Ida
Interview with Dan Littleton
Words: Susie Ulrey
Photo: Anna Vaquera Vasquez

Trying to explain my affection for Ida is like trying to explain why I love my husband – I have loved him for so long, I just do – the reasons have settled deep into the wrinkles of my brain and are a part of how I define myself. Various incarnations of Ida have, over the years, mended my heart and pushed me deeper into inklings of emotions I felt but hadn’t completely tapped into. Each album is a soundtrack to what was happening in my life the first time I heard it. Ida is the kind of band that creates music you carry with you- the investment they put into each song resonates and allows the listener to connect with the band in the best way possible.

Since forming in 1992 as a duo, Elizabeth Mitchell and Daniel Littleton have etched their band into a permanent place in indie/folk rock history with a firm grasp on emotionally dense songwriting and poignant delivery. Dan was a member of 80s punk band The Hated and Liz began her career in the early 90s playing in Liz and Lisa with friend Lisa Loeb. During more than fifteen years and 7 albums (not to mention EPs, 7-inches, live albums and side projects), Ida has continued to bloom. The conviction is still there – and what seemed more emotionally urgent in their earlier releases has been condensed to a soothing brew of quieter revelations. Their newest release Lovers Prayers (Polyvinyl), is the perfect example of what they do best as a band – and as a family (Dan and Liz were married 8 years ago and some of Daniel’s siblings have joined the band at one point or another throughout the years)

REAX: Tell me how the band has evolved since it formed.
Dan Littleton: Hopefully in a good way – from an experiential perspective, the only way I can address it is that I’ve really loved being in this band with all of its different incarnations. I feel the best and most excited about what the band is now and I love that we aren’t contingent on a static line up. It’s great to re-interpret old songs and figure out what they mean again. Everyone who’s played in the band resurfaces as their lives allow it – we have an open door policy and we’re lucky to collaborate with so many talented people. Because the band has such a porous, malleable structure we take whatever comes, whenever it comes.

REAX: How has your marriage changed the dynamic of the band?
DL: We’re very open creatively - it hasn’t altered the way we interact in the band. A marriage is intense but so is being in a band and when you put those things together they can be combustible or really wonderful. It’s as complicated as anything else, forged out of history and habit and all kinds of weird shit but at the end of the day there’s nobody I’d rather play music with – when it’s good, nothing feels better than that.

REAX: What are your songs about?
DL: It’s a combination of personal and abstract subjects. For me, songs are never really a literal experience whether lyrically, emotionally or musically. We do write songs that sometimes feel like they’re literal as a one on one correspondence or as some event that’s narrated. Time isn’t linear; the connections between events in a song aren’t linear. As songwriter sometimes you have to step back from an experience to be able to write about it-that’s the mystery of writing.

REAX: I noticed that you wrote a majority of songs on the record- any reason in particular?
DL: Liz has definitely slowed down with writing but she’s doing so much with the children’s music (ed. Liz has released four children’s records, most recently on Smithsonian Folkways) which is so inspiring. I’m more obsessive about it. I’d been on a writing jag and started bringing all these songs to the table and before we knew it we had an album.

REAX: Any plans to tour?
DL: We definitely want to do some touring in the summer and the fall, both in the states and out of the country.

REAX: Lovers Prayers was recorded at Levon Helm Studios and at home. What was it like working with Levon Helm (The Band)?
DL: Everyone who plays there feels the wonder of that studio. It’s such a thrill. I was in a state of shock the first couple of times when I turned around and saw Levon behind his drum kit. He is such a great and personable man who understands the physics of how music makes people feel good – it’s immediate and infectious. Playing with him is something I will take with me when I go.

Please visit:  www.myspace.com/idamusic, www.polyvinylrecords.com or www.idamusic.com for more information about their releases and upcoming tour dates.