For Jay Farrar, frontman of rock band Son Volt, music was always an integral part of his family life. His mother and father went out of their way to teach him and his brothers how to play instruments and, ultimately, how to appreciate music. Farrar recalls being around 11 or 12 when he started finding his own groove–he notes Bob Dylan as an early inspiration–and by his early 20s, he started to find a voice through songwriting, a process that remains much the same, even 27 years after Son Volt’s debut, Trace. It starts out with him “banging out ideas,” and each successive project teaches him a little bit more on how to go about it.
Farrar formed Son Volt in 1994, after leaving his former band Uncle Tupelo, which he formed alongside fellow Belleville natives Jeff Tweedy and Mike Heidorn in 1987. Son Volt is currently comprised of Farrar (vocals), Andrew DuPlantis (bass), Mark Patterson (drums), Mark Spencer (keyboard, steel guitar), and John Horton (guitar). Previous guitarist Chris Frame left after the release of Electro Melodier in 2021 to spend time with his family. The new lineup will make its debut at The Pageant on March 18 for the final stop on their winter tour in support of the album.
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“Currently, the band chemistry is great… John [Horton] is relatively new to the mix, but the chemistry is there,” says Farrar. Electro Melodier marks the band’s 10th studio album, the name of which was taken from two vintage amplifiers from the late ‘40s and early ‘50s. Its sound reflects a blend of folk, country, blues, soul, and rock.
“In recent Son Volt years, [we] have tried to focus on one inspirational or creative path,” says Farrar. “Maybe a song focuses on country music, like the record Honky Tonk. And the record Notes of Blues was a little bit more inspired in folk, Americana, and blues. I do find that finding a focus can help keep things more a little bit more focused and cohesive.”
Farrar sees a kinship between Electro Melodier and the band’s previous record, Union. With both albums, he says, there was a focus on getting back to more melodic song structures. “There’s always been the idea of mixing melodic structures with elemental sounds and inspiration from folk and blues and country,” says Farrar. He says the challenge is finding that “pop sensibility,” naming Tom Petty, The Byrds, and Creedence Clearwater Revival as “touchstones.” He says social-protest track “The Globe” has made it to the top of their set as an opening song, explaining that it mirrors a relevancy to what’s going on in the world.
“There’s a sense of optimism out there right now. We’re in sort of a semi-post-COVID period, so people are glad to be going out again. It’s a good time to be touring, and it’s a good time to go out and see shows… We were chomping at the bit, all of us, to get back out and get back to live performances. That transition was relatively easy. The difficult part was the tours kept getting canceled and pushed back,” says Farrar. “Much brighter days are happening right now, so we’re all enjoying it.”
After being delayed during the pandemic, Son Volt’s 35-date tour kicked off January 14 in Springfield, Missouri, with Jesse Farrar—Jay’s nephew—of Old Salt Union as the opener. But it’s only right that the tour ends back on home turf at The Pageant. Farrar says the full-circle moment was intentional.
“[Missouri] is the place where we start, and it’s the place where we end. This just happened to be the right time to wrap it up in St. Louis, so [I’m] looking forward to it,” says Farrar. He says that despite the whole band not being from St. Louis, they spend a lot of time rehearsing and recording in town.
“There is a certain energy [in St. Louis], I would say, but primarily it’s just good to get back home,” says Farrar. “From traveling around the country, I see how St. Louis is climbing its way toward being a top 10 city, and I feel like it’s already there in terms of food and culture and diversity. It’s just a great place to be.”
Tickets are still available for the March 18 show. Doors at 7 p.m., Jesse Farrar at 8 p.m., Son Volt at 9 p.m. For more information, visit thepageant.com.
