Since they first coughed down the track, trains have inspired artists, writers and musicians, from Arlo Guthrie's "City of New Orleans," to Peter Mulvey's new CD, "Ten Thousand Mornings."
Mulvey, an alternative acoustic musician, self-recorded his latest project on a platform of the Boston subway system (called "The T"), and not surprisingly, the familiar sound of train ramble is in the background of a few cuts. "These sounds are not studio mimicry but, rather, rare flashes of bloody good timing," writes Mulvey on his web site.
Mulvey recorded the album between June 2001 and March 2002, basically whenever his touring schedule led him to the East Coast. His typical recording regiment included a 5:30 a.m. start time, and he usually played for four to 12 hours.
Considering the long hours Mulvey spent playing and recording in the underground jungle (he recorded over 80 songs, only 12 of which appear on the CD), it may have seemed like a 10,000-hour project, but the album title actually refers to the number of people who pass through the subway station every morning.
"I quickly learned that, down there, ego fails. Charm fails, will fails, gimmicks fail. The only thing that succeeded for me (and then only sometimes) was immersion," says Mulvey. "Immersion in the moment and the music."
"Ten Thousand Mornings" is Mulvey's seventh album, and unlike the others, is a collection of cover songs. He is obviously deeply connected to the songs on this album, which range from Leo Kottke's "Running up the Stairs" to Gillian Welch's "Caleb Meyer." Mulvey's vision, courage and talent enabled him to bring a new element to each recording, creating an overall sound that's powerful, soothing and surprising.
After spending time in Ireland and Boston, Mulvey is once again living in Brew City, and in between tour dates, he recently chatted with OnMilwaukee.com about living life outside of the mainstream and recording music underground.
OMC: How/when did you first get the idea to record an album in a subway station?
PM: I have always loved playing in the subway and the street. I lived in Ireland for a while, and when I moved to Boston, I played in the subway to make ends meet.
OMC: What do you like about playing in the subway?
PM: It's so immediate and you don't have to deal with traffic (like you do when you play outside) ... all you have on your side is whether you're singing well or not. Plus, I always liked performing in raw spaces.
OMC: How did you decide to record an album of cover songs?
PM: A guy from my record label heard me singing an Elvis tune, and he asked me if I knew any more covers, and I realized I knew at least a couple of hundred.
OMC: You recorded more than 80 songs in The T. How did you decide which ones to cut and which to keep?
PM: At the time it seemed obvious, but it so easily could've been a completely different record, or three or four records.
OMC: What is it about trains and subways that inspire so many singer-songwriters?
PM: (Laughing) The money ... Seriously, it's a great way make a living, build an audience, learn to sing for people and pay the rent.
OMC: Do all of the songs you chose for the record have something in common?
PM: The one thing they have in common is that I feel like I actually bring something to them, you know, as opposed to my getting up there and doing a James Taylor song just as James Taylor would do it.
OMC: What do you try to achieve when you cover a song?
PM: It's what you try to achieve when you create your own songs ... When Nick Lowe writes a song he goes and rents a little hall and sings it over and over until it feels like a cover to him. That's the best way to approach a song: As if it's outside of you. Music is not something you possess, it's something you access ... Unfortunately we writers get way too precious about our stuff and then all sorts of things prevent us from singing the songs the way we should. I'm trying to shed that kind of connection to my material, and that's one of the beauties of cover songs: There's nothing to shed. The other beauty of covers is that there are so many to chose from. I have written hundreds of songs, but there are thousands of amazing songs already out there.
OMC: Elvis Costello's "Oliver's Army" was an interesting choice. Why did you choose to cover that song?
PM: I have always liked that song a lot. Maybe it's because I'm the great grandson of an Irish immigrant. I like that fiery angry sentiment, and it seems appropriate. Once again we have "Who are you? Where are you from? Do you wear a turban?"...But getting back to Elvis, I could have done a tune off his first or last album.
OMC: You, Pamela Means and Patty Larkin have all lived in Milwaukee and Boston. Explain the Milwaukee-Boston singer/songwriter connection to me.
PM: Boston is a big hub for singer/songwriters, but there's not much of a connection between Boston and Milwaukee. It just makes sense for singer/songwriters from all over to move there. Boston is an intellectual town and it's a liberal town, and it's also a more viable town than Manhattan.
OMC: When and why did you return to Milwaukee?
PM: I returned to Milwaukee six or seven years ago, for family reasons. My parents are here and my brother is here. We all live on the West Side, and my wife's folks just live in Chicago ... And you can actually buy a house in Milwaukee. The house we bought (in Washington Heights) would've been easily a quarter mil or more in Boston.
OMC: So, you were born in Milwaukee?
PM: Yes, I grew up in the Sherman Park area. I graduated from Rufus King High School and then went to Marquette. You know, liberal, Catholic parents ... I spent a year on the East Side, then went to Boston. I lived there for three or four years, but then came back to Milwaukee, so I've lived here for 29 out of my 33 years.
OMC: Do you think Milwaukee needs a subway?
PM: No!
OMC: Do you busk (play on street corners) in Milwaukee?
PM: No. I should, but I don't even know if it's legal.
OMC: How does living in Milwaukee affect your career?
PM: My career spans from Anchorage to Paris, so I can really live anywhere.
OMC: Overall, would you say Milwaukee is a good place to be a musician?
PM: There's a lot of talent and amazing music here, but I also think it's a difficult town to make head way ... Look at Willy (Porter) ... He's sooo good. In Madison, he plays at the Barrymore, but in this town, well, if this town were a little less entrenched he could fill The Pabst. I think that sums up the scene. It's sort of a vicious circle ... It's sort of heartbreaking.
OMC: You have published a number of articles, do you ever see yourself writing a book?
PM: No. Well, every once in a while the idea crosses my mind. Maybe when I'm 50, if I have something to say in that regard.
OMC: What inspired you to play music?
PM: I've always been a good mimic, and able to pick up things quickly. I was shy kid and music was my way to cope, but clearly I have an aptitude for it too, which is one of the reasons why I know so many songs. If I like it, I can pretty much play it back to you.
OMC: What was the first album you ever purchased?
PM: The Police's "Regatta De Blanc."
OMC: That's not fair! Your first record is supposed to be something embarrassing, like Shaun Cassidy or Air Supply...
PM: OK, I admit right after The Police I got into Rush...
OMC: So what was it like having one of your songs in the WB TV show, "Felicity?"
PM: It was surreal. It did nothing for me audience-wise. Ten million people saw it but I think only ten bought get the record ... But it paid incredibly well ... I'm glad to make money but I think our society is utterly skewed artistically ... I've played that song every night, all over the world, and then it appears as an incidental, half-listened-to thing on television and I make a lot of money ... I felt like the (commercial) actor who gets three grand for being the guy next to the guy handing a Kleenex to someone ... I really thought it would do more audience-wise but I gain more audience every time I do a gig.
OMC: Is mainstream popularity one of your goals?
PM: No. I wouldn't want it even if it came to me for free. It's just a strange way for me to connect. Some people are good at connecting that way, like Bono, but I'm already where I want to be. Sure, I would like more people at shows, but not too many more.
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
