It’s been over five years since Illinois was released. That’s enough time for a generation of would-be sensitive souls to go through their indie phase—to fill up a basement with CDs of Sigur Rós, The Decemberists, and Fleet Foxes. To fill iPods with Grizzly Bear, Animal Collective, and Frightened Rabbit. To fill their minds with overwrought Pitchfork reviews. Enough time to fill their memories with visions of driving down endless northeastern highways on family vacations with the first alien creaking notes of “Concerning the UFO Sightings Near Highland, Illinois.” 

About to embark on a short solo tour, the Phish bassist talks about going it alone, growing as a bandleader, and planning for Phish's future. Gordon will be playing the Lebanon Opera House on March 14th.

When guitarist Jon Gutwillig co-founded The Disco Biscuits in 1995, the jam band scene was just coming into itself. Now, TDI catches up with Gutwillig to talk about jam bands' current popularity, the evolution of American culture, and why, for artists willing to work, the music business has never been better.

It was pretty rainy Thursday night in Nashville, so the quiet industrial section of town that houses Jack White's “Third Man Records” was even spookier than usual. And the walk from my car to the studio – past the Rescue Mission, in earshot of the cargo train crawling through the intersection, under the blanket of flashing blue police lights – was wetter.

DJ Greg Gillis gives TDI the scoop on his epic live performances: what kind of approach they require, why he lets random people on stage, and how his mixing technique was inspired by something he got for free.