Slim Cessna’s Auto Club

Slim Cessna’s Auto Club, the American country rock band from Denver, Colorado are getting ready for the release of their latest album, ‘Kinnery of Lupercalia: Buell Legion.’ In the group’s interview with Jason Barnard, they dissect the intricate characters that inhabit the mythical world of Lupercalia. With apocalyptic imagery and religious undertones, Slim Cessna’s Auto Club reveal how they will bring this ambitious record and their back catalogue to life on their upcoming European and American tour.

‘Kinnery of Lupercalia: Buell Legion’ is described as the second part of a trilogy. Can you tell us about the thematic elements that connect this album to its predecessor?

‘Munly: The Buells’ are one of the three dominant Legions who inhabit Lupercalia, and this venue allows Slim to represent them as they rightfully should be. The other two are the Toombs which will be told by DBUK in the near future and the Undelivered Legion which was told in the recent past by Jerkboy & The Lupercalians. All the Legions stem from the Northrop clan who originally traveled to Lupercalia with Thee Lupercalians and will be explained further in the Novel: Petr & The Wulf. However, this time around, this album will give the Buells their fair shake at explaining themselves and not be influenced by the other Legions or even for that matter, Ahmen. If anyone is remotely interested in delving more into these characters and can take Scare’s… point of view with a grain of salt, than some more information can be found in the novel: Confessions To Scare… —also by Jerkboy.

Slim: It’s going to be so great once the DBUK album is released and we celebrate all three records. We can’t wait for you all to hear them in order with a nice glass of scotch.

Andrew: I look forward to listening to all three as well! I’m sure it won’t take much longer. Can you mix scotch with Ensure?

Dwight: Spoiler alert––there may be a few leitmotifs here and there. But I wouldn’t want to spoil anything.

Rebecca: I as the public have been learning in increments of the characters that inhabit Lupercalia. I think as time passes we will be surprised at how involved and intricate these characters are and their relations to one another. Munly’s books will give even more insight into these connections as will the additional songs to come.

Munly J. Munly has been credited as saying that this album captures the perfect balance between your studio and live sound. How did you achieve this and what techniques did you draw upon to accomplish it?

Munly: I take umbrage at this statement, this doesn’t sound like anything I have or would ever say. Anyone who might remotely know me, knows I thrive in imperfection and if I ever stumbled into perfection it would be the death of yours truly. And balance? I only have one eye and my balance is becoming even more questionable with age.

Slim: It sounds like something I would say. However, my quote was not used in the press release so it couldn’t have been me.

Dwight: I also did not say that. However, I do not disagree with the sentiment, generally.

Andrew: Slim and I were listening to records at my house a while back, and I put on Oh No! It’s Devo, one of our favorites. We both gravitated to how heavy and loud the beats were. Dwight and I started by getting the beats big, and bringing all the other elements in after. I think it’s a good representation of the band (far from perfect!), even if it’s still more fun to experience live.

Rebecca: I feel Dwight, Andrew and Munly really did a fantastic job showcasing each member’s contributions when mixing this record. Yes, an Auto Club album is nothing like a live experience. I feel live Auto Club will always be best. However, this is a great representation and I think we are all really proud of how it turned out.

The storyline of the album seems to delve into a mythical world filled with existential journeys and characters. How did you develop this narrative and what are the challenges and rewards of intertwining storytelling with your musical compositions?

Munly: Nothing mythical or existential to see here. Lupercalia is a real Land; can you prove it is not?… It was developed by putting our heads down and working, always a good way to get things done. Challenges? There are no challenges, SCAC—and all the bands—have been beyond accommodating in allowing me to use my only strength: storytelling. Rewards? What are these ‘Rewards’ you speak of ?

Slim: Great answer Munly. I would like to add that my challenge is to continue on the Straight and Narrow. My reward is in Heaven. SHOUT OUT to my wife Maria Zelada de Cessna for helping me keep it there.

Andrew: Munly may have parceled out these stories to Auto Club as they benefit from our bombastic and at times cacophonous sound. Were they also chosen for their thematic content? You’d have to ask Munly… surely the blend of humor and darkness on many of these songs fits right in with the Auto Club catalogue.

Rebecca: Munly has always been a natural at telling a story via song. Often his characters get only a few moments to tell their own particular story. However, with the trilogy of records accompanied by his books may be the first time characters from Munly solo, Munly & The Lee Lewis Harlots, Munly & the Lupercalians and previous Auto Club have a chance to be revisited and expounded on. This place is more than a mythical place. Every character has an extensive life of their own which go back to the beginning of when I joined Munly’s creations. This has been a lifetime in its creation and I hope will continue for long after.

