Folk-rocker Kurt Vile is full of musical creativity and experience. The former guitarist of indie shoegaze band The War On Drugs recently released his sixth studio album “b’lieve i’m goin down…” and will be making a stop at several festivals this summer such as Lollapalooza and Osheaga. He recently spoke with MOVE about his inspiration, the creative process of his new LP and a future collaboration with Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth fame.

**What inspired you to start making music?**

It’s in my blood. It’s in my dad’s blood. It was just obvious. My dad was playing records because it was in his blood to be obsessed with music. The first thing I played was the trumpet, and my dad taught me to play it, and I gave a demonstration in fourth grade. It seemed like fun.

**“b’lieve i’m goin down…” is your sixth studio album. How do you think your sound has evolved with this album?**

I think that my sound always evolves. I get a little better at playing all the time, and I try to get a little more honest all the time and learn from mistakes. I think this one is a little more well-rounded because there’s piano jams, acoustic jams, electric jams and a little banjo. This one is a little more stripped down, which I’ve done plenty of in the past, but this was just one of those times where it felt good to take it back.

**I read that the banjo was one of the first instruments you played. What made you want to pick up the guitar next?**

I definitely wanted the guitar before I got a banjo, but my dad got me a banjo because he loved bluegrass. My dad just discovered that song “I’m an Outlaw,” and sure enough, he loves it so it worked out.

**What do you think the most important parts of creating an album are?**

I think all that stuff is self-explanatory if you’re really supposed to be making records in the first place. You have to feel the guitar, and you have to feel the lyrics. You shouldn’t be just mailing it in as a contractual obligation. There has to be genuine inspiration. For me, I definitely get inspiration from other artists.

**What was the creative process for “b’lieve i’m goin down…” like?**

It was just an accumulation, really. I toured one record for a long time and along the way I wrote a bunch of songs. When you’re on the road for a long time, it keeps you playing by default. It turns into writing other songs, and eventually the cycle turns toward making a record.

**Kim Gordon (of Sonic Youth) recently interviewed you about your new album. Could you see yourself collaborating with her in the future?**

I’m going to do something with her one day. I have some specific cover songs I want to do with her, and maybe we can do some original stuff too. I’m not going to say what the covers are, but one day for sure.

**Relatively early in your life, you worked a couple of blue-collar jobs for a while. Do you think those experiences have impacted you as a songwriter?**

I’m sure. In those days I spaced out in a different way. I could space out when I was bottling beer, making boxes or driving on a forklift. There was a particular time in the fall when I would walk home and see the sun set, which I always thought was very beautiful. All of those blue-collar sentiments certainly influenced my songwriting then and maybe now too.

_Edited by Katherine Rosso | krosso@themaneater.com_