Former Fugazi talks on solo success

Alongside fellow Fugazi bandmates, Joe Lally was the face of the '90s post-punk movement. Since the group's amicably imposed hiatus, Lally has embarked upon a successful solo career, releasing two well-received albums. recess's Bryan Sayler recently spoke with Lally at home in Italy via (a remarkably poorly connected) Skype.

As a musician, what effect do you find that living abroad has on you, both in being away from the United States and being surrounded by another culture?

You know, it's not as different as you would think, just because my world is centered around my family, basically, so it doesn't really matter where I am. My daughter is now six years old, so she started first grade here. And, actually, the guitar player that I'm now playing with, his girlfriend's daughter was going to the same school as my daughter, and that's how we met. Andrea [Moscianese, Lally's guitarist,] and I have playing together a little while now, but he just started to go out on tour with me during that last tour in Brazil and he'll come to the States with me next week.

But as far as what's going on in Rome musically, I just really don't even know because I don't really go out at night anymore. And I really don't go out at night here. I still don't drive here, and it's a long haul to get to where any clubs are in Rome from where I live, so I really am just not up for it at night.

You mentioned Ian and the others earlier. Could you speak a little to where you all stand? I know that Guy and Ian had roles on both of your solo albums.

Yeah, and there would have been more of Brendan, but he's always so busy. This newest record, I finished my parts of it just before I moved. And I left it to Ian-and Guy did a little mixing himself-but they also laid down some guitars after I left. So I don't know... if I'll be able to do that. Well, who knows, when I'm recording again, maybe I'll be in Washington and I'll certainly invite Ian and Eddie [Janney] and Guy to play again. It's just a natural thing. For me, part of the way I write is just setting up a foundation that people can kind of walk into and play. I trust those guys a lot, so if they want to take the time to sit in and do something, I'm happy to have them. And they both did, so that was great.

Otherwise, I always talk to those guys, but it's not like we're meeting a lot or playing or recording in the studio.

So no hopes of a Fugazi reunion on the horizon?

I was doing in Fugazi what I understand my instrument should do. I learned how to play bass by writing songs with people. But essentially, I was still exploring that same role, however many things are thrown together. But I was doing the same thing, and I learned how to do it better with Ian. But even though everyone in Fugazi was writing, and some guitar lines would turn into bass lines, or someone else could walk into a baseline, I was never against that and I always wanted to make it work rather than saying, "Well, I didn't write it." So it was just such a different thing, because it was about four people writing together and negotiating. And now that I'm writing on my own, there's no one to negotiate with.

Do you have a favorite piece of work from your Fugazi years?

Well, it's pretty easy to say the last record, because I feel like we were satisfied in the studio and that was something that we worked really hard at. And though we were happy with all the records, with the last one, we were happy with all the songs and how they all came out.

So was everyone content to end on that note. Is anyone really pulling for more releases?

Well, there's almost a consensus that the last record we made was our best, which makes it sound very final. But I felt like, well now we're getting good at it, let's keep making records. Not that we made bad records before, but getting that feeling that you really accomplished what you set out to do. It would be a challenge to do it again, but if they ask, I suppose I'll be ready.

Joe Lally will be playing Cat's Cradle Monday, Feb. 18 at 9 p.m. Tickets are $8.