Built to Spill Slow Down for New Album

Boise rockers Built to Spill are well into recording their forthcoming album, 'There is No Enemy,' and they had a head start, as at least four or five of the songs are leftovers from 2006's 'You in Reverse.' "It's basically the songs that got left off. Most of them were just too slow and I felt like that record already had too much slow stuff on it," frontman Doug Martsch tells Spinner. "This record is just going to have to deal with having a bunch of slow songs because I'm not going to play these anymore or record these anymore. We've got to accept it's kind of a mellow record in some ways."

Martsch is clearly feeling some fatigue from the long recording process. When asked about the possibility of bringing the new stuff, which is being co-produced by Martsch and Dave Trumfio, to the BTS live show, he responds, "Right now I feel like if we went on tour tomorrow I wouldn't want to play these songs at all because I've had enough of them." It's unusually candid given the cliche, "Our new material is our best," is as tried and true in music as "It feels great just to be nominated" is for award shows.

Of course, there's precedence for BTS not to play new material -- Martsch points out the indie faves dissed the album 'Perfect From Now On' on the tour following that release "because we were just done with it." And yes, BTS fans in the know will wisely point out that was the album they ended up doing in its entirety on recent tours. "A couple of years later we warmed back up to them, started playing them again," he says. "I have a feeling we'll play some of the songs and they'll get some new sort of life. Maybe I'll get excited about them again."

Or maybe it's just that, by Martsch's own admission, what they play isn't as important as just rocking on stage. "I think the older I get the more I am able to enjoy playing whatever. I just like playing," he says. "You don't really get burnt out on playing live -- or I don't at least -- even though I played these songs so many times, 'cause each time you do it it's like a brand new challenge."