Interview with M C Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger

This week I have had the good fortune to trade emails with M C Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger, whose Poor Moon was an early album to feature on The Turnaround. He kindly shared his thoughts on the importance of album art and introduced me to the recordings of Terry Allen.

M C Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger (Paradise of Bachelors)

The Turnaround: How important is the imagery you use on your album covers and how involved do you get in the designs? 

M C Taylor: It's pretty important. I need to feel that there is a connection between the imagery on the album cover and the music, even if nobody else does. I've been fortunate thus far to be able to actualize the ideas I have in my head with the help of Brendan Greaves, who has done the design and layout for all of the HGM covers except the very first one. I think good artwork can be rendered ineffective if it isn't properly laid out. I was also very lucky to have Alex Jako do the line drawings for Poor Moon, her work is unparalleled.

The Turnaround: I read somwhere that you specifically wanted to reference the Nonesuch Explorer Series on the Poor Moon album art. What appeals to you about those designs?

M C Taylor: I like their starkness. They feel classic to me. They feel connected to the music and to other albums in the series. There is an obvious effort to frame the drawings that appear on those covers using a lot of open space, and there is an clear attention to (and affection for) font.


Example from the Nonesuch Explorer Series (www.computeraudiophile.com)

The Turnaround: Did re-recording versions of songs for Poor Moon that originally appeared on Bad Debt change the way you felt about them?

M C Taylor: Not really, no.

The Turnaround: Any thoughts on a favorute piece of back cover art?

You asked this question and I was thinking of the back cover of Terry Allen's Lubbock (On Everything). It's a picture of him covering his face with his hands, wearing a hat. It's an evocative image.

Hiss Golden Messenger have just announced a split 7" with Micah Elephant, released on Paradise of Bachelors, and are working on a new album.

Expect Lubbock (On Everything) to feature here at a future date.


M C Taylor in the studio working on the new album (Paradise of Bachelors)



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