Amidst the pandemic, the band worked together to create the new album. How did the circumstances of the pandemic influence your creative process, and what collaborative dynamics emerged during this time?

Munly: I can’t say that it changed our process too much. Everyone works within the same recording software and normally records their parts on their own. We have been doing this for a bit now and trust one another to make certain their parts are recorded well; of course if someone needs help they only need ask. We did get together to mix and master and Dwight and Andrew have really taken command and have an intuitive feel when working on this analytical side of things. What some jerks might call, The boring crap; not me because again that is something I would never say.

Slim: Everyone worked so hard on this release. We were forced to go it alone in each our own homes. I enjoyed that part. I was able to take as much time as I needed to get my parts right without worrying about making others wait. Somehow I still managed to sing and record each song in one take! I’m proud of Andrew and Dwight for putting it all together. I think we are all happy with the outcome.

Andrew: I made so many different beats for each song, and I’m sure it wasn’t easy listening to all the ideas in their raw form. Everyone gave good feedback, especially Munly. Tremendous thanks to Dwight for being the overseer, cataloguer, editor, and master arranger, coalescing all our separate files into this cohesive and fluid set of songs.

Dwight: Early in the recording process––but, thankfully, after I had recorded most of my baritone guitar and banjo tracks––I fractured a digit. This is how the double-necks, Thumb-breaker, earned their nickname. It was at this point that I threw myself into the boring stuff, which truthfully isn’t all that boring in the first hundred or so hours. Also during this time, I moved on to the recording of instruments for the next DBUK/Lupercalia record––after I discovered that I could still play the melodica and the autoharp, and jingle bells while wearing a cast on my left hand. …Because of public health shutdowns, collaboration consisted chiefly of walkie-talkie-style communication, and sometimes in-person communication, from a porch.

Rebecca: Sadly I did not get the creative time others experienced during Covid. I work in veterinary medicine and it was a very hectic and scary time. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the veterinary hospitals in the 20 yrs I’ve been doing this job as busy as they were at that time. Everyone was adopting pets or fixating on the health of their beloved pets as that was really all they could control. I was working my “traditional” job much of the time. However, In regards to music I work best alone as I like to experiment. I often make mistakes, and my experiments don’t always make sense. However, I was so grateful to have Munly in the home to bounce ideas off of.

George Cessna’s addition on baritone bass and Rebecca Vera’s contributions with pedal steel and keyboard textures have been highlighted in shaping the album’s sound. Can you discuss how these new elements influenced the LP?

Munly: We asked a lot of George to step in and play an instrument that he was unfamiliar with. He has acquitted himself beyond our expectations. The baritone fits with our sound as well as his hands. Dwight has been sighted as a musical influence by numerous younger bands. He has created a signature sound and will be lauded muchmuchmuch in the future. I believe this is alsocoming for Rebecca in regards to the pedal steel and keyboard. Again, we asked someone to play these instruments that she had never met. She has taken it head on and made them her own. Tangentially, this is a factor in to how we have been able to keep going as long as we have. We have had ‘hot shot’ musicians within SCAC, yet they are no longer with us… To intuitively understand the music/concepts/aesthetic and create appropriate parts that fit SCAC is an art of its own, and we are all the stronger for everyone’s individual efforts.

Slim: Yes Munly. I couldn’t say it better than this. We are a family band. We’ve all learned to use our gifts and each bring them to compliment each other. Everyone in this band rules so hard.

Andrew: Here here! George always says he’s not even a bass player, but he’s one of the best I’ve played with in any band. Rebecca is one of my favourite instrumentalists.

Dwight: Everyone’s contributions are monumental and unique to them.

Rebecca: I agree with Dwight. I think everyone really was highlighted in shaping the sound. I feel tremendous anxiety as far as living up to previous albums and band members’ contributions. I truly spend maybe too much time overthinking parts. I just want to live up to the quality of previous members and will work really hard to do so.

Rebecca also mentioned that the album introduces listeners further into the cast of characters of Lupercalia. Could you provide some insights into these characters and how they interact within the album’s story?

Munly: Confessions To Scare…, Döder Made Me Do It, Petr & The Wulf: A PreHistory Of Lupercalia (Forthcoming).

