The guitar had only five strings, but that didnt stop indie-rock icon Lou Barlow from playing his songs until the early morning in a Glasgow, Scotland kitchen, getting help on the lyrics from Gary Lightbody, singer/guitarist of an up-and-coming Scottish band called Snow Patrol.
On April 20, a little more than a year later, Barlow comes to the Abbey Pub as part of his influential band Sebadoh's reunion tour. Lightbody and Snow Patrol breeze into the Empty Bottle April 25.
Though years of experience separate the two groups, far more than coincidental concert schedules links the 27-year-old Northern Ireland native and his musical idol.
That was one of the single best things that have ever happened to me, Lightbody said of their late-night jam session, which followed a show by Barlow side project the Folk Implosion. I could shake off this mortal coil fairly happy with having met my ultimate hero.
Sebadoh last toured in 1999, in support of its final studio album, The Sebadoh. Snow Patrol arrives in support of major-label debut Final Straw, which hit U.S. stores March 30 after entering at No. 3 in the U.K. album charts.
Critics worldwide have compared Lightbodys unaffected vocals and emotionally fraught songwriting to those of the Sebadoh founder.
The best songs sound as if singer Gary Lightbody spends a lot of time sitting in the dark pretending to be Lou Barlow, a reviewer for British magazine Mojo writes of Final Straw, the band's third album overall.
Barlow, whose nakedly honest, relationship-oriented songwriting set Sebadoh apart from the ironic detachment of its 1990s peers, isnt so sure.
I think its totally good, as many, many bands from Glasgow are, he said, But I have a hard time hearing myself in it.
At 37, Barlow remains the short, bespectacled embodiment of the sensitive indie-rocker. But the humility he brought to his music (I dont offer much protection / Im neither strong or tall, he once sang) might blind him to this sincerest form of flattery.
The reason I started making music was Nirvana, Lightbody explained. But the way I write songs, the way I think about lyrics? The way Lou does it had a very dramatic effect on me.
Both musicians speak to the pain of being an introspective outsider, carving a more elegant, understated path through terrain recently mined by such emo groups as Dashboard Confessional. For example, on new single Spitting Games, Lightbody sings, Im far too shy to speak to you at school.
Yet the approach favored by Barlow and Lightbody is more about self-aware honesty than mere boyish awkwardness. Dont hold it against me, 'cause I know youre lying, too, Barlow sings in Sebadoh hit On Fire.
Lightbody echoes this theme in Chocolate, from "Final Straw": I promise Ill do anything you ask
this time.
The seeds for a Sebadoh reunion were sown last fall, when Barlow and guitarist Jason Lowenstein played a show celebrating the 10th anniversary of London-based Domino Records and planned a short European tour around it.
Credit the U.S. tour to Barlows mother, who asked him to play a benefit for an autism resource center she works at in Eastham, Mass. Though there are no plans for new Sebadoh recordings, Barlow hopes to release a solo album next year.
Im only starting, really, it seems like, Barlow said. Perpetually starting over again.
With Sebadoh, Barlow started over again for the first time, recording a series of homemade tapes after getting the boot from acclaimed indie band Dinosaur Jr. Contributions by Lowenstein and original drummer Eric Gaffney gave the new band its noisy edge.
In 1995, Barlow hit the Top 40 with Natural One, a slinky, electronic-flavored pop song by one of his side projects, the Folk Implosion. Coincidentally, a Lightbody-led all-star side project formed at one of Folk Implosions shows, simply because all the musicians, members of such Scottish groups as Belle & Sebastian and the Arab Strap, happened to be there.
Barlow visited Chicago most recently last year with an ensemble dubbed the New Folk Implosion, and his five-string performance with Lightbody took place during a Glasgow stop on that tour.
One of my best friends was having a birthday, the Snow Patrol vocalist said. So I couldnt go to the show, but I couldnt complain about it, either. Fortunately for Lightbody, another friend brought Barlow around to the festivities later in the evening.
His friends were going, Listen, his voice sounds just like yours, Barlow remembered. I thought his voice was way better. He does more of what that guy in Coldplay does: He goes up for it, reaching.
According to Lightbody, ever since one British article compared his band to Chris Martins group, every music writer is calling Snow Patrol the new Coldplay.
The old ones fine, Lightbody said, although he conceded that U.K. hit Run, from Final Straw, is anthemic enough to be like Coldplay.
Lightbody and Barlow have met again since that night in Glasgow, notably at a Snow Patrol concert in Los Angeles.
Its not like were best buddies or anything, but I do feel that now that he knows our music better we maybe have a mutual respect thing going on, Lightbody said. Im glad he doesnt hate our band.
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