We just never get enough time.
We never get enough time with the people we love. We never get enough time to ask every question we want to ask. We never get enough time with the artists who changed our lives. I have been thinking about this as a parent a lot lately..
But man, I am so thankful for the time I got with Bill Doss. The genius songwriter and pop master who with his friends created what I think is the greatest band of all time. The Olivia Tremor Control.
The thing about Bill that I think everyone who ever met him would tell you is that he was just so incredibly generous.. kind, funny, sweet, curious, creative and supportive with his time on earth.
His first solo effort after OTC’s initial run, beamed into the world in a moment of unclarity for fans of Elephant 6 Recording Co. How has our favorite band split… what will happen now... Age Of The Sun is such a funky, weird beautiful record that is so overlooked in the grand scheme of the E6 story.
On the newest episode of Don’t Bother Wearing Seatbelts , Rudy Fischmann, Mathew Bell, and I got to talk with Derek Griffin Almstead and Kevin Sweeney, two incredible Athens musicians who played on Age Of The Sun, and it was so fun to finally ask some of the questions about this record I never got to ask Bill.
Because when I was around Bill, I mostly just asked him about The Olivia Tremor Control. I mean, can you blame me?
Since the first time I heard OTC in 1996, I thought they were the greatest band in the world. No one has ever topped them for me… They are my Rushmore, They are my Beatles. So knowing that quite possibly soon, we will all get new music from OTC is kinda what keeps me going some days..
The first time I met Bill was at Robert Schneider’s wedding. He was a groomsman and standing in one of those akward wedding party greeting lines.. I was so nervous.. What would I say to this mystery of a man of musical glory… and he took the load off.. and the lead.. and said, “Nice bolo,” because I was wearing a ridiculous bolo tie that was made out of paper clips.. I was totally freaking out because Bill Doss just complimented my bolo. WHAT NEXT! WE are basically best friends now right?
Later that night, my son’s mom said that she would talk to Bill’s wife so I could go in and try to chat with him more… Thinking this might be my only opportunity ever... basically I spent the night casually running into him, asking him every nerdy question I had stored in my brain and my heart about Dusk At Cubist Castle & Black Foliage.
“What kinda piano was that?” “How did you record that sound?” “What is that weird noise there?” All the questions you might ask the person who made the records you’ve listened to hundreds and hundreds of times.
And Bill was so sweet and patient. He answered them. With a smile and laugh. He could tell I loved and was obsessed OTC so much, and he let me have those moments..
A few years later, my band The Poison Control Center got to open for The Apples in stereo on a 2 1/2 week tour, and I spent the whole tour asking Bill if he would let us back him playing OTC’s “Jumping Fences.” Saying people need to hear those songs.. Even though we had never played it as a band.. But hey you only live once right..
Every night he would just smile and laugh. Then finally in Dallas he said, “OK, let’s do it.”
Five minutes later I was backstage with my best friends in a circle with Bill Doss playing one of the greatest songs ever... with the guy who wrote it.. Naturally since it was us, we played it pretty sloppy, but the crowed was loosing their shit.. Cause hell, Bill was playing an OTC song.. which hadn’t happened in years.. who cares if it was the worst version of it ever..
Then in 2011, on what would be Bill’s final birthday, OTC was playing in Minneapolis and of course I was there, and Bill called me up on stage to sing “Jumping Fences” with OTC. This is still one of the greatest moments of my life.. How many people can say they got to sing on stage with their all-time favorite band ever…. He introduced me as a guy from the hardest working band in America.. the Poison Control Center.. And I got on stage and said into the mic. “The Olivia Tremor Control is the greatest fucking band of all time.” and Will Cullen Hart just looks at me and says… “No we are not.” and then I said.. “Well you are my favorite atleast." I still sometimes can’t believe that happened.
I really do wish I had more time to spend with Bill, I wish I would have asked him more about Age Of The Sun. But I guess if you meet Paul McCartney, most people ask about The Beatles before they ask about Wings.
But Age Of The Sun is a masterpiece. There is no doubt about it.
When Bill passed away, it hit me really hard. Harder than I ever expected. I know I only got to hang out with him a handful of times, but his impact on my life was gigantic.
He brought so much sunshine into my world. I’m just so thankful I got to share a little time with him. But it’s never enough. Thankfully we have all those songs to go back to. And more to come... VERY SOON! WE GET MORE TIME!
You can listen to the brand new episode of Don’t Bother Wearing Seatbelts wherever you listen to podcast now!
