According to Jeff Tweedy, his ambitious new triple album, ‘Twilight Override,’ a collection of 30 songs spread across three discs, began as a simple idea during a family road trip.
The leader of the enduring band Wilco, Tweedy envisioned a four-hour car ride with his sons, Spencer and Sammy, as the perfect opportunity to fully immerse themselves in The Clash’s 1980 triple album, ‘Sandinista!’—a vibrant mix of bold, genre-bending tracks and experimental studio work. This experience soon sparked the inspiration for his own expansive project. In a lighthearted video interview, he humorously referred to his upcoming album as ‘Sad-inista.’
Tweedy acknowledges that a triple album is ‘counterintuitive.’ He explained, ‘Offering a listener a wealth of music to truly immerse themselves in inherently creates a small hurdle. However, it’s also designed to be a deeply rewarding experience for a particular kind of music lover. I felt it was a direct challenge to a culture that increasingly favors speed and superficiality.’
Initially, the album’s working titles included ‘Triple Rainbow’ and later, ‘Tons of Time,’ Tweedy revealed.
Jeff Tweedy shared his philosophy on songwriting, suggesting, ‘If you make an effort to write a bad song daily, you’re bound to stumble upon a good one occasionally. It’s simply about positioning yourself to be receptive to a song’s emergence.’
He elaborated, ‘I see nothing wrong with aiming to explore a new format, to see if I can sustain both my own attention and that of the listener for two hours. This approach allows for the inclusion of songs that might not have made the cut if the goal was solely maximum impact.’
He pondered the rarity of intentional, two-hour album listening sessions in today’s world, but affirmed, ‘While I’m unsure how many will truly engage this way, the album was crafted with that deep, focused listening experience in mind, and that was my aspiration.’
From the kitchen of The Loft, Wilco’s enduring studio and Chicago base, a plaid-shirted and bespectacled Tweedy, 58, shared his thoughts. This creative space, teeming with guitars, keyboards, and other instruments, also features in the music video for one of the new songs, ‘Feel Free.’ Behind him, a nostalgic nod to another iconic Midwestern group — a Booji Boy doll, Devo’s mascot, donned a distinctive red plastic ‘energy dome’ hat. The wall was adorned with a painting of a longhaired white cat, famously gracing the cover of Wilco’s 2015 album, ‘Star Wars.’
Tweedy’s songwriting output has been remarkably consistent since the late 1980s, dating back to his formation of the Illinois band Uncle Tupelo with Jay Farrar. Following Uncle Tupelo’s dissolution in 1994, he took the helm of Wilco, a band whose lineup eventually solidified in 2005.
Tweedy captivating the audience with Wilco during a 2007 performance.
Over the years, Wilco’s sound has continuously evolved. Their repertoire, and indeed any given live set, fluidly blends elements of country, punk, folk, psychedelia, electronic music, and noise, all while delivering lyrics that range from enigmatic to profoundly sincere. In his 2018 memoir, ‘Let’s Go (So We Can Get Back),’ Tweedy candidly expressed his lifelong ambition: ‘exposing my deepest self to strangers, allowing every raw emotion to pour out, and making a spectacle of myself with my own words.’
Today, Wilco stands as a unique model of an indie-rock enterprise: self-managed, financially independent, driven by artistic principles, and consistently pushing creative boundaries. The band maintains a regular touring schedule, playing theaters, large venues, and festivals, and impressively, they own both their recording studio and their own label, dBpm (short for decibels per minute).
Since 2010, Wilco has hosted and curated the biennial Solid Sound festival, a weekend event that gathers the band and other like-minded musicians at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in North Adams. Despite initial financial losses, Tweedy stated the festival continued because it was ‘worth doing,’ adding, ‘The hope is that you’re creating something engaging enough for people to want to stay.’
Tweedy emphasized that ‘sustainability has been the guiding principle throughout my career.’
He explained, ‘For a long time, every decision has been centered on that idea. It boils down to: Can we afford this? If yes, then we do it. If no, then we don’t.’
