John Vanderslice – PopMatters Interview

John Vanderslice took a leap of faith in December 2012 when he decided to leave his record label, Dead Oceans, after five years to create his own, Tiny Telephone. In an interview with PopMatters, that you can read here, Vanderslice says, “honestly, I’m terrified to put out my own records.” While he may feel that way, Vanderslice shows nothing but the opposite on his new record. Vanderslice bravely put his heart and soul into his latest, Dagger Beach, which was written after a painful divorce, and, at times, is highly personal. After raising his monetary goal on Kickstarter in a matter of hours, Vanderslice delivered an album nothing short of incredible. Not being tied to a label gave Vanderslice the freedom to express what he wanted, when he wanted, “there was no superstructure that was hanging over my album-making.” The record’s bold streak is all over the record, give it a spins this week.