As John Lennon would say, The Moldy Peaches’ Adam Green and Kimya Dawson write songs “nose-to-nose.” So when Green had a pile of home recordings he laid down on his own, the decision was easy — release a solo record.
Green’s solo debut, “Garfield,” is a sparse shakedown of Beck and Shel Silverstein with a little punk thrown in for kicks. Green is touring in support of his album and can be seen Nov. 19 at New Orleans’ Saenger Theatre with SNL star Jimmy Fallon and The Strokes.
“There are some similarities between mine and [Moldy Peaches’ debut] ‘Sanctuary,'” Green said. “But ‘Garfield’ was songs I wrote alone, so I think it’s a little more introspective.”
“Introspective” sounds slightly odd coming from a performer known to don everything from a flasher’s trench coat to Peter Pan’s finest to get the crowd going. But Green breathes a melancholy sigh when he says he hasn’t worn a single costume on this tour.
The 21-year-old songwriter is focused completely on his solo record and says there are currently no plans for The Moldy Peaches to record again. But he does show a shy admiration for “I’m Sorry That Sometimes I’m Mean,” the solo project from his Peaches partner-in-crime and former baby sitter, Dawson.
“Yeah, I really dig it,” Green said. “But you’ll have to ask Kimya about that.”
Though hesitant to discuss his off-the-wall, stream of conscious solo music–especially an odd track like “Mozzarella Swastikas”–Green is content on his own and touring with his friends The Strokes.
“I met Albert [Hammond, Jr.] at my old job,” Green said. “This was early 2000, and they had just gotten this standing gig at the Mercury Lounge.”
Hammond then introduced Green to the rest of the band which was looking for an opening act for the Mercury shows.
“We became friends, and I told them about Kimya and the Peaches and they asked us to play with them,” Green said. “So it just became this thing where it was known, ‘The Moldy Peaches’ are the band that opens for ‘The Strokes.'”
Having toured with the NYC “new rock” darlings for more than two years, Green has seen his share of wild times. But his funniest memory was on a jaunt in Glasgow, Scotland when Strokes drummer “Fab [Moretti] fell out of the van and broke his arm,” Green said. “It had just stopped.”
Despite his oddball lyrics, “Garfield” is surprisingly intimate and a family affair. Green’s brother is featured on clarinet. But what strikes most about the vagabond Green–who is rarely seen without his backpack–is his easy, kid brother banter with Dawson and his self-deprecating humor.
“I’ll take myself seriously about some stuff, like making good music,” Green said. “But not in a get mad and throw things kind of way.”
Writing since he was 12, the New York native says Nirvana was definitely an influence. But influences change.
“I can’t pin down one or two influences now, because I see all music as plus or minus,” Green said. “It either encourages me to do something more like it or less like it.”
Well, more or less, Green and The Moldy Peaches are making music unlike anyone else. Limited tickets are still available for his concert Nov. 19 featuring Fallon and headliners The Strokes.