Looking back on Blind Melon

Courtesy of Capital Records As they were: Glen Graham, Christopher Thorn, Brad Smith, Shannon Hoon and Rogers Stevens

Could you talk a little about the release of Nico as an album, and if you feel that it accomplished what you intended it to?

I think that we wanted to, sort of . . . we didn't really have an opportunity to finish what we were doing. I feel like this record gives a more rounded approach to Shannon and what he was all about, and I really think some of his best lines are on this record. So, it was unfortunate that he wasn't able to be there to finish it with us. We had to make a lot of decisions along the way, as to whether or not this is the right thing to do, or that's the right thing to do, and so it was kind of a day-to-day thing. We weren't really sure that we were going to put it out when we were in the process of doing it, 'cause it really all depended on how the final thing came out, but we ended up being really happy with it.

The enhanced release of Nico also serves very well as a preview of the home video you guys put out, "Letters From The Porcupine," which really says a lot about the band. Were you happy with that release?

Yeah, a lot of the footage we shot ourselves, and I think some of the live stuff is good. I think it shows the progression, 'cause I think if you see the early live footage, it's pretty bad to my ears. Towards the end we were sort of getting comfortable, and that's gratifying to me, to show that sort of progress.

What kind of message does Nico send out? Is it kind of a closing statement for Blind Melon?

Well, first of all, it will be the last Blind Melon release, I suppose. I mean, that's all there's gonna be. There is a message that we want to sort of convey to Shannon's daughter, that he really cared about her, and that's why we named the album after her. It's almost as if it's a gift from him to her, that he wasn't able to give her in person, so in that way it's important to us. But there's a lot of messages on the record. I mean, we're just sort of holding up our example. I don't really want to preach to anybody and say, you know, this or that, drugs are bad, or whatever. I can't point fingers, but I can certainly hold up our example for people to see and let them make their own decisions.

Why do you think the critics were so hard on Soup, your second album?

I don't know. Maybe it was sort of a mean-spirited record. Kind of dark and negative in a lot of ways, but it was the only record we could have made at the time. It was the way we were at the time. For us to do anything else would have been just dishonest, and I think that people also felt like maybe they had been fooled or something. You know, we came out with one hit song ("No Rain") and everyone went out and bought the record, or whatever, and got all excited about it and then it was just burnout. People don't like to seem uncool, I suppose. When the second record came out they didn't play us at all, but I'm amazed that anybody played us at all - for me to sit and complain about our career would just be asinine.

So, I heard you guys were searching for a new singer.

Well, I wouldn't say that anybody's come in and blown us away. I think that at this point I'm pretty skeptical about it, because it seems that to find somebody to come and sit in on a situation that developed over six or seven years, it's hard to have somebody that can come in and crack that code of how we work together and all that stuff. I don't know, I think it would have to be a pretty extraordinary person to fit right in like that.

I mean, we have no desire to try to replace Shannon. We're not going to do any of the old songs; if this thing goes on, we're not gonna do any of that stuff. We're going to change the name. We'll be a totally different thing. But, there are four people who sort of got accustomed to working in a certain way together, and it seems difficult to find someone that fits everybody's notion of how it's supposed to be, or how it could be, or whatever. But, we want something that stands on it's own two feet.

Have you considered any of the remaining members taking over the vocals, instead?

You know, we thought about it. I mean, it certainly wouldn't be me . . . or Christopher, or Glen. So, that means it would be Brad. It's been considered. I mean, we want it to be amazing. If it's not amazing, I don't want to do it. You know, I'm here painting in New York, and playing and doing other things. It has be something that's everybody's just ready to drop everything and do.

Are the four of you living in the same area and seeing each other often?

No, we've always been kind of spread out really. I live in New York, and Brad and Christopher in Seattle, and Glen's in New Orleans. But, we were all in Seattle in October and November, just writing, playing together. So, I'm gonna go back up there soon.

What are some new things that you're listening to?

I really like Squirrel Nut Zippers . . . Actually, one of the guys in the band, we grew up with in Mississippi, and he was in a band with Glen in high school. Now he's doing this thing, and I've seen them here in New York. They're really popular here; they sell out clubs here. Now their third record they've already got done, and I haven't heard it yet, but I should be getting a copy. They call me up all the time in the middle of the night and leave drunk messages. (laughs)

Sort of like the final track on Nico, which gave a little more insight into Shannon's character. What's a side of Shannon that you guys got to see that most people wouldn't expect?

There were a lot of things that were probably pretty accurate about the way people saw him, as just being really rambunctious, and kind of loud and over the top, and all that. I mean, he really never, ever shut up or slowed down. But, he had a really big heart. Just as powerfully as he could fly off the handle, he could love somebody, you know. He was really like that. He taught me a lot of things about that, being warm-hearted, and he really cared about his family and his daughter and his friends and things like that.

Do you still maintain contact with Shannon's girlfriend and his daughter?

Oh yeah. I talk to Lisa all the time. She's one of my lifelong friends. She's going to photography school, and she's really good, so everybody's supporting her.

And Nico?

She's great. She's growing up, and looks just like Shannon. It's pretty amazing.

"Soul One" was written before Shannon joined the band. That's a great example of the kind of work that you could still be doing.

That was just when me and Brad were together and you know, Brad at that time had already written "No Rain" and things like that, so there was stuff done before, after, whatever.

So would the two of you take on the duties of primary songwriters, if the band goes on?

I don't know. I suppose if we wrote good songs we would. (laughs)