The Mars McClanes on Making Music in Waylon’s Basement. Lean into the wormhole and gaze back at the bubbling cauldron of Dallas’ music scene in 2001. The Toadies released their second album and broke up. The Old 97’s put out Satellite Rides and ended their major label run. A few rungs down the scene’s ladder, The Mars McClanes were chugging along. The band reconvened in 2020, their customary love-gone wrong lyrics now revealing scar tissue from two divorces, war deployments, and life’s assorted curveballs. On May 13th, The Mars McClanes released “The Worriers,” the follow-up to their debut single “Riddle.”
By Kamil Bobin
Discovered via Musosoup
What first got you into music?
Brian: Russ and I went to college in Texas and lived in a large, cheap house with 10 other roommates. One summer, we got our hands on a bunch of lumber and built a huge deck. It quickly evolved into the neighborhood’s music stage—people would randomly show up with beer, amps, and drums, after hiding inside each day from the Central Texas heat. We’d play whatever we’d written that day or improvise. Then someone would break their last drumstick or string—game over until tomorrow.
What do you think your role is in this world?
Paul: To ask a lot of questions.
Your latest track is 'The Worriers'. Can you share with us the background of its creation and did any unusual things happen during its creation?
Russ: I was living in Belgium in early 2020. Our neighbors were reacting to the uncertainty of the newly emerging pandemic. I sat on my lawn with a guitar, thinking about a gem Mark Twain said, “I have known a great many troubles, but most of them never happened.” The song’s verses apply that idea to relationships—we worry too much. Our relationships might someday fail, but we can still enjoy them for what they are right now. The bridge zooms out further with a metaphor about embracing mortality.
What is one message you would give to your fans?
Paul: Tip your bartenders. Russ: True—and use only paper money. Once, as a broke student, I tipped a guy 50 cents. I soon realized my mistake when two quarters hit me in the head from across the room. He’s probably a millionaire pitcher now. Brian: We’re talking about releasing a new cryptocurrency with each new track—Worriercoin, Brisketcoin. Paul: Pyramidcoin—at least the name is honest.
How do you spend your time?
Paul: I have a turtle named Paco. He’s surprisingly fast, so lately I’m focused on twarting his serial escape attempts.
What are you most proud of?
Brian: One time, someone threw a raw egg at me as hard as they could, and I caught it without breaking it. Editor: Did this happen on stage? Brian: No, during a final exam lunch break during my junior year of high school. I’ll never forget the look on that guy’s face. And for a moment, I thought I had superpowers. But then I threw it back at him and missed wildly. Human again.
If you could go open a show for any artist who would it be?
Russ: The Old 97s. We both started in Dallas. The best live show I’ve ever seen was when they played Houston’s Satellite Lounge after Too Far To Care came out. And they’re still killing it.
What are you doing to ensure you continue to grow and develop as an artist?
Russ: Best advice we ever got—write a song and then try three very different versions of it. We stole this songwriting process from a couple of our favorite bands. Early on, our goal was to write a new song for every show. So we would declare a song finished—very quickly—and move on to the next one. But often a more interesting version is lurking somewhere in there. Now, we’ll record something, then come back to it a couple of times before picking a version to release. A side effect of this is, now we have some crazy B-sides waiting in the vault.
Do you think that technology is improving lives?
Paul: Sometimes. Today's online music scene is kind of unfamiliar to those of us who grew up asking our attractive friends to flirt with bartenders in order to get us gigs. Nevertheless, it's cool that people in Brazil can enjoy our music without travel or shipping. Assuming that's actually happening, and it's not just Brian catfishing me again.
What are your plans for the future?
Brian: Life is what I do in between coffee and breakfast burritos. But musically, we’re going to put out a new track the second Friday of each month. We recommend pairing them with a Shiner Bock.