Dean Wareham interviews Yo La Tengo's Ira Kaplan

Yo La Tengo

Yo La Tengo have just released the rather lovely Stuff Like That There, a follow up to their splendid 1990 album Fakebook. Dean Wareham has interviewed Ira Kaplan about the album, the industry, Jonathan Richman, The Grateful Dead, and other miscellany for Salon.

Dean: The Cure song. “Friday I’m Love.” Britta and I did that a few years ago on the tribute album

Ira: You know, we made a decision — I’m not sure who else in the group knew about that, but I knew, and thought, “We’re doing it anyway.” I say that because there’s a time in my life when that would have been a reason not to. It’s already been done, I would have ruled it out. In a way, it relates to doing “Fakebook” again; we’re trying not to be confined by any way we feel like we have to work. We may choose to work that way 99 times out of 100, but still be open to doing it differently

I certainly had no problem with it [laugh]. Back in the ’60s, you had about ten people doing the same song in a month — everyone was doing it. I like your version, I really found it a bitch to sing that song. Robert Smith, he sings high and loud — sometimes I guess I sing that way too — but I struggled with it. But anyway, Georgia nailed it.

There’s so much I love about the way she sings — even when it’s not effortless, she makes it sounds effortless.

I’m not going to ask you what it’s like being a couple in a band, because I’ve been on both sides of that.

Just look in the mirror.