Russell Simins wears many hats.
He’s worked for a number of artists and bands as a songwriter,lyricist, guitarist and producer, though fans know him best asdrummer and co-founder of the Jon Spencer Blues Explosion.
Public Places, an album released last month, finds Simins wearinga new hat — solo artist.
“It never was this conscious decision to do a solo project,”Simins said. “I’m always writing music anyway, so I felt I needed toput something together for the music I do other than Blues Explosionmusic.”
Moving from third member to frontman isn’t a stretch for the LongIsland native. Simins has been performing almost all his life,playing the drums at 7, mastering the guitar at 15 and performing ina punk band in high school.
His talent, however, is far from a musical accident.
“There’s definitely a musical lineage in my family,” he said.”Everyone was musically inclined from great-grandparents to my mom (aclassically trained pianist).”
It wasn’t long after playing around in the local music scene thatSimins came upon mid-’80s collective The Honeymoon Killers.
“They needed a drummer,” he said. “I met Jon Spencer (a HoneymoonKillers collaborator) while playing with the band.”
Simins, Spencer and guitarist Judah Bauer established the BluesExplosion in 1991. The trio released a handful of critically laudedalbums such as Now I Got Worry and Acme. The band’s fusion of rock,folk, punk and blues (though Spencer and company claim they’re an”anti-blues” band in jest) instantly won them a huge following –without the advantage of a mainstream hit.
“People call us a ‘no-hit wonder,'” Simins said. “We have a lot offun but if there happens to be a hit at some point then that’d begreat.”
And if the Blues Explosion doesn’t spawn a hit, there is at leastthe hope that one of Simins’ side projects will. Among otherundertakings, Simins formed Butter 08 with Cibo Matto’s Miho Hatoriand Yuka Honda (they recorded one album in 1996) and has remixed thework of a a lengthy list of artists, including Cibo Matto, Stereolaband Luscious Jackson.
Simins’ labor certainly hasn’t gone unnoticed among his peers inthe business. Public Places finds an onslaught of musicians andartists such as Mike D, Hatori, Vivien Trimble (ex-Luscious Jacksonmember), and Bijou and Chynna Phillips lending their talent toaccompany Simins’ candid, heartfelt material.
“They’re all friends of mine who wanted to help out,” he said.”Mike D told me he had an idea for a drum part in the song. So Iasked him to do it.”
Surprisingly, neither Spencer nor Bauer make an appearance on thealbum.
“It just didn’t come up,” he said, but he also said the BluesExplosion is still very much intact. The band is scheduled to go backto the studio early next year for a new album.
His solo effort — as well as the Butter 08 project — sparkedSimins’ interest in deviating from his typical style with the BluesExplosion. While the material he writes with the band centers aroundthe drums, Public Places uncovers Simins’ knack for guitar-basedsongwriting.
“Writing on guitar is a different dynamic,” Simins said. “It’smore personal in terms of my vocal expressions. The things I writeabout is a whole different animal as well. The songs on the album areon things I see and think about in everyday life — watching a movieor standing in line at the market…”
Simins is more concerned with performing his songs than he is withwhat direction the album takes in the charts. His experience with theBlues Explosion taught him there’s not always a need for mainstreamattention. Just making music is the ultimate reward for working’round the clock.
“I love writing music,” Simins said. “I love recording music. Ilove working in the studio. There are always people with personalityout there making good music; (people) with no regard for all theglitz and marketing.”
Russell Simins opens for the Flaming Lips on Sunday, Nov. 19 at4th and B. For tickets, call TicketMaster at (619) 220-TIXS.
