The one artist that David Byrne could never figure out: “Mystery is not a bad thing”
As much as it might not seem like it sometimes, David Byrne is completely into reinvention.
As one of the most interesting musicians and frontmen in history, Byrne has done well to remain loyal to his roots, especially with his more recent effort, Who Is The Sky?, which adopts all the familiar flavourings of Byrne’s artistic vision, but with more of a focus on the existential questions and how peculiar the world around us is.
To the outsider, it might not look like reinvention is the first thing on Byrne’s mind. In fact, if anything, his latest record seems to mirror many of the features that made us fall in love with some of Talking Heads’ best material, including the more quirky rhythms of world music and Byrne’s love for direct lines about modern living that most of us can relate to.
However, that’s one of the main aspects of his current mindset, especially when it comes to performing Talking Heads songs live, when there’s a fine line between mixing it up, keeping it fresh, and painting yourself into a corner. Byrne wants none of that, but he also wants to pay homage to the period of time that gave him his name, which is also one of the most challenging balances to strike.
As he explained to Rolling Stone, “I can mix and match and have it adapt to the sound that I’m doing at the moment without completely destroying the integrity of the older songs. But I’m also aware that there’s a real trap. If you do too much of the older material, you become a legacy act that comes out and plays the old hits. You cash in really quick, but then you’ve dug yourself a hole.”
Becoming a legacy act isn’t a bad thing, but becoming only that means that attention is removed from newer material and artistic progression, which Byrne never wanted in the first place. Because when it comes to his own legacy, it isn’t always about nostalgia but keeping things current and relatable and, most importantly, innovative, with a sprinkling of mystery.
Which is also what drew Byrne to St Vincent. Vincent, also known as Anne Clark, met Byrne in 2009 and went on to collaborate artistically with him as well as accompany him on tour. Despite all that time spent together, however, Byrne feels like he still doesn’t understand her at all – though, in his view, that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
“Despite having toured with her for almost a year, I don’t think I know her much better, at least not on a personal level,” said Byrne. “Mystery is not a bad thing for a beautiful, talented young woman (or man) to embrace. And she does it without seeming to be standoffish or distant.”
Those characteristics are also what initially drew us to Byrne and why he keeps up a constant wheel of reinvention, with most people staying for a mix of nostalgia and fresh excitement. Byrne has always had that inexplicable goddamn allure with just the right amount of accessibility, which is the ideal combination for artistic longevity in the current landscape.
This is also a valuable lesson that St Vincent learned from Byrne: always move forward. As she reflected to The Guardian, “I’m always thinking of the next thing. That’s something I learned from David Byrne: never ever look back. It’s always about the future. The joy for me comes when I’m making the thing or thinking of new things to create. That’s what I like doing best. That’s my happiest place.”
