Ira Kaplan (YO LA TENGO)

After 20 years of work, 12 albums (more or less), in front of me is 3 cd compilation with 42 songs and more than 3 hours of music. And in front of you is Ira Kaplan, leader of the legendary YO LA TENGO in few words… T. Where are you now and what are you doing?

Ira: We are in Hoboken, practicing for two shows, a rock show in Chicago, and the show that we're working hardest on, The Sounds of Science in St. Louis, the first time we've performed that show (original scores to the films of Jean Painlevé) in two years.

T. Why that name? What Yo La Tengo really means, because I've read a lot of stuff on that?

Ira: Like most bands, we picked the name because we needed a name. It was chosen at the last possible minute before our first show. We liked it because it didn't mean anything in English.

T. After 21 years of work you released 3 cd compilation of singles, b-sides & rarities. Is this the end or what? Why did you call this retrospective "A Smattering of Scintillating Senescent Songs"?

Ira: It's the end of working on the compilation, that's for sure! It took more work than we ever thought it would when we agreed to put it out. As for the name, all those S's sound nice, don't you think?

T. You like to cover songs. Which song would you like to cover but you didn't yet?

Ira: Can't think of any. Usually as soon as we find a song we'd like to cover, we do.

T. What do you think about new hype american bands, like INTERPOL, THE KILLERS, BRAVERY…?

Ira: I pay almost no attention to current rock music. I'm not particularly proud of that, but it's a fact. Of the three bands you listed above, I've only heard of one of them. Maybe they're not hyped enough.

T. How long are you & Georgia married and why didn't you take the same surname after the wedding?

Ira: We've been married 18 years. Hey, why didn't she take my name? Great question. T. Is there any chance for you to come to Croatia to play?

Ira: We'd love to. It would be difficult to arrange, but of course anything's possible.

T. Tell me something I would never guess abut you?

Ira: I cannot dunk a basketball. Or did you already guess that? How's this: I can take or leave mushrooms.

pedja // 20/04/2005