"Some people will hear this and say, 'David is calling bullshit on his friends' but it's more nuanced than that. Anyone who knows me knows that I go to plenty of shows that might be classified as avant-garde or experimental. Edgy and untraditional work is hugely inspiring to me, as it often changes the way I think and influences what I do (without me simply appropriating the ideas, I hope). That said, trying something unproven and radically new is risky. Sometimes, as with anything risky, it doesn't quite hit the bullseye. There's no guarantee that it will achieve what it aims to do, but when it does, the emotional and intellectual rewards are worth it. That is the risk one takes while making something new and unconventional. So yes, there are times when it doesn't mean shit, but often there are times when something wholly original comes into being and it's all worth it. I love that the Ghost Train folks and Kid Harpoon took what could have been a fairly conventional song I'd written (musically at least), and steered it into something that to me sounds like Led Zeppelin meets Dirty Projectors."
Listen to "The Avant Garde" in the lyric video below:
David Byrne launches his massive North American Tour around Who Is The Sky on September 14 in Providence, Rhode Island. Scroll down for the full itinerary and ticket info.