Q&A: Bobby Bare Jr.

If ever someone could be called country music royalty, it would be Bobby Bare Jr. As the son of the legendary recording artist for whom he is named, Bare grew up with family friends like George Jones, Tammy Wynette, Barbara Mandrell and the Cash family. Waylon Jennings gave him the bass he used in Buddy Holly's band, and Shel Silverstein was a songwriting mentor.

After recording two garage rock records, Bare has released a beautifully introspective album, Young Criminals' Starvation League, that reflects a more roots-based sound and emphasizes his poetic lyrics. I spoke to him in Tompkins Square Park, where we discussed his family, his romantic life and his love of the Smiths, whose "What Difference Does It Make?" is covered on his new CD.

Were you actually a Grammy winner at five?

No. I was nominated at five or six for a song Shel Silverstein wrote called "Daddy, What If?" It was a duet. It was a real good song.

But you didn't win?

The Pointer Sisters won.

For what? Do you remember?

They did a country duet. They were country duet of the year. The Pointer Sisters. 1974.

Did you know growing up that you were going to follow in your father's footsteps?

They didn't want me to. I went to college. I'm just the kid that had the most desperate need for attention so I'm the one who did it.

What'd you study in college?

Psychology.

Is that where you learned that you had a desperate need for attention?

No. I'd known that for a very long time.

It seems like a lot of people who grow up in country music families turn to punk music.

Well, when my dad was in his teens, they played rockabilly music, which was Ministry times 20 in the 50s. That was sex music. It was dirty, dirty, you know? So for me to write rock music now is kind of tame.

Do you think there's a direct correlation between country and punk?

There's that whole rebel thing. Al Jourgensen of Ministry, I think, is very aware of what those similarities are. Waylon's [Jennings] son and Shelton [Hank Williams III] are both huge Ministry fans. It's one thing that all three of us share, and I think there is a reason for that.

Your father has been quoted as saying, in reference to you, "Relationships are not what he does best." How do you feel about your dad blowing your cover like that?

Oh, my cover was blown way before that?he just wants to have a daughter-in-law and have grandkids.

And so far?

It hasn't worked so far. I don't know why I'm in this position but I am.

Working on it, though?

Trying. "My faith in love is still devout," to quote Morrissey. We can actually do this whole interview in Morrissey quotes if you want to. You have that option.

I'd like to see how far we could take that. Now, you have a really unique sort of vocal styling. Who do you think influenced you, as far as vocals?

Well, my dad, obviously. And also probably Michael Stipe. If I had to peg somebody who lights me up every time I hear him sing, it'd be Michael Stipe. Maybe if Michael Stipe sang really ragged, if he wasn't quite as good as he is, he'd end up sounding like me.

I've selected a line from each of the tracks on your new record, and I wanted to sort of throw it out and see what I got back from you. This is from the first track, "I Will Be Around": "When all your famous friends have all stopped dropping in/I will be around."

My ex-girlfriend was wanting to move to California. Her family members that live out there are in movies and on television, so she was going out there to be amongst the famous people. It was a love letter to her before she went away.

"Flat-Chested Girl from Maynardville": "Flat-chested girl from Maynardville ignores the phone as it rings/She staples a picture of her mom to the bedroom door upside down."

Were you ever a goth girl?

No.

Never? You're in black today.

I am in black today.

Okay. Well, out in the middle of nowhere in these rural, rural towns there's goth girls who listen to the Cure and Sisters of Mercy. And I went to college with some of these girls and they always fascinated me.

"Bullet Through My Teeth": "The fairy princess in my bed, she's fast asleep while the sheets turn red/And does not recognize me without my head."

Yeah. You never had to date a woman, probably.

No, I haven't.

It's just having a girlfriend and she's not listening, and the frustration of it. It's kind of a Kurt Cobain thing. He made the ultimate statement. "You aren't going to listen to me so here, okay."

Yeah, but he had to be married to Courtney Love.

And that's how far he had to go.

"The Monk at the disco has a heart full of hope/While a drunk white boy spills Jack and Coke across his robe."

That's just straight-up situation comedy?the ridiculousness of redemption, all that stuff.

It's a catchy song.

Ah, thanks. It's disco, and it's the Who.

It's a little Smiths-y, actually.

I never thought about that. (He sings a verse in a faux-Morrissey voice.) Hm. I can see Morrissey dancing to that.

"Dig Down": "Chuck Berry, sing to us one more time/Before Fred Bisquit freezes everybody's mind."

Fred Bisquit. He's a bad person. A very bad person. He's very nonmusical. And he "has nothing to say about my life," to quote Morrissey.

Nice segue into "What Difference Does It Make."

All the Smiths, and all the Morrissey stuff is, to me, at its core, hillbilly music. Morrissey's a huge rockabilly fan, and Johnny Marr is a great guitar player in the way that Chet Atkins was. The reason that he's good is that he does a lot of the hillbilly music but with this really bizarre androgynous dancer. And for me [the cover] is kind of taking it back.

I love the way you sort of recentered the chorus.

We just made it more Nashville.

"Stay in Texas."

Yeah.

You don't live in Texas.

There's a movie called... I forget the name of the movie. They needed a song about Texas. If I'm not in Tennessee, I want to be in Texas.

And from "Painting Her Fingernails": "On her neck was the love mark he left her to prove he was there."

That's a Shel Silverstein song. Shel's that motherfucker who left a love mark on her neck, you know? That song, to me, is written out of pure guilt 'cause Shel's the guy who wasn't calling.

You really sing a lot about women. You try to sort of get inside their heads.

I'm thinking about girls all the time. Or I'm missing girls. There's somebody out there that I'm missing.

Bobby Bare Jr. plays Thurs., Oct. 31, at Mercury Lounge, with Rex Hobart and the Waco Brothers. 217 E. Houston St. (betw. Ludlow & Essex Sts.), 260-4700.