 Courtesy: Conqueroo Selective Memories: An Anthology offers 41 reasons Luther Russell is so highly regarded by his peers and so treasured by fans who have fallen in love with his personal songs, which careen among power pop, rootsy Americana, folk-rock, punk, funk and country. This 2-CD compilation, due February 23, also provides newcomers a wonderful introduction to an artist whose work critics have compared to Wilco, the Replacements, Ryan Adams, Elliott Smith, and Big Star. This retrospective, spanning 30 years of music-making, heavily favors previously unreleased material with 25 of the 41 tracks being issued for the first time. There are two early demos (“Got Me on My Knees” and “Interstate 68 Blues”) by the Bootheels, Russell’s teenage band with Jakob Dylan, and one recording (“Smoke Signals”) from Federale, his short-lived group with ex-Black Crowes guitarist Marc Ford. Additionally, the collection holds songs — both released and unreleased — from Russell’s time fronting the 1990s band the Freewheelers and from his solo outings. Here, in advance of the anthology's anticipated release, Russell kindly took the time to answer his Essential 8+ and touch on subjects ranging from songwriting and success to touring (just "roll with it"), and more. Did you have a musical mentor? If so, who was it and how did they influence you? Probably my dad. He fed me all the original Beatles’ Capitol LP’s when I wasn’t old enough yet to even form full sentences, much to my mother’s exasperation, since they were her vinyls! He would always play interesting records from his collection, like Dylan, Miles and Coltrane, but never really push them on me. I could discover it all for myself. The only album I remember him sitting me down for was “Big Pink”. I was around 13 and he explained why they were so special. I was mesmerized. With any particular song, was there an “a-ha” moment when you knew the song was completed and perfect? On the Anthology there’s a song called “Black Leather Coat”. I was living in a strange house in Atwater Village soon after the crumbling of my first marriage and I was a little lost. But I was also starting a new relationship which was confusing the hell out of me. A lot of feelings came out, angry feelings, in the song. But lyrically I just had that sense of having hit it good. There’s a line “You’ve got your loser to hang ‘round your neck / But he’s just a user, drawn like a scavenger to a train-wreck / and you can do better than that”. I really felt it was a good payoff. What’s the story behind your album’s title? It’s really just a play on “Selected Memories”. I thought “Selective” might be a more funny and accurate title, since we’re all trying to “curate” and “tailor” our past, especially with social media. I’m certainly not proud of many things, so it’s pretty cherry-picked...haha.  Where do you draw inspiration from when writing?
It could be a book, a movie, or in many cases another song I think is so good I might try my hand at “beating” it. I don’t know, really. I started writing little songs when I was about 7 years old, so it’s all a little foggy now. Describing feelings and putting them to music is one really difficult thing to rationalize. I am probably guilty of “speaking” through my music and expecting people to understand me that way, which is dangerous I guess. When/where do you do your best writing? It used to be late at night, but now it seems to be early in the morning. I don’t know, it’s usually the feel of a guitar after a long break, or just one of those days where there really isn’t anything on the calendar. I write really well in my back-garage. It helps to be in some sort of emotional state, whether angry or sad or just feeling intense. Do you write about personal experience, the experience of others, observations, made-up stories, something else or a combination? I do write about personal experience, but I have found that all songs are shards of one’s own shattered psyche. Even if I am writing an angry kiss- off song, it’s usually me I’m truly mad at. Everything comes from one’s mind...it’s always fascinating how one moment there’s no song and then all the sudden this song exists. Just like a recording: one minute there’s silence, then there’s this creation. And it just might stick around for a long, long time. What’s the best advice you have ever gotten from another musician? I don’t remember any specific advice. The best musicians don’t give advice, per say. They teach by example. But I used to go see Arthur Lee play a lot back in the late ’80’s and early ’90’s, and I just watched