Walter Salas-Humara and the Silos Interview: SXSW 2010

Envisioned and created by musician, songwriter and vocalist Walter Salas-Humara in 1985, the Silos was once named "Best New American Band" by the Rolling Stone Critic's Poll. Spinner spoke with Walter Salas-Humara about life with the Silos and his 16-year reign at the SXSW Festival.

Besides you, who are the Silos?

There have been many great musicians in the Silos, and depending upon where the band plays, past musicians join in. It's like everybody who has ever been in the band is still in the band. The Silos has become a huge family of musicians.

So you've been the one and only constant in the Silos over the years?

Yes, I guess I'm the omni-geographical Silo – the seed Silo.
The Silos blend country, rock, folk and blues. Still true?

The Silos' sound is always a reflection of what is happening at that moment in time. Like on the new album, Florizona, which will be released by Bloodshot Records later this year, I've been co-writing with other people, so I think it's a lot more lush and more complex melodically than maybe some of the other records. It's a soundscape of ideas.

The Silos have been around a long time yet continue to grow the fan base. How?

Thousands of shows. I guess that's what accounts for it. And now with the Internet, people can locate our performances and follow new releases.

What is in your SXSW survival kit?

The festival is an endurance test. You need to drink a lot of water and try to remember to eat. With so many acts to see and free alcohol everywhere, survival is a good word for it.

Who do you listen to?

Definitely my nephew, Charlie Salas-Humara, aka Panther. He's a rock star, really contemporary. I listen to his music all the time, and he's definitely got it going on. He's an incredibly charismatic performer. I'm a proud uncle.

At this point in your career is there anyone you would give your eyeteeth to work with?

Well, one person, Willie Mitchell, but sadly, he's passed away. When the Silos recorded with RCA, we wanted to work with him, but the president of the label at the time thought Willie's sound would have been too "old" for us. It was a really great experience recording the RCA album with the wonderful Canadian producer, Peter Moore, but I still have a soft spot for Willie Mitchell's work.

Your 2008 "I'm Not Jim" project was an unusual collaboration between a musician, you, and a bestselling author, Jonathan Lethem. What's next on that front?

We're in the process of doing a second project. The first one was a songwriting collaboration that culminated in an album, but this next one will be some type of theater piece that can have an enduring run, like a piece of musical art created by a cast of performers.

Will you be hosting Swollen Circus this year at SXSW?

This will be our 16th year to host Swollen Circus at the Hole in the Wall on the Tuesday before the festival opens. Each act gets 3 songs or 15 minutes to perform in what is a continuous set of music. It's like a mini SXSW pre-show. I created it in 1994 with my friend, Michael Hall, a great singer/songwriter, journalist and founder of the band The Wild Seeds. Swollen Circus is all about music and good times.

As a SXSW veteran, what's your take on the festival?

Well, what's so cool about it is that they've pretty much stuck to their mission to showcase new music. You'll find some established acts, but it's mostly about discovering new talent. The spirit of the festival is all about new bands. There are a few acts like the Silos that come year after year because it feels like home, but the bulk of the acts are there for the first time. It's one of the few festivals I know of where you could go 24 hours a day for 5 days, see hundreds of acts in that time, and never have heard of any of them prior to getting there.

What is the strangest thing you've seen from the stage when you were performing?

We were playing in Barcelona, Spain and this dude in the audience barked and yelped and howled like a dog for the whole show, probably the whole hour and a half we were playing. I guess he had a dog fetish or something. It was pretty wild and pretty unnerving.

In addition to being a singer, songwriter, musician and producer, you're an artist. Will you ever write a song inspired by your waltersdogs.com paintings?

Well, actually, I've thought about that. I may do something for kids. And I even thought about writing songs for concerts where people bring their dogs. Dogs are cool. I'll have to think about that. Talk about barking in the audience.

What's next for you?

Well the Silos will work to promote the new album, hopefully in some locations where it's possible to do both the music and an art show for my paintings. I'm looking for ways to share what I've experienced as a musician and as an artist who travels the world. I guess I've been taking stock of my life and been thinking about kids and their parents, and of how important it is to travel to other countries and experience other cultures. Everybody's important and everybody's culture is worthwhile. I would advise parents to think about that for their children. And to young adults I would say, "Get out there, man." Whether it's to study abroad, or to volunteer for a work project in a developing country, or even just to get the backpack out and make your own way. As for music, I always tell young bands eager to have their music heard that there is a whole gigantic world out there. Think beyond just your own country and expand your horizons.




Tricia Spencer is a contributor from Seed.com. Learn how you can contribute here.