To say that Robert Pollard took the definition of "prolific" and ran with it in 2013 would be a gross understatement. The Guided by Voices frontman can't seem to slow down. By February of 2014, Pollard will have dropped seven — seven — LPs and EPs in just over a year between Guided by Voices, Circus Devils, his experimental rock trio with Tim and Todd Tobias, and his solo work. (That's not counting 7" singles, either. He's had a couple of those, too.)

Motivational Jumpsuit, the 21st full-length from Guided by Voices, comes out in February, and closely follows Blazing Gentlemen, Pollard's latest solo effort out this week on Guided by Voices, Inc. Pollard meticulously constructed each lyric of Blazing Gentlemen's 16 tracks from sentiments and snippets of conversation that he overheard and jotted down in a notebook. The ideas and wordplay that sprung forth from this new approach lead to some of the most entrancing explorations in rock the man has ever made, and as industrious as 2013 was for Pollard and his many pursuits, Blazing Gentlemen is a sterling indication that 2014's got plenty in store for those who can keep up with him.

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ESQUIRE.COM: Blazing Gentlemen and Motivational Jumpsuit come out within two months of each other. How does the process differ between a solo release and a Guided by Voices record?

ROBERT POLLARD: It really doesn't, other than the idea in the back of my mindthat a "Robert Pollard" album should maybe appear more like the work of a 56-year-old man, and I'm speaking mainly of the artwork and lyrics. With Guided by Voices it doesn't need age restrictions. It can be as "far out" or "immature" as necessary, not that Blazing Gentlemen isn't far out — it's just like, you know, with Peter Gabriel in early Genesis, he could be the Watcher of the skies, a Slipperman, Britannia or whatever, but on his solo albums he was just Peter Gabriel.

ESQ: Was there a breakthrough moment when you were writing or recording Blazing Gentlemen?

RP: I came up with a new formula for writing that started with keeping a notebook full of ideas, phrases, and various bits of imagery. I've always done that, but not as extensively or religiously. I did it over the course of three months, and had 120 pages of titles and lines. From that, I wrote maybe 40 or 50 lyrics by stringing various lines from the notebook together, adding extra lines here and there. Then I took my favorite lyrics and sang them a cappella, line by line, or stanza by stanza. It created multiple hooks within each song. Lastly, I created chord progressions for each thing that I had written. The final step turned the songs into anthems.

ESQ: When did you start doing all that?

RP: It started on our last U.S. tour, I think for Class Clown Spots a UFO, and it began immediately. Mostly, I would turn the television on with very low volume. I can't hear anyway. And I would record interesting lines that caught my attention, a thing that sounds funny or interesting to me, but for the most part not what was actually being said. Like "Blazing Gentlemen" I'm sure came from "ladies and gentlemen." It has to do with blurring reality and illusion, and I'm sure it's an ancient process in rock music. I don't recall which song came first out of that process.

ESQ: You're coming out with a tremendous amount of material. What's a day like for you?

RP: As far as playing out, and this has always been the case, much more down time than playing out. I probably work at home four or five times a week, always between 6 or 7 a.m. and noon. Sometimes longer. I can get totally absorbed and lose track of time doing that. Songwriting comes in great rushes, but it doesn't usually take very long.

ESQ: What'd you learn about songwriting or life from making Blazing Gentlemen?

RP: That one should always be looking for a new way or process in approaching his or her art. A way to keep the juices flowing and keep it interesting. To avoid becoming static.

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