him perform many times and now realize I picked up a lot of mannerisms, approach and feel. I just studied him intensely and must have soaked it all up. A lot of it still comes out, even in the studio. Things I can’t really explain. What’s the best advice to give to a musician just starting out? This isn’t really advice. Just my feeling about creating art: First thought, best thought. Instinct is all you have, and second-guessing gets you nowhere. On the first try, that’s who you really are. So if that isn’t good enough, it’s not about doing it again and again, it’s about changing your angle. What’s your favorite food on the road? Anything healthy and tasty at the same time. Just getting lucky enough to find something decent is great. Much easier these days as opposed to back in the day. A lot more choices now. Do you have any touring tips? My only tip is to roll with it. It’s never gonna be ideal, even if you’re on a bus and have a nice hotel. There’s always something fucked up about it. On the nicest tour I’ve been on, there was the most annoying tour manager of all time. I wanted to kill him. So it never is perfect. Roll with it. It ain’t digging graves, be happy. What are your “must have” albums for the road? “Solid Air” by John Martyn. Really don’t know why. Brij Bhushan Kabra. Anything that relaxes me. How do you kill the long hours in the van? Listen to music, talk, read. Same as anyone else. Daydreaming is good. Sleep is the best, but I’m a terrible napper. What’s the most frustrating thing about being on the road? Just any kind of drama. But my biggest pet peeve is sharing a room with someone who snores. That’s over for me now. Can’t do it. Won’t do it. Is there something you love most about being on the road? It’s fun sight-seeing and stuff. But really just relaxing after the gig. I don’t like being rushed out of the venue. So just hanging out, I guess. I’m not big on playing live anyway, believe it or not. What has been your biggest struggle so far? Paying my mortgage, etc. Just getting by is always a struggle. Do you know anyone who doesn’t struggle? The music itself is never a struggle. Just general life is. People who claim art is some big struggle are full of shit. Art is the escape from the dreariness of existence. What has been your biggest success? Long-lasting friendships, most likely formed through creating music, but sometimes not. What’s your favorite venue and why? I’ve played some pretty incredible venues. But my favorite ones are all gone. I loved Raji’s and the Palamino here in L.A. Up in Portland, there was the 1201 and La Luna. Cafe Berlin in Madrid is a fantastic venue these days. Just amazing sound and a real nice piano. Played there with Robyn Hitchcock recently. I like house parties. What’s your dream venue and why? My dream would be to play the Greek Theater here in L.A. because I have many memories there stretching back to childhood. Who would you love to collaborate with? I’d like to work with Don Everly. Which song of yours gets the best crowd response? Probably “Everything You Do” or “Motorbike”. But on my recent tour of Spain I whipped out “Endless Bummer”, a song I wrote with Weezer. People went nuts. What song are you tired of playing and why? Whatever songs I’ve been doing on a particular tour make me sick of them for the time being, but I get over it. Is drinking at gigs a positive or a negative? For myself? A negative. For the audience, a positive. Favorite (or first) concert you have ever attended? Tom Waits in ’87 at the Warfield in S.F. or Curtis Mayfield at the Palamino in ’89. Favorite thing to do on a day off? Read or write. Take a long drive. Do you have a favorite gift from a fan? Recently a fan drew a picture of me while I played (in Madrid). I didn’t get to keep it but I took a photo. Once time a fan gave me a great vintage John Lennon t-shirt. Have you met any of your heroes? How did it go? I met Curtis Mayfield after his show when I was 18. It was the Palamino show I mentioned above. It was months before his accident and I shook his hand. That was special. I met Neil Young once through a mutual friend and he was really nice. It’s cool when a hero is nice, but I really don’t care and I don’t need to meet a hero, ever. Recent release you cannot stop listening to? “The Basement Tapes Complete” by Bob Dylan and The Band. Won’t stop anytime soon. Song (of yours) you wish you would have released as a single and why? “Everybody Falls” off Repair should have been a single. Big mistake. Website Purchase CD Purchase Cassette
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