VELVET UNDERGROUND CO-FOUNDER JOHN CALE DISCUSSES ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, HIS LATEST ALBUM, HIS VU AMP PREFERENCES AND HOW HE CHOOSES COLLABORATORS
By Bruce Fagerstrom
JOHN CALE MAY have made have made his initial mark in the Sixties as a member of the seminal proto-punk legends the Velvet Underground, but that wasn’t the sum of his career by a longshot (His Twitter/X bio cheekily states, “Alright yes, the Velvet Underground... good, next”).
As a producer, collaborator and solo artist, he’s continued to push the boundaries of the musical avant-garde over the past few decades on soundtracks and albums like 1973’s Paris 1919 and 1982’s Music for a New Society right up through this year’s Mercy. The album mixes new/old beats with layers of swirling synths, strings and assorted drones topped off with Cale’s rich baritone.
Meanwhile, his groundbreaking work with the Velvets continues to inspire new bands to this day with his slashing, scything electrified viola and thunderous organ and bass playing on tracks like “The Black Angel’s Death Song” adopted as tonal touchpoints for countless neo-punk outfits.
Guitar World caught up with Cale via email to ask about the songwriting inspirations on Mercy, artificial intelligence and his VU amp preferences.
Some songs on Mercy are obviously contemplations about former colleagues and friends, but as an artist you’ve said you are always looking forward. Many of the songs seem to be meditations on the passage of time and how it impacts personal relationships and their connection with the wider world. Was there a general thematic thrust you were going for?
Originally, the album wasn’t necessarily built on any theme, but as time went on, I found I was in a position to be a better commentator of my own work if I just allowed myself to explore what it all meant as it was being recorded. There is genealogy to a song, as much as there is to an album. This album went through many iterations before I landed on the version you’re hearing now.
I do believe Mercy benefitted from being “in the moment” and being completed at the right time. Everything changed in 2016 with the elections in the U.S.; discourse was no longer on the table. Nothing made sense and everything ugly came out of the shadows into full view
