Rivulets - Suffering spirit or spirit in love?

Nathan Amundson made his debut as the "protégé" of Alan "Low" Sparhawk, who produced his first two, splendid albums. On "Rivulets" and "Debridement", he whispers delicate poems over skeletal chords and slow guitar arpeggios, blending Drake-esque folk with the slowcore his mentor helped bring to prominence. With the following "You Are My Home", the arrangements grow richer, thanks to numerous illustrious collaborators including Jessica Bailiff and ex-Codeine member Chris Brokaw, steering Rivulets' art towards a fuller form of songwriting. Here is the interview he granted us exclusively.

I'm flattered that anyone would say that. I don't listen to my albums much after making them, but I'm happy if people are still discovering and enjoying them today. I had a great time while writing that record and I learned a lot in the process.

That line definitely isn't about Nick Drake. It means, rather, that certain places seem haunted, or not quite peaceful enough. When I was living in Alaska I ordered “Pink Moon” from the local record store. I'd read a lot about it, but had no idea what it would actually sound like. It completely captivated me at the time, and it still does. It's a perfect, concise record, with no filler.

As for other inspirations, there are too many… Cure, Bauhaus, Smiths and Morrissey, Billie Holiday, Talk Talk and Mark Hollis's solo album, Swans, Codeine, Red House Painters, Low, Labradford, David Bowie, Iggy Pop & The Stooges, Big Star, Velvet Underground and Lou Reed, Robert Johnson, Rolling Stones, Sam Cooke, Zombies, Kinks, Stone Roses, a lot of dub, especially Scientist, Impact All Stars and Lee Scratch Perry and the Upsetters…

My favorite band for the last ten years or so has always been Stars Of The Lid.

Yes. I used to cut myself as a kid, up until I was twenty. It's not something I wanted to encourage or glorify. I just tried to express what it feels like to be that person, someone who needs a way out and sees that as the only way to find some relief.

After the success of the Low album “Christmas”, I think Alan decided to start putting out music by other people besides his own. He recorded the first and second Rivulets albums and offered to release them as the label's first records not connected to Low. As CD sales declined, Chairkickers lost its distribution and decided to focus mainly on local bands from the Duluth area who don't tour internationally, unlike me. I moved to Important because they handle promotion and distribution worldwide. Alan and I live close to each other and see each other when we're both in town. He's always been very supportive, and we're still friends.

Not at all. I chose all those people because they each do their own thing that I'm a fan of, and I wanted them to bring a bit of their own artistry into Rivulets. It's always been that way with the collaborators I've chosen, and I've been extremely lucky, since so many of them said yes.

I'd be curious to know where you read that, but it might be true. After ten years, Rivulets is sometimes a character I'm tired of playing. Not that it isn't me, but it's only one part of me. It's not a part of me I want to live with all the time. On the other hand, there are new songs that have been written very much from Rivulets' point of view, ones I wouldn't feel right putting my own name on. So we'll see.

I'm ready. But making an album costs money. I've never been interested in making Rivulets albums at home on a laptop. I didn't become a musician to stare at a computer screen. If a label or producer were willing to make a record in a proper studio with a proper engineer (that is, not me), it could happen very quickly. For now, I'm waiting.

Any news about the split album with Jessica Bailiff that's been rumored for a while now?

Jess and I recorded a few covers, but not enough to make an album we'd be happy with. Some of these songs came out as standalone singles or on compilations, but for now each of us has other projects we're working on.

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