Summer Gin.
Prologue: In early August, Miggie Backstage got a half-hour to shoot the breeze with Gin Blossoms front man Robin Wilson. Here’s the aftermath…
“Hey Jealousy,” “Follow You Down” and “‘Til I Hear It From You” got twentysomethings from one middle school dance to the next, from one summer fling to autumn heartbreak and through midnight cram sessions clear to graduation.
“It might be six years in a row we’ve been (there),” Wilson said, finally enjoying much-coveted downtime at home in Tempe, Ariz., with the fam. “If not six, certainly like four or five of the last six years.”
Before heading to Wisco in August, Wilson bantered a bit with MB about new projects, devoted fans and the list of long-running hits he’ll never grow tired of:
MIGGIE BACKSTAGE: Well, hello, Robin. Glad you had a few minutes to spare for us today. Enjoying a little downtime, I see?
Wilson: Yeah, actually, at home.
MB: Ah, yes, Tempe.
Wilson: Well, actually we have two homes – one in New York on Long Island, and the other is in Arizona. This is the first time the family and I have been at home together in Arizona in probably six months.
MB: Nice. Now, Gin Blossoms has played Wisconsin quite a few times, and you’re back again!
Wilson: Every summer. It’s a big party, that show we do. You know, it’s just got a sorta cool vibe. And obviously it means a lot to a community, it’s a tradition, and we’re included. We’re starting to feel a part of that.
MB: Any new tricks?
Wilson: Nothing particularly. We’ve got new T-shirts, if that makes any difference, and we changed the look of our backstage passes (laughs).
MB: So, I’m curious. For Gin Blossoms fans who haven’t caught a show for a while, what’s to expect?
Wilson: You know, it’s like a rock ‘n’ roll concert … I try to make a personal connection with people in the audience. As the front man, it’s a point of pride to sort of be accessible.
MB: Do you recognize a lot of early Gin Blossoms fans? Faces from ’90s that are still coming out?
Wilson: Yeah, absolutely, they are. We have new fans, too; it’s ever-evolving, I suppose. It’s a nice mixture of people that like us; we’re pretty lucky to have that.
MB: Songs like “Hey Jealousy” and “‘Til I Hear It From You” were staples at school dances for a lot of twentysomethings. Are there any songs you’ve played so many times you just go, “man, if I never had to play that again …”?
Wilson: Oh, um … no, none of our material. Certainly we reached that point with some of our cover songs, but not with our original material. Once in a while you might wanna give something a rest (laughs).
MB: What other projects are keeping you busy these days?
Wilson: I run a recording studio in Tempe. I’m always looking to find new bands, have them come in there. I like helping young bands find producers for their music … I reach out to most of the promising young groups we meet on the road, and when I see a group that has real promise, career potential, I try to befriend them or stay in touch, offer advice and such…
MB: Well, you’re known for putting on great shows. Any parting words for Wisco fans?
Wilson: We love Wisconsin. And, actually, we figured out if we lived in Wisconsin, we would save about $100,000 a year on travel expenses because we play there so often (laughs). We really do love it. I think we play 10 shows a year up there. Oshkosh has become a tradition for us.
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