Jim Guthrie Reunites With Islands' Nick Thorburn On Human Highway

04/09/08 2:30pm

by Noah Love (CHARTattack)

It's been five years since a proper Jim Guthrie album has been released. Now, More Than Ever has aged into a classic and left many scratching their heads over what became of the former Royal City guitarist and inspiration for the name Three Gut Records. Besides appearing on Islands' Return To The Sea and writing that catchy little "Hand In My Pocket" jingle that's all over television, Guthrie's been keeping it on the down-low pretty much full-time.

That will change on Aug. 19 when Secret City will release Human Highway, a collaboration between Islands frontman Nick Thorburn and Guthrie. Thorburn, who was in Toronto on the weekend with his band to play a show for the Beautiful Noise TV series, spilled the beans on the project.

"It's really low-key, just like good times," he says. "I came here in July and slept on his couch and made the record in like a week.

"So now I've got some songs that are really quiet and gentle. The Human Highway album is gentle, like lullaby-type stuff. We're really inspired by Everly Brothers harmonies, singing. And Jim is just such an amazing singer."

The news is welcome to those who thought Guthrie might turn into Mary Margaret O'Hara and simply become a respected recluse. After appearing in Islands' first touring lineup, he basically vanished from the music scene in mid-2006.

Guthrie rarely plays shows anymore — his regular touring band formerly featured Final Fantasy wunderkind Owen Pallett — and, from an outsider's perspective, seemed to be content to fade from view. Thorburn insists that isn't the case.

"It's not that he doesn't want to [release music], it's just that he's such a fucking genius that he kind of has that doubt, that hesitation, which is thoughtful and careful and it means he takes his craft seriously. But him and I [together] was good for him because I think I was able to push him, to encourage him, just say, 'That's good, keep going with that.' Because he would doubt himself and second-guess himself and I'd say, 'No, that's really good.' So there's some really good stuff on that record."

Islands' second album, Arm's Way, comes out on May 20 via Anti. Check back to ChartAttack as Thorburn reveals how the record came together and what's up with his infamous hip-hop project, Th' Corn Gangg.