Interview

David Byrne, the former Talking Heads front man, has been working solo and in what Robert Fripp once called small, independent, mobile, and intelligent units since the Heads split in 1991. One particularly small, independent, mobile, and intelligent unit was Brian Eno-David Byrne, which was actually formed during the time Eno was producing the Talking Heads. In 1981 Byrne and Eno collaborated on the LP My Life in the Bush of Ghosts, an extraordinary mix of fourth-world funk and found vocals. Since then they've kept in touch and now have a new album, Everything That Happens Will Happen Today, which is really, really, really good. It brings together the best of both geniuses with songs that sound like folk songs for ultramodern folks. Mr. Byrne has never been in better voice, and Mr. Eno hasn't been this perfectly pop since "Burning Airlines Give You So Much More" [1974]. Now Byrne is taking this show (including songs by Talking Heads and from My Life . . . ) on the road, hopefully to a venue near you. I talked to him about this and other recent projects at his office just down the street.

GLENN O'BRIEN: Oh, you have art from the Odd Fellows!

DAVID BYRNE: I like this kind of art. I also like those great pictures of all the grand pooh-bahs. It goes a long way in creating some atmosphere in here.

GO: I used to collect lodge paraphernalia. There's a lot of it. You know, in their heyday, they had
maybe 4 million Masons in the United States.

DB: Yeah. And there were the Odd Fellows and all these other organizations.

GO: There's a big scandal going on now with the Shriners about misappropriation of funds; they're still one of the richest charities in the United States.

DB: Those are the guys who drive the little cars and all that stuff.

GO: Mm-hmm.

DB: Could be the end!

GO: Yeah. I think secret societies aren't what they used to be. Anyway, I love your new record.

DB: Thank you! I was surprised how it came out.

GO: How did it come about, your working with Brian Eno again?

DB: We'd kept in touch, but then we got more in touch over the last few years because Nonesuch -reissued the Bush of Ghosts record [in 2006].