It actually started out as one of those jam things I was talking about, where I just had a few friends who wanted to play more and we talked about getting together once a week and just jamming. We did that once or twice and I was like, “This is boring, I’m tired of jamming.” I want to actually play some songs. It comes and goes, the moods of what kind of music I feel like making. Sometimes jamming is just dull and boring, so I started learning some songs. I want to do this forever. I’d love to have this going on always, just to keep in practice of playing and recording but you don’t have to write the songs. We’re still interpreting music. I feel very much super involved in it. I feel as excited about doing this stuff as I have about any Built to Spill things, and I feel its every bit as valid as a Built to Spill record. (via Pop Matters)

Words from the mouth of Built to Spill frontman Doug Martsch. Click below for more of the interview.

In 2006, Martsch sold 7-song discs of the Boise Cover Band album Unoriginal Artists on the Built to Spill tour that year. Why I hadn’t heard about it, I have no idea. But what I am certain of is this: This is a treasue.

The album consists of “reggae” covers of old soul tracks and even a little David Bowie. Since the release of You In Reverse Built to Spill have been touring constantly, but shy of the studio–this fills the void a little. If they are coming ANYWHERE near you, go see em. If you missed em, here’s the song of the day:

MP3: Boise Cover Band – “Ashes to Ashes (David Bowie Cover)”

This album is DEFINITELY worth the purchase: Newbury Comics | ShopIndi

More Doug Martsch related covers:

MP3: Boise Cover Band – “I Love You More (Lee Williams And The Cymbals Cover)”

MP3: Built to Spill – “Re-arrange (Gladiators Cover)”

MP3: Built to Spill – “Freebird (Lynyrd Skynyrd Cover) – Live”

and of course:

MP3: Built to Spill – “Cortez the Killer (Neil Young Cover) – Live”

This seems like an even nastier band.

Mostly they’re reggae songs, but we do them straight-ahead, not reggae-style. We just do them as pop songs. A lot of reggae songs, the influence came from soul music from America. So they kind of took soul songs and turned them into reggae, and we’re going to turn them into something else.

Most are kind of obscure reggae songs, but there’s a couple popular songs. Like we do a instrumental version of “Back on the Chain Gang” by The Pretenders. It’s sort of pretty and we sing “ahhs” in it but no words. We do “Ashes to Ashes” by David Bowie. Everything we do is really mellow and I play bass in the band. Our drummer and our guitar player are actually a guitar player and a keyboard player that have switched to those instruments. They’re good. We’re all in our mid-30s so everyone is pretty good at playing even instruments we don’t usually play. And we have another guitar player who is like a virtuoso hotshot guitar player. His name is Ned Evett and he plays a fretless guitar. He’s kind of a pioneer fretless guitar player. He’s amazing, beautiful. He just got done touring Europe and he did a couple shows with Steve Vai and shit.

Built to Spill, however, you can see live right now:

2/22/08 Echo Plex Los Angeles, CA

2/23/08 Echo Plex Los Angeles, CA

2/24/08 The Filmore San Francisco, CA

2/25/08 The Filmore San Francisco, CA

2/27/08 The Depot Salt Lake City, UT

2/28/08 Gothic Theatre Englewood, CO

2/29/08 Diamond Ballroom Oklahoma City, OK

3/1/08 Ridglea Theatre Fort Worth, TX

3/2/08 Stubb’s BBQ Austin, TX

3/3/08 Warehouse Live Houston, TX

3/4/08 Howlin’ Wolf New Orleans, LA

3/5/08 The Venue Gainseville, FL

3/6/08 State Theatre St. Petersburg, FL

3/7/08 LangeradoMusic Festival Big Cypress Indian Reserv, FL

3/8/08 Free Bird Live Jacksonville, FL

3/10/08 Neighborhood Theatre Charlotte, NC

3/11/08 The Orange Peel Asheville, NC

3/12/08 Variety Playhouse Atlanta, GA

3/13/08 Bijou Theatre Knoxville, TN

3/14/08 Headliner’s Music Hall Louisville, KY

3/15/08 The Pageant St. Louis, MO

3/16/08 The Blue note Columbia, MO

3/17/08 Madrid Theatre Kansas City, MO

3/19/08 Sunshine Theatre Albuquerque, NM

3/20/08 Orpheum Theatre Flagstaff, AZ

3/21/08 Belly Up Tavern Solana Beach, CA