Old-Fashioned Lynching

Talking about Stephen Lynch's 2012 album Lion, his fifth release, one reviewer described the Pennsylvania-born comedic songwriter as an “evil Paul Simon”.

“Evil might be a bit harsh,” muses Lynch, when this is brought up. “And how do we know Paul Simon's not evil himself? Why does he get a free pass, because he wrote Bridge Over Troubled Water? Okay, I guess if you write Bridge Over Troubled Water you do get a free pass.

“But it's an honour to be likened to one of the greatest singer-songwriters of all time and that sound was what I was going for – that is the kind of music I love and I was raised on and still listen to, to this day. The intention with this record was to play and record the kind of music I like, which I had never done before. The idea [on my other albums] was always to be as funny as possible; with this one, I wrote the music first and then tried to crowbar the jokes around it. And it worked!”

Lion is a collection of beautifully written, atmospheric songs that also pack a punch with inventive, playful lyrics and slow-burn jokes. They're not inaccessible works about grand themes – rather, they're songs about tripping on acid at the mall, disagreeing about music with a partner, or questionable tattoo choices. Nashville alt.country singer-songwriter Courtney Jaye, on the duets and backing vocals, adds a gorgeous, velvety sonic layer to the proceedings.

Lynch says he's in this for the music, and the comedy was a “happy accident”, but still considers himself outside both the worlds of music and of comedy. “I don't play comedy clubs and that's not where I cut my teeth, it was more music clubs, so I don't feel part of that fraternity,” he says. “And I don't tour with bands and have support acts and that sort of thing, so I feel like I'm not really part of the music world. I'm in my own little floating bubble between the two, and don't really penetrate either one.”

But Lynch has netted a wide audience all over the world since he inked his first record deal in 2000. He's a familiar face in the US, where he's been on TV frequently and he recently did a stint on Broadway playing the lead role in musical The Wedding Singer, based on the Adam Sandler film – but he says he relies on YouTube for his global fanbase.

“YouTube is the new grassroots movement, thank god for it,” he says. “It would be incredibly easy to say 'Fuck YouTube' because they ruin the jokes... but it helps record sales, and it helps sell tickets. I'm not a fan of the quality of the video or audio on there, but who cares? It allows people to share you with their friends, and I'm all for it.”

The son of two teachers – who were formerly a priest and a nun – Lynch says his songs that poke fun at religion, such as Craig and Too Jesusy don't cause familial tension. In fact, it's quite the opposite.

“My parents love those songs,” he says. “Trust me, there are songs that I've written that my parents have not enjoyed, but the ones that target the hypocrisy and the patriarchy of the church, they really love that shit.”