Checking In: Matthew Logan Vasquez Lives In Parallel Universes

First disc since 2014, Delta Spirit’s fifth LP What Is There leans hi-fi, lo-fi, DIY. “The song cycle seeks to make sense of the past decade for [bandleader Matthew Logan] Vasquez, and sonically unwinds itself from the high tension A-side to smoother, more assured back-half,” wrote Doug Freeman in a Sept. lead review. “It also works back the band’s sound.”

Matthew Logan Vasquez last weekend at the Haute Spot in Cedar Park for the Love & Lightstream Drive-in II (Photo by David Brendan Hall)

Austin Chronicle: Where are you sheltering and under what circumstances? Who else is there and how’s that going?

Matthew Logan Vasquez: I’m sheltering with my wife Marthe, my son Thor, and our cat Alayna. We’re living out in Wimberley and are having a blast. We started with a tiny bubble of us, my mom Deb, and her hubby Steve.

Our POD is more reasonable these days. We have about four families we see semi-regularly. We try to keep most of our time together spent outside.

AC: At what point did C-19 shut down operations for you, and what went down with the ship, so to speak, both personally & professionally?

MLV: My band Delta Spirit played the first and last show of our tour in San Francisco back in February. It was actually the last night public gatherings were allowed in the state. There was a lot of fear buzzing around and, to be honest, we were all relieved the state government forced us to cancel the other shows.

We had shows booked through Fall 2020. All of that is gone now. This year has felt like living in two parallel universes simultaneously. As this year rolled on, I’d get a notification about this or that, and I’d be physically transported to the ‘other 2020.’

AC: As a global culture, people employ music for every purpose imaginable, obviously spanning religion to entertainment and everything in between. What happens to communities like ours when people can no longer access it in person?

MLV: At this point, I’ve played every digital platform. I played my first drive-in show a few weeks back for the Hill Country Conservancy. To finally play live music loud and in front of people felt like flying. We miss it so much!

AC: Everyone’s had to shift or drastically alter their work situation. What does that look like for you?

MLV: We’ve tightened the belt quite a bit since March. My wife works from home, and I’m handling our son, who we took out of school. I’ve missed out on a lot of father/son time from years of touring, so I’m really enjoying this time.

I’ve also been lucky to do some commercial music work. Though the rest of the world seems like it’s falling apart, our little family is doing great. Acceptance has been our credo.

AC: What’s your soundtrack for the apocalypse and what role does music play for you as a fan and scholar of it in times of hardship?

MLV: ZZ Top’s Eliminator! It’s been on repeat all year, on the river and at home on the turntable. We’ve been keeping it light around the house. ZZ Top is Thor’s favorite band of all time.

We also love Devo and Ozzy. We’ve been focusing our energy into positivity and gratitude for what we do have. We’ve got each other, family, friends, a little house, and unknown days to fill with fun.

Check out the entire Checking In series.