Scott McCaughey - In the golden depths of alt-pop

Scott McCaughey is one of the most cult voices of the American underground: a life spent in the company of his Minus 5, Young Fresh Fellows, the recent Tired Pony, The Baseball Project and Filthy Friends, not to mention his role as fifth/fourth Rem, his collaborations with Wilco and his role as bassist in the Venus 3 of Robyn Hitchcock. Always accompanied by his trusty partner in sonic escapades Peter Buck, he also took part in The No Ones project, joining the United States and Norway in the name of the fizziest indie-pop, roping in Frode Strømstad and Arne Kjelsrud Mathisen of I Was A King. After coming to terms with a stroke in 2017 and getting back on his feet with Stroke Manor, he's ready to set off again. We caught up with him during this very delicate period to ask a few questions and give readers a better sense of a hyperactive musician, full of meaningful artistic ideas.(The questions were sent before the Covid-19 emergency, ed.)

First let me say: I'm sorry it took so long!

First important question: any upcoming shows in Italy?

Given the situation, none of my bands have any shows scheduled at the moment. I was supposed to be touring Norway and the UK right around now, with The No Ones, Minus 5, together with Luke Haines and Peter Buck. But we'll have to wait. I really hope to be back in Italy in 2021.

At this point in your career, how would you define Minus 5?

The Minus 5 is my own personal pleasure craft (a boat, sail or motor, used for personal, family, and sometimes sporting leisure activities, ed.), a vessel I can sail anywhere. Peter Buck likes to hop aboard, along with so many wonderful musician friends. The Minus 5 is very flexible: it can be whatever I want it to be, whenever I need it to be.

I read about the notebook you used after the stroke: do you still use it, do you write new things in it or read the old ones?

I still use the same notebook! I haven't written much lately, but I'm starting to fill it up. And there are still a few songs written before the stroke that I'm still working on and need to record.

The most important message or gesture you received during your convalescence?

Live, live, live! And appreciate everything you have, especially the kindness, generosity and love of all the people around me.

How did you feel before and after going back on stage?

It was very scary and difficult to get back on stage! It still is. It's a challenge dealing with my physical and mental shortcomings due to the long-term effects of the stroke. A lot of friends/fans think I'm back to "normal", but I'll never be quite the same again. That's not a complaint at all, since I feel incredibly lucky to still be able to play! I just have to learn to do it in a slightly different way.

What are you listening to these days?

I listen to the Neil Young Archives a lot! I recommend them to everyone! They're a treasure trove.

What's the current music scene like in Seattle? Any acts worth mentioning (are there perhaps new bands like The Minus 5)?

I've lived in Portland, Oregon since 2004. But the Young Fresh Fellows and a lot of other musician friends are still in Seattle, so I spend a lot of time there. It's still a great city for music. Of course, everything is shut down in Portland, Seattle and everywhere else because of Covid-19. I feel terrible about it, including about what's happening over there in Italy.

Can you briefly tell those in Italy who don't know you yet about the start of your career and its key milestones?

That would take too long! But let's give it a shot, it went more or less like this:

Young Fresh Fellows – from 1981 to the present (new album coming in June 2020)

The Minus 5 – from 1994 to the present

Rem – from 1994 to 2011 (every tour from "Monster" onward; every album, from "New Adventures In Hi Fi" to the last one, "Collapse Into Now")

Tuatara – from 1997 to …?

The Baseball Project – from 2007 to today

Robyn Hitchcock & Venus 3 – from 2006 to 2013

Tired Pony – from 2009 to…?

Filthy Friends – from 2014 to today

The No Ones – from 2016 to today

And I'm probably forgetting someone!

Do you think social media and the Internet can change the traits of a cult alternative figure like yourself?

Well, social media helps spread the word, especially for tours. I don't love them, but you have to learn to live with them. It's a very different game from when we started out in the '80s.

In Italy we first got to know you through R.E.M.'s Monster Tour: what do you remember of that experience?

The shows in Italy have always been incredible! Not just the Monster Tour but the later ones too, for "Up", "Reveal", "In Time", "Around The Sun", "Accelerate". We love Italy, there are some great R.E.M. fans here.

What are you working on right now?

This year I've got new albums with Luke Haines and Peter Buck, Young Fresh Fellows and The No Ones, plus a new single from Filthy Friends. We had shows planned for each of the bands, but they're all cancelled now, so hopefully we'll be able to reschedule them. We're putting together a new Baseball Project album. And of course plenty more music from The Minus 5. Thanks for your time!

And as if that weren't enough, out of the blue, on May 1st McCaughey released under his alter ego Scott The Hoople "Sad Box & Other Hits", a remedy put together in quarantine to fight off a brief creative crisis brought on by these complicated days.

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