The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Writer
He is the singer and songwriter with one of America’s most highly rated cult bands. He is also one of the most acclaimed US novelists to have emerged in recent times. But it would be hard to find anyone less driven by ego or a desire for celebrity than Willy Vlautin, frontman with Richmond Fontaine. In fact what he hankers after is the opportunity to slip off into the woods alone – and write.
Olaf Tyaransen, 17 Oct 2011
It’s a swelteringly hot July afternoon in the west of Ireland and Willy Vlautin is looking on enviously as Hot Press’ pint of freshly poured stout creamily settles on a Galway bar counter.
“Hell man, that looks pretty damn good,” the Richmond Fontaine frontman remarks in a slow Nevada drawl, drawing the sleeve of his blue check cowboy shirt across his mouth.
Indeed it does and it tastes even better. But Vlautin has resisted temptation and is unenthusiastically sipping a coke. “I’d really love a pint, but I guess I’d better not,” he says. “You go ahead, man. The next best thing to drinking yourself is watching other people drink.”
A wise decision. In the City of the Tribes on a fleeting Arts Festival visit, the 43 year-old novelist and musician is giving a reading with Roddy Doyle in the Meyrick Hotel later on, followed by a stripped-down gig with Richmond Fontaine guitarist Dan Eccles in the Roisin Dubh. If he starts drinking now, chances are he won’t stop. Such professional duties are best performed sober.
Having staggered dangerously on the fringes of alcoholism at various points in the past, Vlautin still occasionally boozes hard, but maintains that he’s currently in control of his demons. “I’ve really cut back on drinking, but I’m trying to cut back more. Me and one guy from the band still go out on the town, but it’s not good to be drinking all the time. I still love going out on a bender... but it wrecks my head too much.”
What constitutes a bender to you?
“It might be three days,” he says, shrugging. “It’s like I know I’m wrecked, so I might as well keep going. And I love that and I don’t wanna give it up, but I have to say that the least amount of drinking I’ve done since I was 15 has been in the last year. I was drinking maybe once a week. I can’t write on a hangover. My thoughts get really dark on hangovers now, and it never used to be like that.”
Though your lyrics and fiction can be quite dark...
“Yeah, no shit,” he says, with a mock shudder. “And I really don’t wanna be that way. In the old days I was a house painter, and all you had to do was get there. With manual labour all you have to do is show up, and the day takes care of itself. But writing...”
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