Ty Segall Talks 'Bruise Cruise,' 'Goodbye Bread' and Paranoia

Prolific fuzz-rock youngster Ty Segall's new album, 'Goodbye Bread,' drops today on Drag City, and while it retains his '60s garage-punk leanings, he's dared to slow down the tempo and take a stab at writing more defined lyrics. On the phone while driving near L.A. last week, Segall spoke to Spinner to explain some of his "freakout"-inspired new songs, the evils of the Internet and why he'd rather be a guest on a booze cruise than a performer.

'Goodbye Bread' sounds a little more down-tempo than what we're used to from you?

It's definitely more groove-based.

Some reviews have pointed out a Troggs influence to your tunes.

Sure, I love the Troggs. 'Wild Thing' -- that whole record's a classic.

There are a couple of tracks referring to your cranium: 'When My Head Explodes' and 'When Your Head Goes.' What are you getting at?

I've always had problems with my brain, so a lot of the songs are about issues I have with paranoia or freak-outs. 'When My Head Explodes' is about being on stage, having people look at you and expecting you to perform, then literally your head explodes. A lot of the songs are about this thing in your brain that makes you push yourself to do things and try to keep it together, but there's a constant reminder your mind is a fragile thing. You can lose it at any moment -- that's a reality for me -- which I try to laugh off.

Would you say you over-think things?

For sure. Constantly. Every day.

Does this have anything to do with having gone through college, where you took media studies? Were you're taught to analyze everything?

No, I've always been this way, personally. But I was always the one in college to say, "You guys are over-analyzing this. It's just a f---ing movie." Usually, I'm over-analyzing things that have to do with my own actions.

You've mentioned you took more time to record 'Goodbye Bread.' Do you feel you need to put an album out within a certain time frame? Do you feel rushed?

No, I think I need to put one out a year and I'll be satisfied. It's not a race, you know? As long as I make a good record.

So you aren't influenced by the needs of the Internet: it needs to be fed all the time, or you disappear.

I try to ignore the Internet. It's an evil, evil place.

Why?

It's just not worth spending so much time on. People spend hours constantly checking and tweeting and Facebooking. And it's cool to check up on your friends and see what's going on in the world, but it's not cool to spend five hours of your day on the computer looking at the Internet. There's already plenty of things to make you feel s----y about yourself. Why would you want to be involved in some of the drama going on in that social realm?

You have a song called 'Comfortable Home' on the new record yet you're a rock musician and you tour a lot, doesn't that mean you aren't the type to settle down?

No, I like coming back to a house, a room, that's mine and is nice. I'm definitely not the type who just wants to travel everywhere. I feel like a nuisance to whoever I'm staying with. You have to be able to come home, recharge your batteries, wash your clothes. We're always crashing with people, and it's fun, but at the end of a tour you just feel kind of gross.

Speaking of gross, there's a YouTube video of you playing a bathroom gig. What's the
weirdest place you've played a show?

I think the Bruise Cruise [Festival 2011]. It was a cruise ship for vacationing to the Bahamas. It was super surreal. There were little kids getting all hyper, running around eating pizza slices in their bathing suits, going down water slides with their ice cream cones screaming at each other. Families were hanging out at the buffet line, people getting sunburned and wasted in jacuzzis. And there was Vice magazine filming the whole thing. People were just letting it all ride out, man, it was just a f---ing trip. It was cool hanging out with people drinking hurricanes on our way to the Bahamas, but it was really weird. We were stuck on the ship for three days, which I'd totally love to go on -- but probably not play on -- again.

Watch Ty Segall Perform 'Goodbye Bread' in a Bathroom
Did the little kids watch the bands?

Nope. They just ate ice cream cones -- vanilla chocolate double swirl, fat free yogurt, too. I mean, I must have had like 30 ice cream cones.

So you and bands like Black Lips weren't separated from the families?

Nope, we were all mixed in together. They wouldn't go to the shows, which is where most of the debauchery would happen... Actually, I don't know where the debauchery happened.

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