Photo by Todd Wolfson
Texas singer-songwriter Alejandro Escovedo is no stranger to playing Milwaukee. Every time he does, however, he seemingly has an ace up his sleeve, with different configurations of bands (from duos to full ensembles with his backing band The Sensitive Boys) and an ambitious style that ranges from country to punk rock that keeps things interesting and exciting for everyone.
“I listen to a lot of different types of music so I try to play a lot of styles when I play. It’s all about keeping it interesting,” Escovedo says. “In every configuration I feel I’ve got really great players that help me along, whether it be duets with Susan [Voelz] or with Warren Hood or trios with Brian Standefer on cello and Warren on violin, I love doing those. And I love playing with The Sensitive Boys. So I get the chance to do it all. And once a year we get the orchestra together to play a big show at the Moody Theater here in Austin.”
Last year he took another left turn with co-headlining tours with R.E.M.’s Peter Buck that included a Milwaukee stop. It was the culmination of a long friendship that started in the ’80s when Escovedo was in a band called the True Believers and Buck was in R.E.M. The two stayed close over the years thanks to mutual friends and crossed paths many times. At the end of their tours together, Escovedo decided he wanted Buck and fellow R.E.M. member Scott McCaughey to work on and produce his next album.
“I love their records,” Escovedo says. “I love the way they sound and they’re really great guys to work with. So it all seemed to be perfect.”
While they’re still early on in the process with writing songs and demoing in McCaughey’s home studio, Escovedo is already beaming with excitement about this “whole new experience.” They plan to eventually record the songs in Portland and release the album on Concord Records.
“We’ve been writing songs and have a handful of songs that I like a lot,” he says. “I think the new songs have a lot to do with Peter and Scott and the way that they record and the type of sound that they go for, which is kind of a raw and immediate and very organic sound. I’m looking forward to working with those guys. It’s the sound I’ve always wanted to get on my records. I think we’ll be able to come up with something special.”
Escovedo says that they work really well as a team.
“They’ve been encouraging as far as the songs and encouraging me to write and tell the story I want to tell,” he says. “Since we’re writing all this together, they’re coaching me along.”
Currently, Escovedo is finding enjoyment playing with The Sensitive Boys.
“It always starts with the core, which is Bobby Daniel on bass, and I have a couple different guitar players I work with and the girls that sing with me,” Escovedo says of putting the band together.
Even when he’s not on tour Escovedo doesn’t have to look far for ways to keep things interesting. He’s helped curate “Austin City Limits” ACL Live concert at the Moody Theater each January the last three years and is working on plans for a fourth year. The event has ranged from featuring his music to that of more than 30 artists ranging from punk rock to jazz. This year he told the story of when he and his wife were caught up in a hurricane, with the help of a jazz quintet.
While he turned 64 in January, Escovedo has shown that there’s still plenty of sonic territory left for him to explore. It’s a drive to create interesting music that keeps him going.
Alejandro Escovedo and the Sensitive Boys play Shank Hall on Tuesday, May 5 at 8 p.m.
