Is His Past Present?

Early last month, John Doe blew through town like a 24-hour localized tornado. Doe, who along with Exene Cervenka led L.A’s seminal punk band X and alt-country pioneers The Knitters, flew in from California to perform at a screening of the 1985 concert documentary, X: The Unheard Music, at BAM. The next day Doe was whisked around the city for interviews with The Sundance Channel, MTV and Sirius Radio. The whirlwind finished on the Lower East Side, where Doe played a set at The Living Room, which was recorded for a special EP that was just released on eMusic. Somewhere in the middle of that, Doe found time to sit with me and relax in the shade of some struggling Midtown saplings. Doe, who with his pomaded hair and crisp Levis looked like a rancher dressed in his Sunday best, was nervously anticipating the release of his solo disc, A Year in the Wilderness, which would be hitting stores just a few days later.

Since 2005’s Forever Hasn’t Happened Yet had been heralded by critics as his best solo work to date, Doe was scared his new album might fall short of expectations.

“I have to admit, [recording] it was a little daunting,” Doe said. “It was like, ‘Oh shit, I hope I don’t screw it up.’ But I knew the songs were good.”

The album’s title, along with the artist’s amnesiac stage name, brings to mind loneliness, isolation, a man without a country. Doe says all the material is autobiographical, dealing with some personal changes that he’d rather not detail.

“Regardless of who you are and what you do, you go through the same sort of problems with relationships, with maintaining them or not. And in that way I am, we all are, the Everyman. Unless you’re a sociopath or something like that.”

Backed by Dave Carpenter on bass, Bryan Head on drums and Jamie Muhoberac on keys—the same band that is on tour with him now—Doe cut the basic tracks for Wilderness in about five days. Then he had his “stars” come in, one by one, and fill in the holes. Dan Auerbach from The Black Keys, Dave Alvin from The Blasters and The Knitters and Chris Bruce all lent the guitar licks that keep the songs alternating from searing blues-rock to twangy country-rock to mellow folk-rock. Aimee Mann and Jill Sobule each contribute their seductive voices to a track, while Kathleen Edwards harmonizes with Doe’s doleful baritone on three songs.

“It was cool that they were all willing to come in and play,” said Doe. “I guess that’s one of the perks about being around andnot sucking.”

As the fans who packed The Living Room last month could attest, Doe far from sucks. After nearly 30 years, the 54-year-old is still writing meaningful songs and singing them in one of the most honest and haunting voices in America. While he may not be able to forget his past as his name might imply, Doe is someone whose finest and most important moment is now.

July 26, Mercury Lounge, 217 E. Houston St. (at Ave. A), 212-260-4700; 10:15, $14/$16.