Angels Hang Their Socks On The Moon
An interview with
Guided by Voices'
Tobin Sprout
As the designated second banana in Dayton's Guided by Voices, the enigmatic Tobin Sprout was always handy for an extra song, or for able support. Now on hiatus from the band, while GBV leader Robert Pollard tours with a revamped lineup, Sprout has released two great solo albums (Carnival Boy and Moonflower Plastic, both on Matador) that show that he's been in the background too long.
An avid painter and graphic artist, Sprout has also been responsible for the artwork of his solo albums perfect representations for the relaxed, homespun pop to be found inside. Sprout recently talked to Grip's Mystery Interviewer, who is originally from Dayton (a clue!). When the two weren't rapping about the Oakwood section of their respective hometown, and grousing about the area's classic rock radio stations, they discussed Sprout's stint in GBV, Sprout's upcoming ambitions and getting over the hump.
Grip Monthly A little Guided By Voices history. You started back in 1983 with the band Figure Four. Is it true that Bob Pollard actually wanted to join that band and you said, "no" and then later he got you into GBV?
Tobin Sprout Yeah, that's pretty much (what happened). Bob used to come see us at the 1,001 Club (in Dayton) and he approached us to join. We were a three-piece instrumental band and, I don't wanna blame the other two guys but it didn't seem like it would work out. A little bit later, I started hanging out with Bob and he later asked me to join GBV.
Grip You now have the Figure Four album that you did in 1983 coming out on CD, right?
Sprout We put a 7" out in 1983 and an album came out in 1987, same time as (GBV) started.
Grip So you were on the first five independent records, which were later compiled on the Guided By Voices box set?
Sprout Yeah. I played on some of the albums and was kind of hanging around at the time. Then we played for a little bit, small clubs mostly, and then the band went into its "record mode" and quit playing live. Later, around Propeller, after I got back from being in Florida, I officially joined GBV. They were putting Propeller together when I got back and Bob asked me to join.
Grip 1992's Propeller is pretty much where GBV's popularity started, too.
Sprout Bob thought it might "propel" {was that a pun? ed} us to a major label. We had been planning to change the name of the band to Propeller and at the last minute we decided to keep it Guided By Voices and make Propeller the name of the album.
Grip Bee Thousand, I guess, really got the ball rolling with all the good reviews.
Sprout Bob had a cover for that I wish he'd used. If he ever reissues that, I'd like to see him use the original cover.
Grip Everyone in GBV is so prolific, including you with your second solo album in a year. Surely you've heard people tell you to pare it all down, take out some of the filler, and release one good record instead of a bunch.
Sprout I can kind of understand that reasoning you're talking about Bee Thousand (1994) and Alien Lanes (1995), right? but I kinda like those little snippets in there. They are a part of the album too.
Grip Being from Dayton originally, I can hear the town in the music of Guided By Voices. In Dayton, you are kind of force fed classic rock. That may or may not be an influence, but I seem to hear it on those big anthems.
Sprout WVUD used to have a pretty cool station where they'd play entire albums and they had a thing called "Wax Museum."
Grip I remember.
Sprout . . .so we were exposed to a little more than the classic rock stuff, although I certainly heard a lot of that.
Grip Do you ever get frustrated that your music, and GBV's, doesn't receive a lot of commercial airplay, while one-hit-wonder bands like Third Eye Blind and Matchbox 20 are overplayed for a year on the radio and then you never hear them again? Does it make you mad that you can't get over that hump and get on regular rotation?
Sprout I think there's some danger of getting close to that hump because once you're there, you are expected to stay there.
Grip On your latest solo album (Moonplastic Flower), there's a lot of piano. Is that something you've taken up recently?
Sprout There were little snippets of piano on some GBV songs, but our problem was that we never had a piano available to us. I've always been able to play piano. I felt that since I was solo, I could go I don't know "pop." I felt like experimenting.
Grip And you're working on a third solo album?
Sprout I'd hoped to set up a studio this Spring. I don't know if it's going to be with a band yet.
I'm looking at a one-inch Scully 8-track they were used a lot in the '60's. I'm going to record the whole thing on that.