If you were listening to music way back in the ’90s, you probably remember Soul Coughing. The group forced “Circles” into our heads and otherwise entertained with its irreverent and often abstract music style.
Although the band broke up in 2000, lead singer Mike Doughty has successfully jumped into the life of a solo artist, recording an album, Skittish, which is only available on his website, www.mikedoughty.com.
Without the band backing him, Doughty has moved into an eclectic and open style of music. On his fourth visit to Madison in two years, tonight’s performance is a virtual homecoming for the well-traveled musician. Doughty spoke with The Badger Herald earlier this week from his Manhattan apartment to discuss the state of his music.
Giving into a nagging urge, the token Sept. 11 question was raised to the New York City native. Rather than scoffing at me, he answered kindly, explaining that he could see the towers from his apartment window, or, as he described it, his “Lower East Side tenement.”
Curiosity pushed me to inquire about his first-hand experience with the tragedies — where he was and what he was doing. As it turns out, he wasn’t in New York at all but was returning from a trip. Although his answer was somewhat anti-climatic, it fulfilled the weird curiosity I had as a long-time fan.
When it comes to songwriting, Doughty is nothing if not creative, which comes through clearly in his distinctive techniques. When I asked Doughty how he arrives at his enigmatic lyrics and melodies, I was treated with a bizarre explanation involving made-up words and a process that fits chords to phrases.
“I find some cool words that I really like every once in while, or I’ll come up with a good melody that suggests a certain word or I’ll hear a really good story and I figure out what sort of chords go with that. I usually start with a phrase or a melody, and I sing a bunch of fake words until I find the ones that fit. I sort of whittle away at the melody until I find the words that fit. It’s a discovery process,” Doughty said.
This insight sheds some light on elusive but very cool lyrics such as “Here she comes all low to the ground just like the fog is a fattened cloud / air it turns to water when dioxide tempts the hydrogen.” When listening to his old Soul Coughing tracks and the songs from Skittish, you get the impression that Doughty’s creative mind is constantly searching for a new style to exploit and make his own.
It’s easy to see that Doughty is capable of a special type of poetry. He is, in fact, re-publishing his book of poems, entitled “Slanky.” It’s a book he’s been selling at shows for years and, according to Doughty, will finally hit bookstores sometime in April. “I was just talking to a guy about the cover; it’s probably going to be a robot, because you know I love robots.” Doughty said.
As far as musical direction goes, Doughty is open to the new sounds coming from the East Coast. “I’m into this new electro-crash thing that’s in New York now; I think it’s going to be really good. I don’t think it has figured out what it wants to be yet. There are a lot of people going to that area; I don’t know if I’m going to that area.”
Doughty has made himself accessible to fans through his website where, along with hocking his album and t-shirts, you can find lyrics and a message from the man himself. Doughty’s promptness in responding to fan messages is impressive; he offers explanations to all willing to ask.
At a time when the sickly sweet genre of pop music dominates the airwaves, it is refreshing to know there are raw-talent types like Mike Doughty who envision a different musical reality.
Mike Doughty performs tonight at Orpheum Side Stage. The show begins at 8 p.m.
