Destroyer frontman Dan Bejar says when it comes to writing songs, his approach is more impressionistic. "I like filmic terms: collage, cutting, pasting."

Hearing Destroyer's songs affirms Bejar's approach. The songs wash over the listener in sonic waves, lyrics tumbling over the instruments with image-heavy language.

In the Twin Cities to play a show at the Fine Line Music Café in Minneapolis, Destroyer stopped by The Current studio for a session hosted by Mary Lucia. Destroyer's latest album is ken, and Bejar is on tour with the musicians who performed on the album: David Carswell and Nicholas Bragg, guitars; JP Carter, trumpet; Ted Bois, piano; Colin Cowan, bass; and Joshua Wells, drums.

Although he likes to think in filmic terms as a songwriter, Bejar is modest when Lucia asks him if he'd like to score films. "I would love to," Bejar says, "but I would be terrible at it."

Use the audio player above to listen to the complete in-studio session.

Songs Performed

"Tinseltown Swimming in Blood"
"Saw You at the Hospital"
"Times Square"
The first two songs are from Destroyer's 2017 album, ken, and the third song is from their 2015 album, Poison Season, both released on Merge/Dead Oceans.

Hosted by Mary Lucia
Produced by Anna Reed
Engineered by Ben Miller, Zack Rose and Lisa Urman
Visuals by Chris Savage
Web feature by Luke Taylor

Resources

Destroyer (Facebook)