The Jayhawks, local alt-country champions, are at it again with a new record called Paging Mr. Proust. As lead singer/guitarist Gary Louris tells it, a friend of his recently traveled with another friend, and the pair thought they heard Proust being paged in an Amsterdam airport. Louris liked the story, and he also likes Proust, so he stuck with that idea for the new Jayhawks title. Coming off the album's Apr. 29 release, the band — composed of Louris, Chet Lyster (guitar), Marc Perlman (bass), Karen Grotberg (keys), and Tim O'Reagan (drums) — stopped by The Current's studios to talk about their new record.

Most everyone at the in-studio had been off-and-on Jayhawks for years, but Chet Lyster (guitar) actually just joined the band. He's a seasoned pro, having played with the Eels, Lucinda Williams, and many more talented artists; Louris met Lyster at Mexico's Todos Santos Music Festival, and they got along well.

According to Lyster, he's been a Jayhawks fan for years. He says, "I've joked a little bit with Gary how there was some heartbreak in my long, distant past that I associated with some of the earlier songs, and so I'm going to have to sit those out [during shows]."

Lyster's quick recesses aside, Louris is happy with the band's current state. He's clean now, as he told Andrea Swensson during episode 18 of The O.K. Show. At this time in the band's history, Louris says, "We're on some kind of wavelength here where things are really coming together."

To hear how that sounds live, listen to the full in-studio for songs from Paging Mr. Proust — "Quiet Corners And Empty Spaces," "Comeback Kids," "Lovers Of The Sun," and "Leaving The Monsters Behind" — and hear Louris talk about failure, Prince memories, and why he should've been a meteorologist.

Songs Performed

"Quiet Corners & Empty Spaces"
"Comeback Kids"
"Leaving the Monsters Behind"

All songs off the Jayhawks' new album, Paging Mr. Proust, out now via Sham Records.

Hosted by Andrea Swensson
Produced by Andrea Swensson
Engineered by Mike DeMark
Visuals by Nate Ryan
Words by Cecila Johnson

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