New lineup helps pull band out of creative rut

Doug Martsch, the reticent-yet-blunt leader of Idaho-based rock band Built to Spill, once explained the Northwest indie favorites’ infrequent appearances in the South by saying it was just “too far to drive.”

Perhaps proving his point, the group’s current summer tour, which does include a swing below the MasonDixon, with a stop Tuesday at Minglewood Hall’s 1884 Lounge, has been beset by problems, including a broken-down bus.

“I’m the tour manager this trip, and I’m really bad at it, so I’ve gotten us lost a few times,” says a chagrined Martsch.

After almost 25 years in the music business, though, Martsch knows how to get back on the road, whether it’s literally with a faltering bus or metaphorically with his own creative career.

Built on the ashes of Martsch’s earlier band Treepeople, Built to Spill was formed in 1992 in the singer/ guitarist/songwriter’s hometown of Boise, Idaho, itself a distant outpost of the muchlauded Seattle music scene, which was enjoying the limelight at the time with the popularity of grunge. Like a lot of bands of the moment, Built to Spill was defined by heavy, often intricate use of electric guitar. Neil Young and his band Crazy Horse Boise, Idaho-based rockers Built to Spill — Steve Gere (from left), Doug Martsch and Jason Albertini — play Tuesday at 1884 Lounge.

were key influences both on the sound grunge and on Built to Spill, but Martsch’s songwriting took as much from the more angular approach of bands like the Pixies, Pavement and Dinosaur Jr.

Starting with the 1993 debut, “Ultimate Alternative Wavers,” Built to Spill — essentially Martsch with a rotating core lineup — began building a reputation as one of indie rock’s most dependable acts. The band has recorded eight albums, the last six with major label Warner Bros. Records, and, thanks in part to a heavy — if

largely South-free — touring regimen, has seen each subsequent release outperform the previous one.

But after Built to Spill’s last album, 2009’s “There Is No Enemy,” Martsch hit

a roadblock. After going into the studio in 2012 to record the follow-up with his longtime rhythm section of bass player Brett Nelson and drummer Scott Plouf, Martsch was decidedly unhappy with the results.

“I didn’t have that many ideas and was maybe uninspired more than burned out,” says Martsch, admitting the songs were not quite complete. “I was excited to (record) but kind of left a lot of things openended and got in the studio and felt I really didn’t have any great ideas.”

Martsch scrapped the recordings. Plouf and Nelson soon left the band, citing burnout. For their replacements, Martsch did not have to look far. Bassist Jason Albertini has been a roadie for the group off and on for more than a decade. Drummer Steve Gere is a fellow Boise native who similarly had been around the band for years in various roles.

“They were able to just jump right in,” says Martsch of the new lineup, which debuted just a month after Plouf and Nelson left. “There’s no real difference. Just a couple of different people, but they’re still friends. I think both rhythm sections are really great people to have around and great musicians. Different energy, but equally great.”

Reinvigorated by the new players as well as by a brief break, Martsch went back

into the studio with Albertini and Gere to tackle the earlier songs. Working in Portland, Oregon, with longtime collaborator Sam Coomes, Martsch intentionally — as he often has over the years — left Built to Spill’s other two regular members, guitarists Jim Roth and Brett Netson, out of the studio to concentrate on working with the new members and to pursue a more raw and stripped-down sound.

“It was totally reinvigorating, for sure,” says Martsch. “Just playing some different styles was kind of exciting. Everyone’s not playing the same thing over and over again, but people have their go-to techniques and sound or whatever, and it’s exciting to play with people who have different kinds of ideas. Mostly it’s just exciting that it worked out at all, that this was a cool band.”

The resulting album, “Untethered Moon,” came out in April of last year to predictably strong reviews, with Pitchfork elucidating one of the themes underneath Martsch’s beautifully fussed-over guitar layers: “a diffident soul finds his faith restored and his soul lifted by the music he’s loved his whole life.”

For this current tour, which is scheduled to stretch into the fall, Martsch has again left behind Roth and Netson to focus on working with Gere and Albertini, marking the first time Built to Spill has toured as a trio, the leader recalls, since the late 1990s. The idea is that, since Albertini lives in Portland and Martsch and Gere live in Boise, the band will get some time together to flesh out the new songs they are working on.