Slim: I’m looking forward to reading the forthcoming Petr & The Wulf: A PreHistory Of Lupercalia!!!

Andrew: Maybe Munly could make us all a graph of where some of these character falls on “level of sociopath”.

Dwight: This band is full of characters.

Rebecca: HAHA ! Yes, Andrew. Truly, it takes a certain level of obsession to take this all in. Munly made the Cipher for the Cipher album… it will all start to make sense. His imagination is truly inspiring!

Slim Cessna’s Auto Club is known for lyrics describing apocalyptic and religious imagery. How do these themes continue to manifest in your new record, and what significance do they hold for you as a band?

Munly: In the past we have been quiet about our personal lives. Yet, with The Orange Menace once again on the world’s horizon it is not a time to be silent. Lupercalia will die fast and hard and soon. Could this not be a foreboding omen of what might come to pass if we as individuals remain silent? Certainly some of the storylines and characters could be shoved into the apocalyptic drawer. Those characters are usually quite loud and make themselves obvious and force themselves to be heard. Yet, I hope there are just as many decent characters and themes of love and kindness within this Land. They/we need to be a bit louder in our lives and not allow ourselves to be bulled over because it is an easier path. Either if you live in Lupercalia or perhaps live in our world, the time is now to stand up for simple human decency!

Slim: I agree with Munly about The Orange Menace. This is not something to be taken lightly or quietly. Much has been made of us with apocalyptic and religious imagery. I think that’s fair, but it’s not the complete picture. Also these themes have not been used in jest or irony. We are who we are and take things very seriously. Really though, all we do is rock out harder than every other band in the history of bands.

Andrew: It certainly feels pretty bleak to live in this country at times, but we’re not donning our sandwich boards and megaphones to shriek at passing strangers. There are so many beautiful intelligent people all over this world, and we don’t have to agree on everything to be kind to each other, and to help make this place a better world for all of us. Don’t let the bastards grind you down.

Dwight: An apocalyptic feeling has always been a part of my personal experience. It’s one of the great joys of life.

Rebecca: There is great power and energy in such topics. I think it’s easy to be inspired to make music and art to all of the above. We have the benefit of looking in from the outside on many of these topics as we have over-all been spoiled in comparison to many other cultures and circumstances. However, as Slim has said it’s not always about the obvious. It’s sometimes playing the devil’s advocate and sparking conversation or self evaluation.

You’ve toured since the 1990s and have upcoming dates in Europe and the USA this summer. How do you envision translating the narrative and sound of ‘Kinnery of Lupercalia: Buell Legion’ into your live performances? Will there be any special elements incorporated into your show to reflect the album?

Munly: People pay their hard earned money and spend their own time in coming to see us stand on a stage. Our job is to alleviate some of those everyday annoyances, to allow people to escape their troubles for a bit. To get you to think, to get you to smile, to hopefully help you realize that not all is lost and there still is humaneness in the world. I think the best answer here is to say that we will do what we have always done, We Will Do Our Best. Yours in perpetuity, Munly J Munly

Slim: Munly! I will continue to Do My Best along with you. I simply cannot wait to get back in a van with you and the others. I certainly hope for some fun special effects at all these shows. Does anyone know if each venue has a fog machine? We would love more fog than everyone else thinks is appropriate. I like to imagine places in Lupercalia that might sometimes get foggy. I drive a school bus for the children in South Park, Colorado. There is a region I drive within a great clearing near Hartsel. It can become very foggy there. I wish you all could see it. Perhaps this part of the world has similarities to the WANDERING. Thanks everyone, Slim Cessna

Andrew: I can try playing with a soapbox on my head… wouldn’t be too different than my Lupercalian mask. Best to you all, Andrew

Dwight: One never knows what we might do. I wouldn’t want to spoil anything. Love you, Lord Dwight

Rebecca: I’m simply just hoping we all get our equipment to arrive at our destinations with us. This did not happen on the last European tour and it was remarkably difficult to match the sound we make with different instruments. Thankfully so many friends and other musicians stepped in to help us on that trip. I feel I crossed a mental bridge in not sweating the little things when it comes to shows and just having a good time. It’s pretty amazing to find myself on stage with the Auto Club. I never would have guessed it. No special elements added as they are already there. Thank you, Rebecca.

Further information

Kinnery of Lupercalia: Buell Legion by Slim Cessna’s Auto Club is released on May 31 2024

Official website which has dates of their imminent tour of Europe and USA