Of Fungi and Foe, and Killer Pigs and Intelligent Mushrooms Inside the Intricate Mind of Les Claypoo

Legendary Bassist and Primus front man Les Claypool will appear at the Venue at the Hub on Wednesday, July 1. Rumored to be one of the best shows of the year, we asked Claypool why his live performances are so great.

“I don’t know about the great,” said Claypool, “but I can guarantee that year in and year out, they [the fans] have never seen anything like it… it’s an eclectic mix of cello, bass, drum kit, and they [the musicians] are all mutants. That’s my guarantee.”

Claypool must be making good on that guarantee, not just about his tours but about all of his music, because he is constantly in demand for new projects, such as the two that lead to his newest release, “Of Fungi and Foe,” on March 17, 2009.
“Of Fungi and Foe” is a compilation of material that came out of two projects Claypool was writing songs for: one, the “darkly comic horror movie” titled “Pig Hunt,” which was written and directed by James Isaac, a friend of Claypool’s from Northern California, and also starred Claypool in the role of “The Preacher.” The second, the Wii game “Mushroom Men,” features a meteor crashing into Earth and bringing with it intelligent life in the form of mushrooms.
“Of Fungi and Foe” is being promoted as Claypool’s second solo release since the mid-1980s; so how has Claypool played for so long with so many people and only released two solo albums?  “Well, I think that’s sort of a misconception,” said Claypool, “that I just have the two records that I only call Les Claypool… In 1996 I released an album with The Holy Mackerel and [in 2002] under the fictitious name the Flying Frog Brigade… I’ve put out a whole barrage… I’m slowly trimming it down now you know, it was Les Claypool, in the next life it’ll be Claypool, then it will be Clay… the artist formerly known as * or ‘.’”

And then there will be nothing.  “Just air,” he laughed.
Claypool’s albums feature a “who’s who” of talented musicians, including Tom Waits, Trey Anastasio and Stewart Copeland (who, together with Claypool, made up Oysterhead), Kenny Brooks and Bob Weir. How does he find the musicians he wants to work with? 

“It’s like being a carpenter… and I used to be a carpenter so I know quite a few carpenters actually,” Claypool responded. “But most of these guys are people that I have run into over the years, like a Stewart Copeland or a Tom Waits, because I’ve obviously known of their music for a long time and have met them and been friends with them and have been fortunate enough to [play]... I mean, you’re a journalist, I’m sure you meet a lot of journalists.  Am I correct or no? Like… you know more journalists than my plumber does.” 

Claypool is right, I do know more journalists than plumbers, but talking to Claypool has got me wondering… what is more important? Knowing plumbers or journalists?
Claypool usually does one or two short tours a year “but this year I’ve already done one short tour, and I’m in the middle of the longest tour I’ve done straight in ten years,” he said. “Once I had kids I didn’t tour quite so much. Now that my kids are getting older, I can have them lift a hand.” His daughter, Lena, is accompanying him on his overseas tour.

“Do your kids play?” I asked. He responded, “My son [Cage] plays upright bass, my daughter plays piano, flute and cello. She sort of dabbles.”
I asked Claypool if he prefers to play shows, festivals, or if he even has a preference. “I love playing the old theatres because they’re so rich in history, have a vibe; some theatres are even haunted. And it’s interesting, you’ll be on a stage in Poughkeepsie or somewhere that potentially the Marx brothers pranced around on. I have this tour or I have festivals here and there… variety is the spice of life.”
Described as a true renaissance man, Claypool wrote and directed the movie “The Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo,” released in 2008. “I think it came out great, and we won some awards,” he said. “It’s kind of got that cult play, but it was a pain in the ass… one of the most extraordinarily difficult things I’ve ever done. A very, very trying experience.”

His novel, “South of the Pumphouse,” was published in 2006. “It was very time consuming,” he laughed. “Very independent but ah, I did it. I don’t know when I’ll do it again.” However, Claypool did mention that he is currently working on a selection of short stories.
I had heard that Claypool was outspoken about his political views so I asked him about it. “No, not terribly,” he said. “I mean, I’m not Dale Larocca. I tend to say what I think when I think it.”

Does that carry over into his music, I wondered?  “In certain ways, more as a social perspective than as a political perspective. I have a song on the new record called “Red State Girl” that isn’t so much a commentary on politics… I call it a potential love story. It’s about two people that fall in love and one of their common interests is Sarah Palin.”
What is on the horizon for Les Claypool? “A lot of touring until the end of the year and then try to get the next project off of the ground.” 

And what is the next project? Could be a book, could be a movie, could be a new/old collaboration or even another “solo” release. Personally, I see him as the next “Mr. Conductor” on “Thomas the Tank Engine.”  With Claypool, the sky’s the limit.

Questions and comments: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

INFO:

Who: Les Claypool
When: Wed, July 1, 8pm
Where: The Venue at the Hub
Cost: $23 in advance, $25 day of