“That was the plan, but we really haven’t been able to so far,” says Martsch, citing the earlier tour kinks that have drained their free time. “There’s a few things that didn’t make it onto the record, and there’s just a lot of ideas we’ve been working on since that time. … Hopefully we will have some time.” Hadley’s Pub: Twin Soul, 9 p.m. Friday-saturday; Thump Daddy, 5:30 p.m. Sunday; Charlie Belt and Juno All Star Experience, 8 p.m. Wednesday; Chris Gavin, 7 p.m. Thursday. 2779 Whitten Road. 901-2665006. hadleyspub.com Side Car Café: Brian Johnson Band, 7-10 p.m. Wednesday. 2194 Whitten (at I-40). Call 901388-0285. Blues City Café: Blind Mississippi Morris at 5 p.m. and Brad Birkedahl Band at 9:30 p.m. Friday; Earl “The Pearl” Banks at 12:30 p.m., Blind Mississippi Morris at 5 p.m. and Brad Birkedahl Band, 9:30 p.m. Saturday; The Memphis 3 at 5 p.m. and Freeworld at 9:30 p.m. Sundays; The Memphis 3 at 7 p.m. Mondays; Earl “The Pearl” Banks at 7 p.m. Tuesdays; Brad Birkedahl Band, 8 p.m. Wednesdays; Harry Fontana, 9 p.m. Thursday. 138 Beale. 901526-3637. Kings Palace Café: David Bowen, 6:30-10:30 p.m. Fridays-saturdays, 5:309:30 p.m. Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday. 162 Beale. 901-521-1851. Kings Palace Café’s Patio: Sonny Mack and the Mack 2 Band, 2-6 p.m., and Sensation Band, 7-11 p.m. Fridays; Chic Jones & Blues Express, 2-6 p.m., and Fuzzy & The Kings of Memphis, 7-11 p.m. Saturdays; Chic Jones & Blues Express, 2-6 p.m., and North & South Band, 7-11 p.m. Sundays; Sonny Mack & The Mack 2 Band, 2-6 p.m., and Chic Jones & Blues Express, 7-11 p.m. Mondays; Sonny Mack & The Mack 2 Band, 2-6 p.m., and Sensation Band, 7-11 p.m. Tuesdays; Sonny Mack & The Mack 2 Band, 2-6 p.m., and North & South Band, 7-11 p.m. Wednesdays; Sonny Mack & The Mack 2 Band, 2-6 p.m., and Chic Jones & Blues Express, 7-11 p.m. Thursdays. 162 Beale. 901-521-1851. Kings Palace Café’s Tap Room: Metropolitan Avenue, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Friday; Delta Project, 8 p.m.-midnight Saturday; Don Valentine, 8 p.m.-midnight Tuesdays and Thursdays; Sean “Bad” Apple, 8 p.m.-midnight Wednesdays. 168 Beale. 901-576-2220. New Daisy Theatre: “Catalog Sessions” Celebrating the Music & Life of Prince, 7 p.m. Friday ($30); Andy Frasco and the UN, 8 p.m. Saturday (no cover), doors open 7 p.m.; Daisyland XL featuring NGHTMRE (aka Tyler Marenyi) at 10 p.m. Saturday ($15-$25), 18-older; Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons and Bloodkin at 8 p.m. Wednesday ($17-$20), doors open 7 p.m.; An Evening with Chris Robinson Brotherhood at 8 p.m. Thursday ($18 in advance, $20 day of show), doors open 7 p.m. 330 Beale. 901-525-8981 and 901525-8979. Rum Boogie Café: Pam & Terry, 5:30-8:30 p.m., and Eric Hughes Band, 9 p.m.midnight Friday; Pam & Terry, 5:30-8:30 p.m., and Little Boys Blues, 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Saturday; Memphis Blues Society Jam with Rex Marshall, 7-11 p.m. Sunday; Eric Hughes Band, 8 p.m.-midnight Monday; Gracie Curran & The High Falutin’ Band, 8 p.m.-midnight Tuesday; Vince Johnson & The Boogie Blues Band, 8 p.m.-midnight Wednesday-thursday. 182 Beale. 901-528-0150. Rum Boogie Café’s Blues Hall: Plantation All Stars, 3-7 p.m., and Sean “Bad” Apple, 8 p.m.-midnight Friday-saturday; Low Society Blues Review, 8 p.m.-midnight Sundays; Memphis Bluesmasters, 8 p.m.-midnight Monday; Mcdaniel Band, 8 p.m.-midnight Tuesdays-wednesdays; Memphis Bluesmasters, 8 p.m.midnight Thursdays. 182 Beale. 901-528-0150. Tracy Lawrence: 8 p.m. Saturday at Gold Strike Casino, 1010 Casino Center Drive, Tunica Resorts, Miss. Tickets: $39.95, $49.95, $59.95. Call 888566-7469 or 662-357-1111 day of show. Ticketmaster.com Abundant Grace Ministries: Gospel Singing Revival, 7 p.m. Friday with the “Almost Famous” Crains and Friends. 9239 E. Holmes Road. 901-299-8831. Huey’s: RC 3, 8-11:30 p.m. Sunday. 2130 W. Poplar. 901854-4455. Huey’s: The Dantones, 8:30 Gibson Guitar: Vintage Band, 7 p.m. Saturday. 2194 Lieutenant George W. Lee Ave. 901-544-7998. Huey’s: Soul Shockers, 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Sunday. 77 S. Second St. 901-527-2700. The Peabody: “Rooftop Party” with Seeing Red, 6-10 p.m. Thursday ($10). 149 Union Ave. 901-529-4000. East Tapas: Van Duren solo, 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays at 6069 Park. No cover charge. All ages. 901767-6002. Huey’s: The Heart Memphis Band, 8:30 p.m.-12:30 a.m. Sunday. 4872 Poplar. 901-6827729. Jim’s Place Restaurant & Bar: Hudson & Saleeby, 8:30-11:30 p.m. Wednesdays. 518 Perkins Ext. No cover. 901-766-2030. Memphis Botanic Garden: “Live at the Garden” Summer Concert Series — Heart, 8:30 p.m. Friday ($40) at 750 Cherry Road in Audubon Park. Call 901636-4107 and Ticketmaster Mortimer’s: Van Duren solo, 6:30-8:30 p.m. Thursdays at 590 N. Perkins Road. All ages. No cover. 901-761-9321. Neil’s Music Room: At 5727 Quince Road. 901-682-2300. facebook.com/neilsmusicroom

