Pino Palladino & Blake Mills on Reinvention, Collaboration, and Their Album 'That Wasn't A Dream'

The Nature of Artistic Reinvention

• 💡 Artists may appear to reinvent themselves simply to avoid repeating past work, akin to not telling the same joke twice.
• 🧠 True reinvention often stems from looking back at previous work and feeling it was too rigid, stiff, or that one's own motives were too visible.
• ⚠️ Misinterpretation by audiences can also drive artists to consciously steer away from perceived genres, like avoiding a "folk" label.

Musical Journeys and Unexpected Gigs

• 🚀 Pino Palladino describes following his musical curiosity without conscious reinvention, leading to diverse interests.
• 🎸 A significant example was joining The Who in 2002, a gig he never anticipated, which lasted 14 years and involved touring and recording.
• 🤘 Another unexpected opportunity was collaborating with and touring for Nine Inch Nails, which proved to be a profound learning experience.

The Genesis of 'That Wasn't A Dream'

• 🤝 The collaboration between Palladino and Mills began organically when Mills was curious about Palladino's solo music.
• 🎶 Mills actively encouraged Palladino, bugging him to hear his work and suggesting further collaboration, which evolved over two to three years.
• 🎹 Initial sessions were informal, exploring arrangements and possibilities without the clear intention of making a record.
• 🏠 The process later involved developing ideas from the ground up in a new studio environment, Sound City, shaping their first album.

Evolving Creative Processes

• ✍️ The second album, 'That Wasn't A Dream,' involved a more deliberate collaboration as writers from the outset.
• 🥁 The intention was to record with their touring quartet, but logistical challenges led to recording primarily as a duo, with others joining as available.
• 🔗 Their creative relationship is characterized by periods of not seeing each other for months, then seamlessly picking up where they left off, which Palladino likens to a fortunate kinship.

Bass Playing and Creative Expansion

• 🧩 Palladino reflects on the challenge of making a record as a bass player, typically hired for ensemble work rather than virtuosity.
• 💡 Blake Mills enabled and encouraged Palladino to explore his own musical ideas and compositions.
• 💬 Mills contrasts session playing, which involves elevating someone else's vision, with their collaborative work, which feels more like cultivating original concepts.
• ✨ Mills notes that Palladino's unique chord voicings and harmonic language have begun to subtly influence his own playing in other sessions.

Live Performance Challenges

• 🎭 Both musicians experience imposter syndrome when performing their collaborative music live, finding it challenging to deconstruct and perform.
• 🔍 The layered and evolving nature of their music makes it difficult to grasp its core until it's complete, requiring a process of peeling back layers to understand its fundamentals.
• 🤯 Each live performance feels like learning a new song, keeping the experience challenging, exciting, and engaging.