Semisonic frontman describes band's hit song as ‘bigger than we are’ ahead of local show

Writing a hit song is a tricky and unpredictable task, and often happens by accident. Semisonic frontman Dan Wilson knows all about that.

In 1998, the band’s song “Closing Time," seemingly about people leaving a bar in the wee hours of the morning following last call, became a hit. Even though it featured an edgier grunge-rock sound that radio stations were moving on from, it reached No. 11 on Billboard’s Radio Songs chart and No. 8 on the Mainstream Top 40. It was also nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Rock Song category.

“Closing Time” remains esteemed in pop culture. But it wasn't an ordinary hit along the lines of those songs such as "In A Big Country" by Big Country, "Take On Me" by A-ha or the "Macarena" by Los Del Rio. It was a hit like Don McLean's "American Pie" was a hit. Listeners had questions that were analytical and metaphorical.

Armchair philosophers, aspiring songwriters and fanatics examined the lyrics, offering their own interpretations centering on life and death, relationships and other poignant subjects. But Wilson told American Songwriter in 2022 the song is about fatherhood and was written while expecting his first child.

Semisonic, which also features John Munson (bass) and Jacob Slichter (drums), will perform on June 24 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino as part of the Last Summer on Earth Tour with Del Amitri and headliner Barenaked Ladies.

During a recent phone interview, Wilson described “Closing Time” as “not just a hit song.”

“It’s some sort of crazy evergreen perennial that hasn’t gone away, and that’s an unusual kind of hit. That’s the only thing that’s hard — the song is bigger than we are,” Wilson said.

Barenaked Ladies, the jokey Canadian band with an underground following in the U.S. known for songs such as “If I Had $1,000,000,” “Brian Wilson” and “Be My Yoko Ono” broke into the mainstream that same year with the hit “One Week.” The band embarked on a U.S. arena tour and invited Semisonic as the opening act.

It was an unusual pairing, a rock band and a group known for jangle pop, folk rock and comedy, but it worked in Semisonic’s favor.

“The audience was receptive and open to discovering new things,” Wilson said. “I remember watching Barenaked Ladies every night from the side of the stage and being astonished at how different every night’s gig was when they played. I didn’t realize they were going to do that. I was thrilled and impressed.”

'I felt like a fish out of water'

What happened after "Closing Time" is a familiar story in pop music. Even though Semisonic's 1998 album "Feeling Strangely Fine" sold a million copies and featured two more successful singles, "Singing in My Sleep" and "Secret Smile," the band was fading from the picture. The 2001 album "All About Chemistry" sold just over 50,000 copies.

The music industry and trends transformed into a new era during the end of the '90s and 2000s and Wilson noticed what the winds of change brought to the business.

"I knew we were outliers, but I didn't think too hard about it," he said. "It was only a couple of years later when we started playing festivals where the headliners were Limp Bizkit and there was suddenly a kind of toxic masculinity or whatever that term means — it was in full force. I felt like our songs had this sensitive, introspective and almost sweet side. Then I felt like a fish out of water. I didn't feel like I was lost in an industry shuffle, but the public was suddenly excited by a darker, more hostile music."

Semisonic went on hiatus in 2001 and Wilson began working on a solo record in 2003 with famed record producer Rick Rubin. The four-year project "Free Life" featured appearances by singer-songwriter Sheryl Crow, singer and instrumentalist Tracy Bonham, Natalie Maines of The Chicks and more.

Even though "Free Life" didn't thrust Wilson back into the spotlight, it did authenticate his skills as a songwriter. The Minnesota native moved his family to Los Angeles and began working with other artists. He helped write songs for The Chicks' 2006 Grammy Award winning album "Taking The Long Way" and Adele's 2011 Grammy Award winning single "Someone like You." Wilson is also credited as a songwriter on albums by Taylor Swift, Weezer, John Legend, Cuco and more.

"I ended up producing a lot of records and worked wonderful collaborators. I've had a fantastic experience working with brilliant people, but I've always kept this thing alive with John and Jake. We weren't writing songs that sounded like the band until 2017 and then I remembered how to be in Semisonic."

Semisonic released the five-song EP "You're Not Alone" in 2020, which was the band's first release in nearly two decades. Wilson said the band is sitting on 19 songs and wants to put out an album by the end of the year.

The lineup of Semisonic remains the same, but Barenaked Ladies' original frontman Steven Page left the band in 2009. The remaining members have since shared lead vocals on albums and live performances. Even though Page appeared and performed with the band in 2018 when the group was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame at the Juno Awards in Vancouver, there have been no signs of a reunion.

When asked if he could do Semisonic without Munson or Slichter, Wilson said "It would have to be the three of us."

"It's funny because I feel like members of bands hate each other. It seems to be a natural part of the life cycle, but we all love each other," Wilson said. "We haven't had to contemplate what the band would be with only two of us or something like that. It hasn't come up."

If you go

What: Last Summer On Earth featuring Barenaked Ladies with Semisonic and Del Amitri

When: 7:30 p.m., June 24

Where: Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84-245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio

How much: $39 to $89

More information: fantasyspringsresort.com

Desert Sun reporter Brian Blueskye covers arts and entertainment. He can be reached at brian.blueskye@desertsun.com or on Twitter at @bblueskye.

This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Semisonic frontman talks ‘Closing Time’ ahead of June 24 show