Tom Curless has been on a remarkable musical journey, captivating listeners with his recent releases as a solo artist, with The 46%, and alongside Crossword Smiles. As an avid follower of the Sweet Sweet Music blog, it’s no secret that I am a devoted fan of his work. Each new composition brings forth an exhilarating blend of strength, power, and raw emotion, delivered with unwavering confidence and conviction.

In light of these qualities, I often find myself drawing comparisons between Curless’ music and that of the legendary Bob Mould. However, his latest offering, “Speaking in Code,” exudes a heightened level of refinement that aligns perfectly with his artistic evolution. If you were to ask me about the sound of this latest record, my response would be akin to “a superb creation reminiscent of the remarkable Tommy Keene.”

Such an endorsement holds great weight within the realm of music I inhabit. If you haven’t yet had the pleasure of experiencing “Speaking in Code,” I urge you to do so without delay.

In this interview, Curless elaborates on the genesis of his new music, shedding light on its creative origins and inspirations.

“Sorry For You” has a very nice chorus. I can imagine that it has been tinkered with endlessly or did you know exactly what you wanted when you wrote the song?

“Sorry for You” definitely evolved from the demo to the final product. I had the basic structure and rehearsed it with the band. We tried a different rhythm, but it didn’t work. I definitely had that relentless train chugging beat in my head for that song.

When it came to the outro I was thinking it could just gradually ride into the sunset…with lots of overlapping guitars and reverbed vocals, it turned out really nice! I also borrowed a Rickenbaker from Greg from the Hangabouts to give it that chiming guitar thing, which worked so well on that song!!

You have released so much good music in recent years, is songwriting easy for you?

Thank you, I appreciate that. I wouldn’t say that songwriting for me is easy, maybe it has gotten a little easier because I have been working at it for so long. I am always striving to write a GREAT song, and I love that challenge. I do tend to fall into certain patterns and I worry I am repeating myself a bit. This happens after years of writing. It is important to stretch yourself and not fall into one bag.

David Bowie once said “as an artist you should always feel slightly out of your depth, like your feet can’t quite touch the bottom and then you know you are on the right path”. I feel like my next musical thing might venture a little further out from my usual thing.

What is the nicest compliment you have received about ‘Speaking in Code’?

The nicest compliment I got on “Speaking in Code” was that it had some classic “Curless” vibes but it also took a few interesting left turns like the weird “Marquee Moon” guitars on the outro of “Silver Shine”. I was also told that “Sorry for You” had chordal sophistication, which I really appreciated. “Man those aren’t the usual chords!!” Ha ..I am thrilled that several people have picked different songs as their favorite!! It’s not just one song that sticks out, they are all unique, that makes me proud. Mission accomplished.

I think ‘Don’t Shoot the Messenger’ is very special. The tempo, the guitar (solo), the sound, the lyrics, the summer breeze production, the great mix… . I can imagine it was a special moment when you first heard it when it was finished?

“Don’t Shoot the Messenger” is the only piano based song on the record. That had been sitting around for a while and developed slowly. Roger Manning Jr. from Jellyfish/Imperial Drag is playing keyboards, synths and backing vocals on that track and he really pushed it to another level. He is such a great guy and so talented, it was a blast working with him. I added that George Harrison inspired guitar solo and then I felt excited about the track. As you say, once I got that final mix together I felt very proud of it!

During the making of a new record there are always those moments that have been decisive for the end result. What is the moment associated with this record, the moment you would like to remember?

There were a couple moments in the studio that felt special. I am lucky because my band is awesome. Chip Saam and Ron Vensko are a tremendous rhythm section and they have just gotten tighter and more accomplished since we have been playing together over the last 5 years or so. We added Lenny Grassa (who also plays with Popular Creeps) on guitar about midway through the record who jumped in with both feet and contributed a ton in a short time. When he ripped into his solo on “Move Aside” we all looked at each other and smiled as we were laying down the live track as a band…that was a great moment!

Most of the songs on the record are a full band laying down the basic tracks and you can feel that on this one, I really love that vibe! I know a lot of artists now map the drum track to make it perfect and use Melodyne to get the vocals absolutely perfect but I am not into that. If it hurts my sales these days so be it.

To me, there is nothing like a live band playing in a room, with slight mistakes and all… that’s what it’s all about. That is four humans playing real music, not computer generated perfection.