Fridays: Country music featuring Eddie Smith, Buddy Church, Tommy Burroughs, Terry Bailey. 8 p.m. No cover.

Saturday: Freeworld, 8 p.m. No cover.

Sunday: Benefit Beth & Tim Ingram, 3-8 p.m. Music by Rice Drewry & 3 Degrees, Eddie Smith, Velvet Dogs, Backstreet Crawler, Grand Theft Audio. ($7).

Tuesdays: Gene Nunez, Debbie Jamison and Michael Rainey, 6-10 p.m. No cover.

Wednesdays: Elmo & The Shades “Big Soul Dance Party” at 8 p.m. No cover.

Thursdays: Jack Rowell’s Celebrity Jam at 8 p.m. Musicians/vocalists welcome. No cover charge. Shady Grove Presbyterian Church: PRIZM International Chamber Music Festival 2016: “sacred lullaby” at 7 p.m. Friday; “music for dummies” at 1 p.m. and “a new world” at 7 p.m. Saturday at 5530 Shady Grove Germantown Presbyterian Church: Bealecanto presents “Southern Comfort: Songs of the American South,” for its 2016 Spring Concert. 3:30 p.m. Saturday ($10) at 2363 S. Germantown Road, Germantown. bealecanto.com Huey’s: Bluff City Soul Collective, 8:30-11:30 p.m. Sunday. 7677 Farmington Blvd. 901-318-3030. Lane Music Recital Hall: Tim Daniels presents “Summer Fun[draiser] Recital” featuring works by Camille Saint-saens, Francis Poulenc, and Eugene Goossens; in collaboration with pianist Perry Mears. 4 p.m. Saturday at 9309 Poplar Ave., Germantown. Juilliard-trained oboist, Daniels, shares a recital of 20th-century French and English oboe music to fund his summer education at the Aspen Music Festival and School. Donations are accepted to defray the cost of attendance. Light reception to follow. Beethoven Club: Leona “Heidi” Miller, 2016 Grace Moore Scholarship winner, presents a program of arias, art songs and musical theater selections. 3 p.m. Sunday at 263 S. Mclean (at Peabody). Free and open to the public. Reception follows concert. Bhan Thai: Loveland Duren, 7-10 p.m. Fridays at 1324 Peabody. No cover charge. All ages. 901-272-1538. The Blue Monkey: Piper Down, Friday; Ross Rice, Saturday. 2012 Madison. 901272-2583. The Cove: Reach, 10 p.m. Friday; The Tinglers, 10 p.m. Saturday; Marlowe Shepherd, 7-10 p.m. Monday; Don & Wayde, 7-10 p.m. Tuesday; karaoke, 10 p.m. Wednesdays; Jazz with Ed Finney and The U of M Jazz Quartet, 9 p.m. Thursday. 2559 Broad. 901-730-0719. Hi-tone Café: 412-414 N. Cleveland. 901-278-8663.

Friday: Dirty Streets, Slow Season, Canaan, Handsome Jack (big room), 9 p.m. ($10), 18-older; Allison’s birthday bash with Future DZ, Intimacy, Duma, Grey People (small room) at 9 p.m. (free), doors