Exclusive: Soul Asylum’s Dave Pirner on the “Really Fun” Experience Working with Steve Jordan on Band’s New Album, ‘Slowly but Shirley’

Soul Asylum’s first new studio album in four years, Slowly but Shirley, was released on Friday, September 27. The 12-track collection is populated with tunes offering up a mix of songs featuring the Minneapolis-based alternative-rock band’s trademark amalgam of punk, roots rock, folk rock, and classic-rock influences.

Frontman Dave Pirner recently chatted with American Songwriter about the project, which is a follow-up to Soul Asylum’s 2020 album, Hurry Up and Wait.

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Slowly but Shirley was produced by current Rolling Stones drummer Steve Jordan, who previously worked with Soul Asylum on the group’s 1990 studio effort, And the Horse They Rode In On.

Pirner told American Songwriter that he decided to reach out to Jordan because he was “looking for something different” after Soul Asylum co-produced its previous four albums with John Fields. Dave explained that he got in touch with Jordan through Niko Bolas, Neil Young’s longtime studio collaborator, to whom Steve introduced him when Jordan first worked with Soul Asylum.

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“I just needed a change, and Niko called Steve, and Steve was interested,” Pirner recalled. “And I called my drummer, Michael Bland, and I said, ‘Guess who wants to produce the new Soul Asylum record?’ So we got pretty excited about that.”

He added, “I love Steve. He’s just really a musical cat, and really fun to work with. And … it all went pretty much how I expected it would go, because I knew what to expect. And I love working with Steve.”

Album Was Mostly Recorded Live in the Studio

According to Pirner, one of the changes implemented by Jordan was that the band recorded the majority of the album live in the studio.

“I knew that that’s what I was getting into, and that’s what I needed to get into,” Dave noted. “I knew what [Steve] was gonna be looking for, and I aimed to give it to him. It’s pretty much live recordings of the band playing. … [T]here’s no trickery going on or special effects or anything like that. It’s just a rock band playing rock.”

How the Songs Were Chosen for the Album

Pirner also revealed that Jordan helped pick which songs Soul Asylum ended up recording for the album.

“[W]e had 32 [songs] we were working on, and I sent Steve a bunch of that stuff,” Dave explained. “Then he said, ‘Do you have any other stuff laying around?’ And I sent him a few more things, and … he more or less kind of picked the tunes, which I wanted him to do. And it was pretty obvious. [T]here weren’t any big surprises, as far as what the band was reacting to and what Steve reacted to.”

About Some Individual Tracks from the Album

Prior to Slowly but Shirley’s release, Soul Asylum debuted a couple of advance tracks—“High Road” and “Freak Accident.”

Pirner told American Songwriter that “Freak Accident” is among his favorite songs from the album. He also noted that it was a tune that had been kicking around for a while before the band finally was able to record a version that they were happy with.

“It was a song that we’ve played for a while, and people seemed to really like it,” he said. “[When we recorded it,] we switched it from kind of more of an acoustic thing to an electric thing. Steve was [telling me,] ‘Put your electric guitar on and play with the band. You don’t need to deal with the acoustic guitar right now.’ And that kind of freed me up a little bit.”

Dave also said that he was especially fond of “High Road,” a gritty but ebullient rock tune.

As he noted, “[That song] came out in a way that surprised me or in a way that I was like, ‘Ah, finally we got it right.’”

About the Album’s Title

Pirner also explained the genesis of the album’s title, which he noted pays tribute to female drag-racing legend Shirley Muldowney. He said that while mixing the album at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, he came across a placard at a stationary store next door with the phrase “Slowly but Surely” that he thought resembled an album cover.

“It was like a silk screen,” Pirner said. “But, of course, it was spelled s-u-r-e-l-y, and my brain just immediately went to the name Shirley. And I thought of Shirley Temple, and I was like, ‘No, no, that’s not right.’ And then I thought of Shirley Muldowney, and I went, ‘That’s it.’”

Dave pointed out that he’d been a fan of hot rods as a kid, and he had great respect for Muldowney.

“I think she’s a real American hero,” Pirner shared. “I think that women that stand out like that, in a men’s world, are really changing things for the better.”

Pirner also revealed that Soul Asylum called Muldowney to ask if she was OK with the band paying homage to her with the album’s title. “She gave us her blessing, which was great,” Dave noted.

About Soul Asylum’s 2024 Tour Plans

Soul Asylum recent wrapped up a stint opening for Stone Temple Pilots and Live on The Jubilee Tour co-headlining trek. The band now will head out on its own North American headlining tour in support of Slowly but Shirley.

The outing kicks off September 30 in Boulder, Colorado, and runs through a November 4 concert in Ottawa, Canada. The Juliana Hatfield Three will serve as Soul Asylum’s support act for most of the tour.

Tickets for Soul Asylum’s concerts can be purchased now via a variety of outlets, including StubHub.

Slowly but Shirley Track List:

1. “The Only Thing I’m Missing”
2. “High Road”
3. “You Don’t Know Me”
4. “Freeloader”
5. “Tryin’ Man”
6. “Freak Accident”
7. “If You Want It Back”
8. “Waiting on the Lord”
9. “Trial by Fire”
10. “Makin’ Plans”
11. “Sucker Maker”
12. “High & Dry”

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