling now that Clear Moon has been out for a while, with two whole months of working its truly magical effect on listeners, and after all the really positive reactions?

Phil: I feel great. I’m really happy with the album, so it’s that much better when other people dig it too.

RockLine: Much like Wind’s Poem, Clear Moon is a very interesting and delicate mix of indie folk and atmospheric black metal. How did you end up with such a specific sound? Who influenced you while writing Wind’s Poem and Clear Moon?

Phil: I never really think about music that way, I never think about styles I’m supposed to be copying. I start with some very raw, basic idea of how a concept should sound, and then I work toward that idea with everything I’ve got. Beyond that, I honestly don’t know how I got to this sound. The ideas for it just showed up in my head. Sometimes I do hear something I want to imitate, but I only take small details from whatever it is. Some of the music I was listening to while writing and recording Wind’s Poem and Clear Moon: Xasthur, Cocteau Twins, Menace Ruine, Leviathan, Sunn O))), My Bloody Valentine, Red House Painters, Julee Cruise, This Mortal Coil, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, etc.

RockLine: Ocean Roar is supposed to be the second part of a concept, with Clear Moon as the first. What can you tell me about that?

Phil: They’re a pair of albums. The connection between them is kind of abstract, but they definitely go together. I think the link is something people have to feel for themselves. Generally, both are about the same idea, just articulated differently – with different words and tones. Clear Moon is fragile and drifting, while Ocean Roar is a roar.

RockLine: If I understand correctly, you’ve always performed your songs as Mount Eerie as a one-man band. Have you ever thought about putting together a band to recreate the sounds of Wind’s Poem and Clear Moon?

Phil: Over the years I’ve had quite a few different lineups. I toured the world with a full band for Wind’s Poem in 2009/2010. For these new songs I now have a completely different band, and we’ll be heading out on tour soon. I like it when the live performance is always kind of new, always changing.

RockLine: I caught your show at this year’s All Tomorrow’s Parties festival, curated by Jeff Mangum. Any special memories from that gig?

Phil: To be honest, big festivals aren’t really my thing. Maybe the least of all the options for a show. The atmosphere is tough, the kind where it’s hard to relax and hard to engage with art at all. For some bands that kind of setting is obviously perfect. I’m used to more mellow shows, where people can totally calm down and even pay attention to my weird ideas for a minute or so.

RockLine: Who or what would you call your biggest influences?

Phil: Besides the bands I already mentioned, there’s Eric’s Trip, the poets Cold Mountain and Gary Snyder, the director Terrence Malick, and the artists Theodor Kittelsen and Harald Sohlberg.

RockLine: I have to ask – do you happen to know where Slovenia is? Any chance you’ll stop by on one of your tours?

Phil: Yeah, of course I know where it is. In 2000 I played drums in Ilirska Bistrica with Old Time Relijun. The back cover of “the Glow pt. 2”, the one with the rooftops in green light, was actually shot right there in Ilirska Bistrica. I really enjoyed it there, I loved it. I also drove through Ljubljana on tour in 2010, but sadly we didn’t have a show in Slovenia then. I’d love to play for you guys someday.

RockLine: Clear Moon and Ocean Roar are done. What now?

Phil: Well, they’re not exactly done. Right now my everyday life is designing covers, putting records together, packing, going to the post office, sending off all kinds of shipments, doing interviews, etc. I’m also booking the tour and rehearsing with the band. The work that comes after recording an album is actually harder than the work before it, at least for a one-man operation like mine.

RockLine: Anything else you’d like to add?

Phil: Hmm, I can’t think of anything. Thanks for the interview!

RockLine: Thank you too!

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With Phil Elverum about Mount Eerie and his music while listening to rap and black metal (2012)

Phil Elverum has, as Mount Eerie, just recently released Clear Moon (review), which is, as its predecessor, getting extremely positive feedback from the media and from its listeners. Such a delicate mixture of lo-fi, indie folk and black metal can only be created by a wonderful mind, which is being dissected right here and now, exclusively by RockLine.

RockLine: To start off – how are you feeling with Clear Moon being out for a while, having its magical effect on its listeners for around 2 months now and receiving extremely positive feedback?

Phil: I feel great about it.  I am very happy with the record and so it’s just extra gratifying to have other people like it too.

RockLine: Clear Moon is, not unlike Wind’s Poem, a very intriguing and delicate mixture of indie folk and atmospheric black metal. How did you come across such a sound? What were your main influences for Wind’s Poem and Clear Moon?

Phil: I don’t usually think about music in that way, about what styles of music I’m trying to emulate.  I start with an idea for a very basic raw tone in my mind and I work towards that idea with whatever tools I have.  As for how I came across it, I don’t know the answer.  The ideas for these sounds just come into my head.  In some cases I do hear something and I am directly trying to copy it, but usually I”m trying to take small parts from each thing.  Some of the music I was listening to while making those records are Xasthur, Cocteau Twins, Menace Ruine, Leviathan, Sunn O))), My Bloody Valentine, Red House Painters, Julee Cruise, This Mortal Coil, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, etc.

RockLine: Ocean Roar is going to be some kind of a second part of the concept with Clear Moon being the first part. What can you tell us about that?

Phil: They are a pair of records.  The link between them is kind of abstract, but they go together.  The connection is something for people to feel themselves I guess.  In general, they are about the same idea, but they are just articulating the same idea with different words and tones.  Clear Moon is soft and drifting, Ocean Roar is a roar.

RockLine: As far as I understand, you’ve always played your songs as Mount Eerie live as a one-man band. Have you ever considered having a backing band to reproduce the sounds created on Wind’s Poem and Clear Moon?

Phil: I have had many different bands over the years.  I toured the world with a band for Wind’s Poem in 2009/2010.  Now I have a different band for these new songs and we’re going on tour soon.  I like to keep the live version always changing.

RockLine: I’ve seen you at this year’s All Tomorrow’s Parties festival in England, which was curated by Jeff Mangum. Have you any special experiences from that particular show?

Phil: Honestly, large festivals are not my favorite experience.  Maybe they are my least favorite experience actually.  It is a very difficult atmosphere to relax and take in music/art in any significant way.  It’s just too overwhelming.  But for other kinds of bands it seems perfect.  I am accustomed to mellower shows where it’s possible for people to calm down and pay attention to my weird idea for a minute.

RockLine: What would you say are your main influences in general?

Phil: Alongside with the aforementioned bands: Eric’s Trip, Cold Mountain (poet), Gary Snyder (poet), Terrence Malick (movies), Theodor Kittelsen (art), Harald Sohlberg (art).

RockLine: I have to ask – do you know where Slovenia is? Any chance of you stopping here on one of your next European tours?

Phil: Yes, of course.  I have played in Ilirska Bistrica back in 2000 when I played the drums in Old Time Relijun.  Actually the back cover to my record “the Glow pt. 2”, the rooftops in green light, that is taken there.  I loved it there.  I have also driven through Ljubljana with the Mount Eerie band in 2010, but we didn’t have a show unfortunately.  I would love to play there.

RockLine: Clear Moon and Ocean Roar are finished. What now?

Phil: They aren’t really finished.  Now my life every day is cutting and folding booklets, assembling records, packing orders, going to the post office, sending shipments, doing interviews, etc..  Plus, I’m booking the tours and having rehearsals for the band to play all these songs.  The work that comes after the album is recorded is much greater than actually making the music, at least for a one-man operation like me.

RockLine: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Phil: I can’t think of anything.  Thanks for the interview!

RockLine: Thank you!