One place where the band has enjoyed the benefits of its Arizona affiliation is in Europe. "The record's sold about twice as much out there," says Burns. "If you're from Arizona, when you're in France or Germany or Holland, it's like, 'Oh wow, what's this? We don't get this everyday.'"
On top of the cultural novelty, Calexico's strong international following can be attributed to its close links to Giant Sand, a group that has long garnered much greater appreciation abroad than at home.
Val Cañez
Barrio muses: Calexico's John Convertino (left) and Joey Burns
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Ironically, Calexico has become such a relative success that Burns admits the project has created some friction within their "full-time" group. "I think there's a bit of tension there in regards to that. I think Howe is a bit bummed that, 'Hey you guys are going off doing a Calexico thing.' On one hand he's happy for us, but on the other he's kind of like, 'What about Giant Sand?' John and I, our side of the story was that we were waiting for the record to come out."
The record Burns refers to is the new Giant Sand disc A Chore of Enchantment. The album was completed earlier this year after a lengthy recording process that saw the band log studio time in Tucson, Memphis and Woodstock, and collaborate with a trio of producers including Jim Dickinson, John Parish and Kevin Salem. The record had originally been scheduled for a fall release date, but the band's label, London-based V2, initially balked at the tapes the band turned in. "The label said, 'No we want you to go in and make a few more radio-friendly songs. Which everyone is being told that by record companies these days, and it's fucking weird," says a frustrated Burns. "It's like, 'Well, fuck the radio.'
The band did eventually make a number of changes at V2's request to make the record more commercial (including replacing some of Convertino and Burns' rhythm tracks with some by New York studio musicians) and the project progressed far enough that promo copies of the album and press photos were printed up before the release was scratched and the band was dropped from the label. "The record was halted by someone in London who didn't like it," says Burns. "The last I heard, it was being shelved by V2 and since they broke the contract, they were going to have to pay the band."
With the record in a state of commercial limbo, Burns says the group will likely sell the V2 promo copies of the record it received when Giant Sand goes on the road with alt-country eclectics Freakwater and former Mekon Sally Timms for a tour starting in late October. After that, Burns says, the band will forge ahead from the ill-fated Chore project and return to the studio to begin work on a new album.
After finishing their current Calexico tour, opening for indie rockers Pavement, and their upcoming Giant Sand dates, Burns and Convertino plan to return home to begin work on a number of projects, including the next Calexico record. "We'll do that and the new Giant Sand, probably a new OP8 as well."
As to how the group plans on following up the grand sentiment of The Black Light, Burns says the process will reveal that when it happens. "I've got a few ideas here at home. We'll probably do some stuff at home like we did on both Spoke and The Black Light and then take those into the studio and get it onto that beautiful two-inch 16-track recorder."
"Of course" jokes Burns, "this time we'll be spoiled because the studio will have air conditioning, so it will probably suck."
Calexico is scheduled to open for Pavement on Wednesday, October 6, at Alice Cooper'stown. Showtime is 9 p.m.
