Ike Reilly is a career guitar player and songwriter in the heartland rock scene, and is well known and respected within musicians circles. He was onstage with Bruce Springsteen not long ago at the “Concert of Solidarity & Resistance to Defend Minnesota” and is host of the Bruce Springsteen “E-Street Radio” show on Sirius XM. He’s also a childhood and lifetime friend of Tom Morrell – Ike has been in studio and onstage with Morrell countless times – and Reilly himself has spent years performing rock ‘n roll and writing songs of his own as well. He has a new album out featuring his son Shane Reilly, Blind and Surrounded, which is a thrilling and inspirational listen. Ike’s son Kevin also sings on several songs, as it’s an expanded family affair. Blind and Surrounded is layers of rock ‘n roll with splashes of tambourine and pedal steel in songs in the heartland rock style, uplifting with philosophical and every day observations dancing together as one. We had a chance to chat with both Ike and Shane Reilly about the album, recording as father and son, and the state of things right now.
Americana Highways: Hi, Ike and Shane. We’re so happy to have you join us at Americana Highways to talk about your music. You have a new album out this month called Blind and Surrounded. Did you go into this planning to make an album and writing with that in mind, or did the whole thing come together more organically?
IKE REILLY: The only thing we had in mind before we recorded this album was that we wanted it to include songs from each of us and that we hoped it would showcase our incredible band and the musicians we work and travel with – Dave Cottini, Phil Karnats, Pete Cimbalo, Adam Krier, Tommy O’Donnell, and Ed Tinley – The IRA. Shane has been performing on the road with our band for about five years, and his songs have become mainstays in our live shows, so we knew that our songs could live together on the same album. Not only can the songs live together, they can complement one another and give the album a broader sound. Recordings “record” or capture a period in time, and this time happens to be a time when Shane is writing and releasing songs, and it happened to be with me.
SHANE REILLY: Nothing was forced. After playing together for a while, it was clear that while stylistically we’re very different, our songs complemented each other well and would work together.
AH: What background information can you give us about the album? Were there any particular inspirations behind it?
IKE: Shane’s songs inspired me to be a little more focused on the production. His songs were special, and I wanted them to be cloaked in the right shit. This would be the first time his recorded songs would be heard, and I wanted the productions to be as effortless and soothing as his singing. I wanted to leave space in the songs, and, if I introduced any parts or instruments, I wanted them to count. There is not a lot of waste or processing on his songs. There’s a very analog approach on his songs and on the whole album.
AH: What kind of themes run through the songs?
IKE: Life, loss, love, hope, family, booze, drugs, speed, lust, death. Ya know, the usual suspects.
SHANE: Life and death, optimism, hope, travel, unity.
AH: Which songs are standout tracks to you and why?
IKE: Before I did this interview with Americana Highways, I listened back to this album a couple of times over the weekend. Standout tracks? I couldn’t really answer that, but there were things I noticed that I dug. The sonic vibe of this record is really unique – the emotional ground it covers is pretty broad, and there is a fair amount of humor, but, man, what stood out to me in this last listen is that there is some incredible guitar playing and guitar sounds on the album. Both Phil Karnats and Tommy O’Donnell contributed to that. Phil is a sonic master, and his innovative playing is showcased on “Waiting for the Planes” and “We Better Get Packed.” Tommy plays that iconic riff in “Life and Death in East Moline” as well as the acoustic parts on “Do Your Best” and “Ascot Blues.” Pretty fucking great.
Shane: Standout tracks – that’s for the people to decide. However, I’ve sent the album to a dozen or so friends, and it’s been really interesting to hear which songs they’ve gravitated towards. It’s been all over the place. “Precious Cargo” seems to be a friend’s favorite, and a song that’s grown on me a lot. I love the strings that Ike added, and hearing my brother, Kevin, sing on it. It’s got a nice holiday vibe, which wasn’t my intention.
AH: What was it like working together in the studio being father and son? Were the dynamics natural/easy or awkward/difficult taking the familial relationship into account?
IKE: I don’t consider the family connection at all when I work with Shane. He’s a songwriter that I respect and a musician that I sing with. We generally have a blast. He might tell you something different.
SHANE: Ike is great in the studio, and we had a blast making the record. Music aside, we don’t have a normal father/son relationship, in a good way. I loved going in with songs, laying down the guitar and vocal, and seeing what Ike would do with them. It was all very natural and easy for me.
AH: Ike, what do you think of Shane’s songs on the album, and Shane, what do you think of Ike’s songs on the album?
IKE: I think Shane’s songs are so unique. They are wise, the melodies are timeless, and it was my goal when we recorded his songs to make sure his unique voice was front and center. He sings relatively quietly, yet when we record his voice, it has a fullness and a depth that is surprising. His songs have an inherent and calming wisdom, and his choruses, codas, or hooks or whatever you wanna call them are so memorable and simple -they seem to have existed forever.
SHANE: The six Ike songs are all really different, sonically and thematically. I love the blues influence, the subtle and not-so-subtle political lyrics, and the storytelling.
AH: Do you find inspiration in different or unique places?
IKE: Inspiration? I’m not sure if I’m inspired – I write songs because I write songs, and I suppose I view most of what’s around me in that context. I eavesdrop, I keep my eyes open, I like to find details to include.
AH: What kinds of things typically inspire you to write songs these days?
SHANE: I write songs to entertain myself and escape from my reality for a bit. I don’t overthink where my songs come from or how I got to writing them. I’m fascinated by the human imagination and soul. Songwriting allows me to tap into both, and because of that, I think I’ll be writing songs for a long time.
AH: You’ve collaborated over the years – on your recordings in the studio, performing live, etc. What does working with other artists mean to you, and are there standout collaborations that are special to you? What made them special?
IKE: I’ve had meaningful collaborations in the studio with Shooter Jennings, Tom Morello, Cracker, and many more. It’s refreshing and it gives you insight into how other folks work. I’ve performed with a lot of artists on stage, too, but the most memorable lately was with Bruce Springsteen and Tom Morello at the Defend Minnesota Concert at First Avenue in Minneapolis. I let Bruce close for us! We actually opened the show, and then joined Morello and Bruce on stage for a rousing version of John Lennon’s “Power to the People.” It was a blast.
SHANE: The Defend Minnesota show at First Avenue was unforgettable. It was really emotional, given the circumstances and our strong ties to the Twin Cities. As we got onstage, Bruce was quick to let us know that he’s a big Ike fan, which made sense to me but was really encouraging and inspiring to hear. Stephen King, Springsteen, Morello, D. B. Weiss, Penn Jillette. They are all Ike fans. He’s the real deal.
AH: Do you plan to do any touring around the album or do you have an album release show planned?
IKE: We will be on tour as a duo in June. Check ikereilly.com/tour for dates. We will be announcing a full band tour in July.
AH: What can fans expect from your live show these days?
SHANE: They can expect a political bent – that shouldn’t come as surprise – but also a pretty wide range of songs from Ike’s catalog, as well plenty of songs from “Blind and Surrounded.”
Thanks very much for chatting with us, Ike and Shane Reilly!
The music is available here: https://ffm.to/40dzx6q.OPR