Tweedy maintains a rigorous discipline as a prolific songwriter and musician. In his 2020 book, ‘How to Write One Song,’ he advocates for broad creativity and provides aspiring songwriters with actionable advice, such as dedicating at least 20 minutes daily to crafting songs, regardless of their quality.
He humorously noted, ‘If you consistently aim to write a bad song each day, you’ll inevitably create a good one sometimes. It’s all about creating an environment where a song can find you.’
When not on tour or recording with Wilco, Tweedy dedicates his time to solo projects—’Twilight Override’ marks his fifth solo album—and tours with a band featuring his sons, Spencer (29) on drums and Sammy (25) on vocals and synthesizers.
Tweedy explained his rationale for creating an extensive album, saying, ‘Presenting a large volume of music for someone to truly delve into inadvertently creates a hurdle. Yet, it also offers a unique reward for a specific kind of listener. I believed it challenged a culture that has grown increasingly fast-paced and superficial.’
In a phone interview, Spencer Tweedy observed, ‘Whenever my dad isn’t on tour, he’s at The Loft, crafting new songs.’ He added, ‘I admire how he’s structured his life to facilitate this, and I strive to emulate that. While artistic paths vary, it seems everyone can make choices to prioritize their creative work and find joy in it.’
Tweedy mentioned that the three distinct parts of ‘Twilight Override’ are ‘loosely structured around the themes of past, present, and future.’ He appreciated that these themes ‘aren’t rigidly defined; they intertwine and bleed into one another.’
‘Twilight Override’ justifies its substantial length. It avoids filler like alternate takes or lengthy instrumentals, with only three tracks extending beyond five minutes. The album’s arrangements evoke a warm, handcrafted feel, primarily centered on Tweedy’s acoustic guitar, often enhanced by Macie Stewart’s violin. Listeners might catch echoes of artists like Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, Simon & Garfunkel, and Bob Dylan’s ‘John Wesley Harding.’
Despite the intimate feel, the production subtly incorporates unsettling synthesizer textures, with occasional bursts of stark dissonance or meandering electric guitar solos. Many tracks, notably the lush and mysterious ‘Blank Baby,’ highlight the rich vocal harmonies of Tweedy’s touring band, featuring James Elkington on guitar, Liam Kazar on bass, and Sima Cunningham on keyboard. The band is scheduled to tour in October.
‘Twilight Override’ marks the fifth solo album released by Tweedy.
Tweedy shared, ‘When we’ve performed my previous solo albums with this current band, we consistently return home with exquisite vocal arrangements not present on the original recordings. This led me to truly embrace that distinct vocal sound for this band and to compose new songs specifically with that in mind.’
The album’s tracks delve into themes of memory, aspirations, vivid imagery, and reflections on art, love, and the passage of time. For instance, ‘Forever Never Ends’ recounts a memorable high-school dance night, concluding with Tweedy stranded ‘on the side of the road in a tuxedo’ after his car broke down. Meanwhile, the subtly unsettling track ‘Mirror’ explores paradoxes and intimations of mortality and rebirth, with lyrics like: ‘Your mind goes blind and you are erased / You will be the person taking your place.’
Reflections on mortality have consistently woven through Tweedy’s lyrical work. He observed, ‘It’s unavoidable to contemplate mortality deeply when you cherish others. You experience the loss of parents, friends; you witness global pandemics, widespread violence, and the instantaneous influx of harrowing news about the world’s suffering.’
True to its title, ‘Twilight Override’ confronts themes of loss and darkness with a sense of abundance and resilience. Tweedy explained, ‘Whether we consciously choose to transcend these challenges or not, we inherently do. We continue forward, putting one foot in front of the other, driven by a fundamental desire to exist.’ He added, ‘It takes immense effort for someone to decide they no longer wish to be here. That underlying sentiment truly defines this record. It’s akin to the old joke about a restaurant having terrible food in tiny portions – the world can be painful, but I simply can’t get enough of it; I never want it to end.’