How did we get here?: The Life and Times

As post-rock trio The Life and Times trekked down to Chambana to play their Thursday night show at Cowboy Monkey, lead guitarist and vocalist Allen Epley graciously chatted with me about the coolness of everything from their in-the-works record and documentary to Burt Reynold’s sweet ‘stache.MP: To start with, are you all still living in different cities and then getting together to perform every couple months or so?  Is that still the case?AE: That is the case.  Chris still lives in Kansas City, but Eric and I are up in Chicago, so that makes it tricky to get regular practice time.  Generally, what we’ll do is what we did for the last record, No One Loves You.  We would set up a couple shows up, and then Chris would come up about four or five days before that, and we would just practice and write like crazy with the “tape rolling.”  And then we’d listen back and make some songs out of those.  It’s working pretty well.  We’re probably six or eight songs into it.MP: The Life and Times has been a band for about a decade now, and I know you’ve gone through some line-up changes, but overall, how would you say your sound has matured over the years?AE: I think we are playing to our strengths more.  I think we’re better players now.  And we have a crazy drummer, so we really try to use what he does best, those great big beats and cool stuff that other people can’t do. We try and have an idea like The Police have, where Sting’s bass line was basically the song, and then Andy Summers added all kinds of stuff on top.  He wasn’t always doubling the bass part.MP: What about this new record? What about it has you excited?AE: I just think there’s some stuff on there that is way different than what recently has been.  There’s definitely an element of not giving a fuck, excuse me, just trying to go for it and not worrying about our detractors might say.  There sure is rump-shakin’ stuff going on.  Some stuff that’s going to be very surprising for people.MP: So, when you say “different,” you mean different for your sound?AE: Yeah. Just singing differently and some of the beats and the way we’re approaching songs.  We always try and have a deconstructionist attitude about it.  We’re never just flat-out shredding.  We’re always trying to think two steps ahead, even as we’re writing.MP: I also noticed on your website that you’re putting together some kind of DVD, a self-made documentary.  How is that coming along and what inspired this whole idea?AE: It is coming along slowly.  We’ve been stacking up hours of footage of what is ostensibly the making of our new record.  On the surface, this is a film about three dudes in a band making their new record and their recording process.  I think the larger subject is that this is three dudes somewhere around forty who are still doing this, for some reason, and it’s like, “what the hell are you guys doing?”  You don’t make that much money.  You do what you love, and we’re goddamn good at it.  And the ability to play with someone and create with people at such a high level is a gift, and you embrace it.  It’s who we are.  Not to say that we’re not defined by other things.MP: Have you seen other music documentaries that you like, that this was vaguely inspired by?AE: We love all that. We could watch anything, even a band we don’t like, we could sit and watch go on tour. And that was the inspiration, and beyond that, by no means do I think that we are unique in being older dudes still in a rock band, which is why I think this will resonate with other musicians and maybe even be another explanation to our wives and girlfriends who are granting this extended adolescence.  We’ve come this far, so why would we stop?  We watched that recent Sound City documentary, too.  Have you seen that?MP: No, but I’ve been wanted to.  It sounds so good.AE: It’s awesome.  The larger story is about rock and roll and where it’s headed and how digital recording has affected the industry. It just further solidifies our decision to do something like this.  The editing of this is what’s so painful.  You know the times when you look in the mirror and you go, “Oh man!” and suck in your gut.  You gotta look at yourself through a hundred hours of footage and edit it down to something people can see.  It’s like therapy.  It’s hard on the psyche, but maybe it’s ultimately good.MP: So, that’s actually the end of my serious questions.  This is kind of a goofy one.  A lot of alternative bands end up with their songs in car commercials, so which song of yours would you put in a car commercial, and what kind of car would that commercial be for?AE: Oh, that’s a good question.  I could see “The Politics of Driving” being used for a…  [Starts conferring with other band member’s in car]  “The Politics of Driving,” when the drums come in, are you kidding me!  When the solo starts! A Porsche?  We don’t like Porsche!  [Addressing me again]  In a Trans-Am, in like a Smokey and the Bandit-era Trans-Am.  Imagine Burt Reynolds and his mustache and hat, cruising along at a 150 miles per hour and Sally Field’s hair flying everywhere.  That’s my answer.  “The Politics of Driving,” a ’79 Trans-Am, a ’79 T-Top Trans-Am.MP: Well, thank you very much for your time, and good luck with your show tonight!