We talk to Mike Kinsella about the standout track from ‘The King Of Whys’.

Owen is set to release his new solo album ‘The King Of Whys’ later this month, and we have the first play of its next single and standout track, ‘A Burning Soul’. The track, which follows ‘Settled Down’ in previewing his Wichita debut, deals with Mike Kinsella’s father’s drinking problem, looking back from a new, more secure place. ‘A Burning Soul’ is refreshingly frank, and sees Kinsella growing even more confident, twenty years into his career. Stream ‘A Burning Soul’ and read a chat with Kinsella about the track, American Football, and the future, below.

What was the inspiration for ‘A Burning Soul’, and does it tie into a whole theme that runs through ‘The King Of Whys’?

That one's about how my dad drank too much. I grew up resenting him for it, but now, as a grown man with a family of my own, I have a lot more sympathy for him. Which definitely ties into the album's theme as a whole - the confluence of reality and desires and getting old.

Did getting American Football back together have any influence on how you approached a new Owen album?

Yeah, after playing in a band again, where there is a lot of compromising and concessions being made, I was excited to say whatever I wanted however I wanted to say it.

What did you learn from bringing in other musicians to the recording process, and can you see how they’ve affected the sound compared to previous Owen albums?

I learned that there are a bunch of people who can hear music and play music way better than I can! I usually go into a session with pretty specific ideas about what the songs will sound like and then layer the tracks accordingly until I get there, but this time I mostly went in with just the skeletons of songs and let Sean and Zach help figure out where the songs would go. And it made a huge difference - I feel like there's a lot more atmosphere and room in the songs.

You’re playing a series of shows in a London church later in the year - do you see ‘The King Of Whys’ as an album that deserves to live in the grandest of rooms?

Ha. No, I would never make that statement about my music. The songs I write are usually born in my kitchen or basement or at a bar, often times amidst the clatter and grind of daily life. While they're often quiet and/or contemplative, they're anything but precious. At least in my mind. Wait - unless kitchens and bars can be considered as "grand"....

Amongst all your projects and bands, does playing as Owen feel most like home, and therefore let you be the most honest in its songs?

Yeah for sure. Like I said, I get to say and do whatever I want, so I'm able to express my crabby dad side without worrying about how that would reflect on other people. Also, that's sort of my only side.