Q&A: Anastasio plans October tour after label launch

NEW YORK (Billboard) - A year after signing a high-profile major-label deal, former Phish guitarist

The artist will launch his RED-distributed Rubber Jungle imprint with the new album "Bar 17," due October 3. He will support the release with an October North American tour.

The trek will kick off with two rare club shows at New York's Webster Hall on October 8-9, at which Anastasio "will do the whole album in sequence with strings and everything, so it should be pretty cool and a little different. It will be more of a party than a regular show."

Anastasio began working on "Bar 17" before solo album "Shine," the fruit of his August 2005 deal with Columbia, but put the project on hold after producer Bryce Goggin left because of family commitments. "Shine" has sold 62,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Bar 17" features appearances from Phish's Mike Gordon and Jon Fishman, the Benevento/Russo Duo, John Medeski and percussionist Cyro Baptista, plus a collaboration with Anastasio's 10-year-old daughter, Eliza.

Q: What went wrong with your Columbia deal?

A: Well, everyone on the team that I was working with, for the most part, was fired, like Will Botwin and Donnie (Ienner). I was thrilled to be on Columbia when I was there. I got a chance to work with (producer) Brendan O'Brien, which I loved doing, and I really enjoyed making "Shine." But I'm really excited about starting my own label. A lot of bands are telling me this is what they're going to do. It just starts to become the obvious choice.

Q: It doesn't seem like you need a major label from a promotional standpoint.

A: No, I don't think so at all. I have a good distribution company, a great team and good management. I don't really know what Columbia was doing for me. The whole thing with the (controversial CD copy protection, which led to protests and the label's recall of all discs using the XCP system) -- that was just a disaster. For me right now, this is kind of a lifelong dream to have my own label. There's a possibility I could sign people, which is pretty cool.

Q: How did you come to work in the studio and then go on tour with the Benevento/Russo Duo?

A: Mike (Gordon) told me how much fun he had playing with these guys, and I met them in Brooklyn. They were only going to do two songs, but Mike came in with them and we just hit it off instantly. I think we did four songs in one or two nights, and we instantly started talking about doing some shows. ... I enjoyed them tremendously. They're great, high-energy, smart, interesting people. I hope we get to play together again.

Q: What can you say about "Goodbye Head," on which you collaborated with your daughter?

A: She's 10. I was writing that song while she was skateboarding around in the living room, but she threw in some lines that turned out to be the best of the song: "Don't you know the stars in the sky might not even still be there?" I just love those, because I was writing a song about thinking too much. I was rushing home to talk to you because I had to take the kids to the Limited for school clothes. I can certainly tell you that I can sing every word to "High School Musical," that's for sure.

Reuters/Billboard

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