Bill Callahan (musician)

Bill Callahan
Callahan performing in 2011
Background information
Also known as	Smog
Born	(1966-06-03)June 3, 1966 Silver Spring, Maryland,U.S.
Genres	Americana alt-country lo-fi indie folk indie rock
Occupation	Singer-songwriter
Instruments	Vocals guitar keyboards
Discography	Bill Callahan discography
Years active	1988–present
Labels	Disaster Drag City Domino
Member of	The Sundowners

Bill Callahan(born June 3, 1966) is an American singer-songwriter, who has also recorded and performed under the band nameSmog.Callahan began working in thelo-figenre, with home-made tape-albums recorded on four-track tape recorders.Later he began releasing albums with the labelDrag City,to which he remains signed today.

Career

Callahan started out as a highly experimental artist, using substandard instruments and recording equipment. His early songs lacked melodic structure and were clumsily played on poorly tuned guitars, resulting in the dissonant sounds on his self-released cassettes and debut albumSewn to the Sky.Much of his early output was instrumental, a stark contrast to the lyrical focus of his later work. His use of lo-fi techniques was not primarily an aesthetic preference, but stemmed from his lack of resources to make and record music. Once he signed a contract withDrag City,he started to use recording studios and a greater variety of instruments for his records.

From 1993 to 2000, Callahan's recordings grew more and more "professional" sounding, with more instruments, and a higher sound quality. In this period he recorded two albums with the influential producerJim O'RourkeandTortoise'sJohn McEntire,and collaborated withNeil Hagerty.Callahan also worked closely with his then-girlfriendCynthia Dallin his early career,and they contributed vocals to each other's albums. After 2000'sDongs of Sevotion,Callahan began moving back to a slightly simpler instrumentation and recording style, while retaining the more consistent songwriting style he had developed over the years. This shift is apparent in albums such asRain on Lens,Supper,andA River Ain't Too Much to Love.

Smog's songs are often based on simple, repetitive structures, consisting of a simplechord progressionrepeated for the duration of the entire song. His singing is characterized by hisbaritonevoice. Melodically and lyrically he tends to eschew the verse-chorus approach favoured by many contemporary songwriters, preferring instead a more free-form approach relying less on melodic and lyrical repetition. Themes in Callahan's lyrics include relationships, animals, relocation, nature, and more recently, politics. On the subject of voice in his albums, Callahan has said, "It's usually one character per record. So, the character appears in all or most of the songs on one record and then is gone. Though it makes me feel weird to talk about. Because I don't really think in clear terms of characters. My albums as a whole could be seen as one character with many voices."His generally dispassionate delivery of lyrics and dark irony often obfuscate complex emotional and lyrical twists and turns. Critics have generally characterized his music as depressing and intensely introverted, with one critic describing it as "a peep-show view into an insular world of alienation."

Callahan performing atATP music festivalin 2007

In 2007, Callahan releasedWoke on a Whaleheart,his first solo album released under his own name.Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eaglefollowed in April 2009.Both recordings were released through Drag City, worldwide. In 2009, Callahan contributed cover songs on four separate tribute albums toJudee Sill,Kath Bloom,Chris Knox,andMerge Records.In 2010, he released his first live albumRough Travel for a Rare Thing,which was recorded in 2007 at The Toff in Melbourne, Australia.Apocalypsewas released in April 2011 to favorable reviews. CriticSasha Frere-Jonescalled it "my favorite of Callahan's albums, not because it has better songs—those are scattered among at least five others – but because it does exactly what he wants it to do: it conveys an album’s coherence."A tour film chronicling Callahan's 2011Apocalypsetour was released in 2012.

Bill Callahan photographed byOliver Mark,Berlin 2011

His followup toApocalypse,Dream River,was released in September 2013.A dub remix of the album entitledHave Fun With Godfollowed in January 2014.In 2018, Callahan was featured in theLive at Third Man Recordsseries. This was his second live album, and features songs from Callahan's previous three studio albums.

Callahan took a hiatus from making music after the birth of his son in 2015 and for a time he considered quitting music altogether, citing the demands of being a parent.His musical hiatus ended with the release ofShepherd in a Sheepskin Vest,on June 14, 2019.It received favourable reviews, withPitchforkcontributing editorJayson Greenereferring to it as a "highlight of his career".His more prolific pace has since returned with the release ofGold Record,in September 2020.

During theCOVID-19 pandemic,Callahan andWill Oldhamcollaborated on a series of cover songs along with several special guests that they released as a series of videos on YouTube. They compiled these songs into the albumBlind Date Partythat was released in December 2021.Callahan's latest solo albumYTI⅃AƎЯfollowed in October 2022.

Personal life

Though he was born in Maryland, Callahan's family spent a total of eight years living inKnaresboroughin England'sNorth Riding of Yorkshire,with a four-year return to Maryland from 1969 to 1973.His parents worked as language analysts for theNational Security Agency.He currently lives in Austin, Texas.

In 2013, he became engaged to photographer and filmmaker Hanly Banks; they were married the next year. Their son, Bass, was born in March 2015.They also have a daughter born in either 2019 or 2020.

Books

In July 2010 Drag City published Callahan'sLetters to Emma Bowlcut,anepistolary novel.

A book of photographs of Callahan by Chris Taylor, titledThe Life and Times of William Callahan,was released in January 2013.

In October 2014, a collection of ink drawings by Callahan and lyrics spanning his first album as Smog, toDream Riverwas released, titledI Drive a Valence.

Legacy

His song "Drover" features prominently in the final episode of the 2018Netflixdocumentary seriesWild Wild Country,the title of which is drawn from the song's chorus. His song "America" also plays during the credits of Episode 1.

His cover ofKath Bloom's "The Breeze/My Baby Cries" is featured in the fifth episode of the third series ofSex Education.

In November 2021, BritishexperimentalbandSquidcovered Callahan's song, "America!".

Discography

Main article:Bill Callahan discography

As Smog

• Sewn to the Sky(1990)
• Forgotten Foundation(1992)
• Julius Caesar(1993)
• Burning Kingdom(1994)
• Wild Love(1995)
• Kicking a Couple Around(1996)
• The Doctor Came at Dawn(1996)
• Red Apple Falls(1997)
• Knock Knock(1999)
• Dongs of Sevotion(2000)
• Rain on Lens(2001)
• Accumulation: None(2002)
• Supper(2003)
• A River Ain't Too Much to Love(2005)

As Bill Callahan

• Woke on a Whaleheart(2007)
• Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle(2009)
• Apocalypse(2011)
• Dream River(2013)
• Have Fun with God(2014)
• Shepherd in a Sheepskin Vest(2019)
• Gold Record(2020)
• Blind Date Party(2021)(withBonnie "Prince" Billy)
• YTI⅃AƎЯ(2022)
• Resuscitate!(2024)

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role
1999	Pola X	Musician
2012	Apocalypse: A Bill Callahan Tour Film	Himself
2013	I Used to Be Darker	Composer

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2017	Animals	Narrator (voice)	Episode: "Worms Birds Possums"

External links

• Pitchfork Media'sShepherd in a Sheepskin Vestinterview (2019)
• Music Guide to Bill Callahan at pontone.pl
• Bathysphere
• The Other Journal interview (2007)
• PopMatters interview (2005)
• Bill Callahan at NPR Music
• Daytrotter Session