Kurt Vile can’t help but remind fans of his musical roots. The uncompromising singer-songwriter came of age during the 1990s, embracing Neil Young, Dinosaur Jr. and Tom Petty. On the day the Petty died in 2017, Vile composed the moving and moody “Tom Petty’s Gone (But Tell Him I Asked for Him),” which appears on his latest release, the EP “Back to Moon Beach.”
“I was a kid when Petty’s ‘Learning to Fly’ came out during the ’90s and I just love the way Tom Petty wrote songs,” Vile said while calling from his Philadelphia home. “I remember sitting in a diner listening to ‘Learning to Fly’ where I grew up in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania as a kid and I just loved it. I remember when Petty was asked what his influence was and he said, ‘I don’t know, the radio?’ I love how he was this country boy who went to Los Angeles to pursue his rock and roll dreams.”
Vile, 45, will kick off his tour with his band, the Violators, on Thursday, June 12, at the Rialto Theatre. Like Petty, has pursued his rock and roll dream but has done so while staying in Philadelphia. “Times have changed and you don’t have to move to a place like Los Angeles,” Vile said.
What Vile shares with Petty is lyrical economy. Both express much in few words. “I think that’s a blue collar thing,” Vile said.
In the 2018 documentary, “Echo in the Canyon,” about the Laurel Canyon music scene in the 1960s, Petty was open about his admiration for those musicians. Like him, Vile is also an unabashed aficionado.
“I think we’re all just fan boys,” Vile said.
He recently re-read Michael Azerrad’s breezy and fun chronicle of underground rock, “Our Band Could be Your Life.”
“The first time I read that book I just read the chapters of my favorite bands that were featured,” Vile said. “This time I read the whole book and I just loved it.”
Unlike most rabid rock fans, Vile has met his idols. He not only became friends with Dinosaur Jr.’s J Mascis but produced the band’s 2021 album, “Sweep It Into Space.”
“I was nervous initially,” Vile recalled. “The impression I got from him was that he wanted me to produce since I’m not a real producer and he felt that maybe I would be good at it. I didn’t exactly understand my role. I tried to keep the vibe light. I watched J do some ripping solos. The experience was super inspiring. If there was one idol I’ve become friends with, it’s J. To get to know him, I guess you have to earn it.”
Vile admits that he still gets nervous when he meets his favorite artists who are now friends. “My heart still races when I speak with Neil Young,” Vile said. “I’m a fan first.”
One of Vile’s biggest influences is the Pixies, with whom he will be touring for much of the summer. “I’m very excited about that,” he said. “The cool thing is that before I go on the road with the Pixies, I’ll be able to play my own show in Tucson and do my whole set. I really like Tucson. I remember playing there years ago and hanging out with one of our guitar techs, who used to live there. I remember partying after the show, back when I used to drink, and having a great time talking with the tech, who worked with Tommy Stinson and the Replacements.”
Once again, the laidback Vile can’t help but wax rhapsodic about being a fan of a seminal recording artist. “I love music,” Vile said. “I still go to record stores and buy music. I remember buying records in Tucson record shops. It’s a cool city.”
The former lead guitarist of War on Drugs, who has had some chart success with songs like “Pretty Pimpin” and “He’s Alright,” is crafting new songs.
“I’m constantly working on new material,” Vile said. “I’m trying to put out some new music soon. I put out ‘Watch My Moves’ (in 2022) and ‘Back to Moon Beach’ (in 2023), so I’m due. I like to create and put out music.”
“Watch My Moves,” Vile’s latest full album, will hopefully be featured prominently at the Rialto since it is filled with some of his finest tunes. The compelling album was written and recorded during the pandemic and had a profound impact on Vile.
“I could definitely feel the insanity around us,” Vile recalled. “But the lockdown was a positive thing since I had no distractions, which was great. I needed it. That’s the beauty of it. I was writing like I did at the start of my career, when I wasn’t bouncing around the world. I would write every day. I was in a good space. I just wanted to make the most bangin’ record possible. There was a fine line between being close to my roots and making my version of a hit record. I worked on lo-fi and hi-fi equipment and made the album that I wanted to make.
“That’s what it’s all about for me. I just want to make music and go out on the road and perform.”
Kurt Vile & The Violators
WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday, June 12
WHERE: The Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress Street, Tucson
COST: $39 and $49.50
INFO: 520-740-1000, rialtotheatre.com
