Dave Pirner, the heart and soul behind Soul Asylum, is still in the game after four decades, and his latest album Slowly But Surely proves he’s far from running out of fuel. In a recent interview with Kyle Meredith, Pirner reflects on how he keeps the fire burning after so many years. “I enjoy it. This is what I do; it’s what I’ve been doing my whole life, and I love it,” Pirner says, attributing his longevity to an enduring passion for creating music. The band’s recent work feels both fresh and familiar, as they tour alongside acts like Stone Temple Pilots and Live, showing they’ve still got the drive to deliver.
One standout element of Slowly But Surely is the return of Steve Jordan as producer, marking the first time the two have worked together since 1990’s And The Horse They Rode In On. Pirner explains, “He was very adamant about making the band play in a way where you throw all your punk rock ethos out and just focus on playing as a band.” Pirner emphasizes how Jordan brought back a live, unpolished energy to the studio, a contrast to the more conceptual nature of their recent records.
The song “High Road” exemplifies this approach, with Pirner describing it as one of the tracks he worked on the longest, meticulously crafting and moving parts around. Despite the arduous process, it turned into a driving, immediate song that feels unmistakably Soul Asylum. “I spent so much time toiling over it,” Pirner admits, but when the band finally played it live, “that’s where the magic came from.”
Pirner’s knack for narrative songwriting continues to shine, especially on tracks like “Waiting on the Lord.” Reminiscent of his earlier storytelling songs, it touches on themes of social inequality and power imbalance. “Look at how terrible people can be treated by their own government or the king,” Pirner muses, likening the song to a fable of sorts.
Reflecting on his career, Pirner jokes about the oddities of the internet age and how it contrasts with the days of stapling flyers to telephone poles. “People keep trying to get me to do weird [stuff] on the internet, and I’m pulling back,” he says, hinting at his preference for the analog ways of the past.
The album’s title, Slowly But Surely, is a nod to pioneering drag racer Shirley “Cha Cha” Muldowney, a personal idol of Pirner’s. “She was the first woman in drag racing, and to think about what that must have been like, it just fascinates me,” he says. The rebellious spirit Muldowney represents perfectly mirrors Soul Asylum’s own enduring defiance, pushing forward with every new release.
Watch the interview above and then check out the video below.
