P=mV

It’s all about momentum for Tim Kasher. Through books, through music, the Cursive frontman is constantly moving.

One week before Cursive’s show at Vinyl Music Hall with Elyse Therose and Pioneers! O Pioneers!, Kasher talked about their mini-tour, music, politics, favorite authors and more.

Here is a link to the Pensacola News Journal “Music Matters: Live concert crowd connection thrills musicians.”

The full interview follows below.

Tim Kasher Interview

MS: My goddaughter is a big Cursive fan. Weird coincidence, but she is a sophomore attending the University of Nebraska (Kasher’s home state), graduated high school from Springfield, Missouri, where you are playing next week, and she was born in Pensacola, Florida where you guys are playing a few days after the Springfield show.

TK: It’s fairly sensible that we get as many first show starts before Gainesville and our set up in Omaha , so that’s just kind of weird that we’re playing Springfield and Pensacola on the way.

MS: How is the tour with Minus the Bear going?

TK: It’s great. They’re just great and they’re old friends of ours. It’s time well spent, very positive.

MS: What’s the craziest thing you’ve seen on this tour?

TK: The craziest thing…huge new restaurant that was across the street from the Best Buy Theater we played in Times Square in Manhattan. Kind of joking that we’d seen Guy Fieri’s huge new American Roadhouse restaurant across from the Best Buy Theater, we played in Manhattan in Times Square.

MS: What gets you off the most about playing live?

TK: Mostly when you can…what I’m after the most when I’m playing, there’s a momentum that you can build where you and the crowd are building together and you’re able to keep that momentum and build it into a great show, but it’s not always easy to do. It’s great, but you have to get off stage and you really feel like you did something that night.

MS: Let me ask you about politics. As powerful as “Happy Hollow” was when you released it, it really is resonating now. How is the 2012 political climate influencing your art or your songwriting now?

TK: I don’t know that it is so much; I’m kind of just impatiently waiting to get through it. In a lot of ways it just seems like we’re, as we get older, we get used to the political process and you recognize that it’s just a lot of posturing, going through a lot of similar motions that we’re familiar with at this point. For the most part, I feel like the political climate is terribly…last week was upsetting (first Presidential debate between President Obama and Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney) but I don’t think  it’s going to, any way, ultimately shape the outcome. In my opinion, the only true negative politician out there right now is Paul Ryan. I’m not a fan of Romney, but I also don’t think he means much harm.

MS: “I am Gemini” came out in February, are you guys working on a new album?

TK: No. We’ve been pretty steadily touring that album since it came out. Usually after a Cursive album comes out we turn to other projects. Ted (Stevens) is working on a solo record.

MS: Are there any artists that you haven’t worked with that you’d love to work with?

TK: Oh yeah. Sure. I’m sure the list is bountiful. I don’t know…like David Bowie.

MS: What kind of music was playing in the Kasher household when you were a kid?

TK: It was pretty good. I guess I grew up-to be young is a lot of fun-a lot of older brothers and sisters listening to Michael Jackson and the Go-Go’s.

MS: What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

TK: Well, you know, I’ve been offered advice a lot about (the) music industry…I see a lot of bands that have this one-and-done attitude with albums where if it doesn’t catch on then, they break up. I think we’ve all seen that’s just not the way it works. There’s always bands out there where their debut album is a big smashing success and that’s great for them, but it’s not the case for most artists. You got to want to be in the business and get like a 15 year plan. Put your own money into it; you know you’re not going to get it back and get out on the road, play out in front of people.

MS: What other creative outlets do you have, aside from music?

TK: I write quite a bit. When I’m not writing songs, I also write short stories.

MS: Who are some of your favorite writers?

TK: I’m a big fan of Philip Roth.

MS: What would Tim Kasher of today tell a younger Tim who is just starting out?

TK: I don’t know, I guess I would…probably just… “Don’t make such hasty decisions.”

MS: Do you prefer crunchy or creamy peanut butter?

TK: Crunchy. A lot better.

MS: Is there anything you’d like to add for the fans that are coming out to Pensacola, Florida next week?

TK: Just that we’re playing a lot of pretty complete mix of the catalog.

– Michael L. Smith