Bill Baird released his fourth solo album in two years on November 24th under the name SUNSET. Baird answered some questions for WTBU about the new record and living in Austin.How would you describe your most recent album to someone unfamiliar with your music?
Acoustic guitar dispatched by rocket to observe alien civilization trying to advance and shooting itself in the foot. This acoustic guitar, strangely gifted with the power to walk, talk, and look at things, realizes that he is actually looking at the human race. So he decides to head off to Mars and party hard with some large red rocks who are also strangely anthropomorphically-endowed. They drink purple drank and champagne and pass out.
What is your favorite track on the album? What is it about?
Favorite track is "Fishtown." The song is about a neighborhood in Philadelphia, actually one of the oldest settlements in America -- where William Penn signed a treaty with the Deleware Indians. In looking at the history of this little neighborhood, it's like a microcosm of human development, with all its seeming contradictions that hang alongside one another -- beauty/decay, futility/meaning/meaninglessness, health food/mystery meat.
The only time I've ever been to Austin is during SXSW. What's it usually like to live/play music in Austin?
It's a great home base and generally pretty supportive. Still pretty cheap to live here. Main problem is being stuck in the middle of Texas, which is often pretty culturally conservative. I'm Texas-born, but the best part of the state in my opinion is West Texas... Big Bend, Marfa, the Chihuahua desert, and the Chisos mountains. Lots of artists and open space and cactus.
As an album, what is Gold Dissolves to Gray about?
It's just a general exploration of dissolution, both cultural and personal, and hopefully pointing at the possibility for a rise from the ashes.
mp3: SUNSET - Our Dreams Did Weave a Shade
mp3: SUNSET - Hill Country Smog
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