Kacy & Clayton bring ‘The Siren’s Song’ to Millheim

When Jeff Tweedy says he wants to be your friend, that’s not an offer you turn down.

Canadian duo Kacy Anderson and Clayton Linthicum befriended Tweedy after opening for Wilco last year, a partnership that led to Tweedy producing their latest album, “The Siren’s Song.” Anderson and Linthicum, who perform as Kacy & Clayton, will make their first central Pennsylvania appearance Saturday at Elk Creek Cafe + Aleworks.

Linthicum said he didn’t even think he would get to meet Tweedy at The Fillmore in San Francisco but was surprised when he wanted to hang out with them. That backstage conversation turned into an invitation to his recording studio in Chicago.

Linthicum and Anderson had already planned to record in the hometown of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, but scrapped those plans to take Tweedy up on his offer to record with him.

“We were shocked that he dropped by. We had a good hang out, talked about Richard Thompson and British folk music that we’re all into,” Linthicum said. “We were going through Chicago a few weeks later and ended up stopping off to record.”

“The Siren’s Song” is louder than the duo’s first release, “Strange Country.” The new album includes drummer Mike Silverman and bassist Schuyler Jensen, who are also now part of the band’s live shows.

The album aims to capture some of that live sound. Working with Tweedy helped Linthicum and Anderson overcome the notion that every song has to be 100 percent perfect.

“The mood of the session was to keep it live and not get too hung up on minor details,” Linthicum said. “Jeff encouraged us to accept the live takes we got and move on.”

Linthicum said playing shows with the band helps the set move along a little more quickly and lends itself well to venues like Elk Creek, where people are drinking and talking between songs.

“When we play as a duo I have to tune my guitar differently from song to song,” he said. “With the band, it’s a little slicker and people can talk and it doesn’t ruin the show.”

The band will be on tour in the U.S. through the end of the year, and Linthicum said they are planning a European tour in the spring. He’s hoping for some downtime in between to write songs, which can be difficult to do on the road.

“We get ideas on tour while we’re out moving around, but we finish the songs when we’re at home,” Linthicum said. “Even the simplest tasks can be a burden when you’re on tour and I can’t imagine finding time to write songs on the road.”

This story was originally published October 26, 2017 at 2:18 PM with the headline "Kacy & Clayton bring ‘The Siren’s Song’ to Millheim."