02.06.2020
IN CONVERSATION: WHEN ELVIS COSTELLO MET TOM WAITS
Far Out Magazine: 27th January 2020
In February 1989, at a meeting in a chow mein joint named The Red Eight in downtown Los Angeles, two figureheads of rock music sit down to chew the fat.
Tom Waits, the person who chose the restaurant because it is relatively close to his home, arrives straight from the set of Demon Wine, a play that he was appearing in at the time. With his hair died red for the role, he got a call from an old friend, Elvis Costello, who is in town for meetings with his record label.
Having crossed paths a number of times during their careers, the now-defunct LA-based music publication Option had managed to pitch Waits and Costello the idea of a ‘summit talk’ and let them eavesdrop on the results. Digging through the archives, Far Out managed to get our hands on a copy of the interview and thought we’d bring it back to life for you.
Enjoy a glimpse into the 1980s through the eyes of two of the most important figures of recent alternative music history. Discussing everything from the nature of music to the deep dive into their creative process.