"An Appointment With Mr. Yeats", Mike Scott's tribute to the famous Irish poet W. B. Yeats, dates back three years. After a few years of disorientation, the Waterboys found their way back to their folk rock roots. Since then, other artists have recalled the Waterboys: Ellie Goulding covered "How Long Will I Love You". Prince played "The Whole Of The Moon" at a show in London. But where is the journey of the Waterboys, who will perform again in Germany in 2015, heading with their new album?
eclipsed: The last time you had your classic folk rock on it was in 2011. Now you come with a completely different style: Rock'n'Roll and American sounds. What happened, Mike?
Mike Scott: Well, I just wanted to make an album in America. I have a bunch of friends in New York and also a new American booking agent, which made it much easier for me to play shows in the USA since then. Of course I met musicians in the USA. I wanted them on a new album.
eclipsed: How did the recordings come about in Nashville?
Scott: There's a bunch of great studios there. It made perfect sense to record there [...] because it wasn't that expensive and we could record live with the whole band. Also, guitarist Jay Barclay and keyboarder Paul Brown, with whom I wanted to record, live in Nashville. That was all clear.
eclipsed: How did the album title "Modern Blues" come about - apart from the reverence for the "Fisherman's Blues"? What do you mean by that?
Scott: Well, it's mainly the sound. Not much of a mystery. (laughs)
eclipsed: You wouldn't be talking about a flawless blues album either, would you?
Scott: Not really. But we have also used blues scales, and "Still A Freak" is a real blues number. After all, blues is the root from which rock'n'roll originated.
eclipsed: And lyrically?
Scott: Sure, they're also modern lamentations. "Nearest Thing To Hip" is a blues about how boring our cities get. The civilization blues.
