Howling Hagerty

Our former intern and hardcore/no-wave music aficianado Steve Kobak stepped into the lion's den to interview (via e-mail) Neil Michael Hagerty, former ringleader of Royal Trux. Hagerty will be in town this weekend for a show at the Record Bar. If you see him, don't bother to ask him anything. He doesn't tolerate the curiosity of strangers, as Steve found out:

A lot of people left off with "Pound for Pound" and don't know about your solo material or the Howling Hex. What can they expect from the Howling Hex? How is the Howling Hex material different from your last solo album?

If what you say is true, and I doubt it is, I can't guess what people expect from me.

What influenced your descision to go solo?

That's a great question.

In addition to the new CD, what does the future have in store for the Howling Hex? Are you working on anything writing-wise besides the blog?

Future activities could not be said to have happened at the same time as the current CD, therefore I find it difficult to answer this question.

Why are the other members of the Howling Hex shrouded in mystery? Who else plays in the band?

A lack of research would tend to produce said shroud.

Tell me about the new release. How and where was it recorded? What was the songwriting process like? How is the new release different from the limited edition releases and the other two full-lengths?

That is such a broad question that I cannot answer it without mocking you.

What are you currently listening to?

I am currently listening to the hum of a printer in the hotel business center.

The limited edition Howling Hex LPs came out around the same time as David Keenan's "New Weird America" article about esoteric American bands and their limited edition releases. Was this in any way a nod to that scene? Are you aware of it? What is your opinion of it?

No such scene exists except in your mind.

How do you approach the guitar work for a song? What artists or events helped you to develop your style?

These are the type of questions asked of musicians which drive musicians crazy.

I've read a lot of interviews that focus on the negative side of the Trux legacy (the break-up, drug use, etc). Tell me about some of your best Royal Trux experiences.

Best experiences: the break up, the drug use.

Which of your records are you the most satisfied with and why?

I like the ones that sold well.

Which record are you the least satisfied with and how could it have been salvaged?

Trust me, there's no money in rock writing.

You refered to Royal Trux as a "con job" in some interviews. Would you elaborate on how the band was a "con job."

I think that is self-evident.

How do the musical goals of Royal Trux differ from those of the Howling Hex?

What are musical goals exactly? It seems a hollow phrase, like "rock critic" or something.

What  advice you can give to our readers?

Keep your nose clean.

| Steve Kobak, Special to The Star

Comments

[andy]

Steve Kobak should do a little more research before he sends such idiotic questions to someone like Neil Hagerty. I'm surprised he wasted his time with those answers, even though many of them were genius.

The man has a long, rich history -- show him a little respect.

And he hasn't put out a "solo record" in a long time. Only Howling Hex records for 3 years or so.

If you want to know who is in the backing band, read the credits on one of his albums. A long list of amazing musicians are credited inside "you can't beat tomorrow" -- a phenomenal recording made available this summer.

No more high school zine-quality reporting, please. Especially when you have the opportunity to peak into the mind of someone like Neil. Did you know that he was in Pussy Galore? Did you know that Neil Young's long-time producer, David Briggs was a longtime friend and collaborator? Did you know that Neil produces records by great artists such as Make-Up, Edith Frost and Delta 72? So many things to ask him about if you did a little research.

That's what reporters do...

[jim]

Neil must've just answered those to have some fun. No wonder Lou Reed used to be such a jerk to the press.

Did anyone tape the Record Bar show would kill to trade....