Wilco dishes on ‘Schmilco’ with David Fricke + performs new songs LIVE

On the heels of the release of their tenth studio album, Wilco stopped by the SiriusXM studios for a live performance and interview with David Fricke. During the sit-down, the members revealed just how much lead singer Jeff Tweedy had a hand in creating their latest project.

Schmilco was released on Sept. 9 with the album’s title a nod to the Harry Nilsson album Nilsson Schmilsson. Along with 2015’s Star Wars, the recording of Schmilco featured Tweedy’s heaviest involvement with the production of the record.

“This was kind of new territory, this and Star Wars are new territory because these are basically Jeff creating the demos, creating the arrangements,” bassist John Stirrat told Fricke. “It’s like really the first time in the history of the band–well, there were a few organic takes on this record with all of us–but I would say at least half the record was Jeff creating it in the studio either with Glenn or with Spencer on drums, his son who he just spends a lot of time with doing demos. A lot of them were sort of special and he would bring them to the band and have us replace parts or not, basically. So this was a real departure.”

Tweedy is credited with writing all of the songs on the album. The overall sound of Schmilco is a contrast to Star Wars.

“There definitely was this sort of glam-heavy thread with Star Wars and this weird, spacey country kind of thread (with Schmilco),” Stirratt said.

Wilco performed four songs off Schmilco, including the singles If I Was Ever A Child and Someone To Lose in addition to a throwback cut Misunderstood, off 1996’s Being There.

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