Quotes by Jay Farrar

“I felt like I just wanted to get back to Son Volt, after having done the solo records. I just began to miss the group dynamic. (Son Volt) has always kind of represented a vehicle for putting out a certain type of songs and songwriting.”

“Whenever I get a chance, I still find a song I can still relate to. I was in my early 20s when (the Uncle Tupelo) songs were written. As the years go by, it gets a little harder to relate to songs that were written so long ago.”

“I think I just sort of felt like with the original incarnation of Son Volt wed hit a wall, ... I didnt want to necessarily be the person who had to crack the whip to try to push people in a certain direction that they didnt want to go.”

“Im glad we were able to do that [tribute] for Alejandro. Thats sort of a last positive effort that we all contributed to. I think it was just a good way to go out.”

“serves as a sort of inspirational character or a point of reference when thinking about topical issues. He had a willingness to take social injustice head-on and write about it.”

“but at this point it seems kind of inevitable or unstoppable.”

“Youre sort of shaped by your environment in a way,”

“Woody has always been a reference point for me, as well a source of inspiration along the way. I was brought up around his music at a pretty early age, ... The reference in the song relates more to the way my own children have become fans, I guess (laughs). If there was no Highway 61, we may not have had Bob Dylan or Leadbelly .”

“Theres an immediacy and a starkness thats there. I think a lot of Leadbellys arrangements and his use of the 12-string guitar were atypical, especially the 12-string, which showed his individuality. I guess he approached it that way because the 12-string was louder. Leadbelly and the punk rock aesthetic - maybe there are some similarities there.”

“[Earlier Son Volt releases possessed a more composed, controlled atmosphere, which showed off Farrars songwriting chops well, but the new one has a more pervasive sense of urgency, not just lyrically but also musically. Theres an immediacy thats palpable.] We were kind of a new configuration, so theres an edge there, a spontaneity thats basically good, ... Maybe we were aware that this was something special that never happened before?”