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Interview With Chris McCaughan Of Sundowner/The Lawrence Arms

About a month and change ago, I had a chance to sit down with Chris McCaughan of Sundowner and The Lawrence Arms.

Let me preface this by saying that this was most the most drunk I’ve ever been during an interview. I wasn’t like face down on the table but things were a little looney tunes. In fact, I was afraid to listen to the tape for so long because I figured I made a complete ass of myself. Two dollar PBRs will do that to you. After getting over my cowardice, I realized I had some decent stuff on this tape. It was mostly me and Chris rambling about music and life, not that different from any other bar room conversation.

Chris had just played a show with Chuck Ragan at NYC’s Knitting Factory and he was winding down his 2007 touring schedule at this point. Although he admitted he was exhausted going into it, the show was incredible and it was obvious that he was pretty speechless because of the whole experience.

It’s been a huge year for you. You had the solo thing really take off it seems.
Chris: I’ve been fortunate and lucky to go out and play shows by myself. It’s a small record and that’s fine but I just got some cool opportunities.

You went into this thing as it being your own thing. Separate from the Lawrence Arms and all that. Has it come to a point where you think you can do this by yourself?
Chris: I started this initially just doing some acoustic shows around Chicago. I played some of the songs that I had that weren’t Lawrence Arms songs, but I played a bunch of Lawrence Arms songs also. I talked to Toby from Red Scare and he was like ‘man, if you make a record, I’ll put it out.’ I needed a kick in the ass to be like ‘hey, I’m actually going to finish this record. I’m going to write these songs.’ I had no necessary aspirations about where it would go. I always wanted to make an acoustic record. It’s a whole different experience playing by yourself on stage. It’s cool when I have Neil [Hennessy. Drummer, also in The Lawrence Arms], Eli [Caterer. Guitarist] and Jenny [Choi. Cello and keys] playing with me because it feels like a band. I don’t feel quite as exposed. It’s different than anything I’ve ever experienced honesty.

Chuck Ragan, Sundowner | Knitting Factory, NYC | 12/1/07

Even though the weather in NYC was brutally cold on Saturday night, you would never know inside the Knitting Factory, where Chuck Ragan and Sundowner (aka Chris McCaughan of the Lawrence Arms) warmed up the crowd with some gutsy, Pabst Blue Ribbon-soaked-folk-rock. Going into the night, I thought back to when I saw both guys with their much-celebrated “other” bands, Hot Water Music and the Lawrence Arms, at the club a few years ago. Now, both of the co-lead singers were back at the venue, other bandmates left behind, playing striped-down jams that are somewhat different than said bands but still ultimately fimiliar to their fans.

Follow after the jump for more pictures and thoughts. Also, expect a very drunken interview that I did with Chris of Sundowner/Lawrence Arms that night to pop up on the site soon. Not one of my most professional moments, but it’s still entertaining none the less.

Mutiny PR/Punknews.org CMJ Showcase | Knitting Factory, NYC | 10/18/2007

Photos from Bill.

Although I don’t feel too strongly about their new album, I was more than little excited to see the return of American Steel to the Big Apple. I was, however, a little worried about how the crowd would react to the band. The showcase, which featured both Lawrence Arms side projects the Falcon and Sundowner, along with Fake Problems, Tim Barry, and the Loved Ones, might have been either the perfect audience or the worst one. I still couldn’t decide but as soon as they started with the new number “Sons of Avarice,” I knew there were a handful of Am. Steel faithful in attendance. The band, unfortunely, played for only 20 minutes and did not play “Optimist,” but it didn’t matter really in the end. The band seemed incredibly happy to be back and if anything, it made me look forward to the Fest that much more.

More thoughts and photos after the jump.