Imaginary People’s Dylan Von Wagner takes his beef with society to another level on Alibi. His disdain for our current culture’s divisiveness, polarization and intolerance informs every nook and cranny of the New York City band’s third album. Recorded by Phil Weinrobe (Nick Murphy, Pussy Riot) in Manhattan and the Catskill Mountains, Alibi is meant to be a tough listen, even by Imaginary People’s audacious art-rock standards.
Von Wagner isn’t a big fan of covers, but he made an exception for this drastic reworking of Bruce Springsteen’s “State Trooper,” which aligns perfectly with the controlled chaos of Alibi’s 10 originals.
“I’ve always loved Nebraska,” says Von Wagner. “I was warming up with ‘State Trooper’ one day in rehearsal when a riff came out of nowhere, and we latched onto it. Then we realized we could tailor this raw acoustic sketch to an arrangement that fit our interpretation of the lyrics. It was a good accident to have—and I’m sure Bruce would approve.”
We’re proud to premiere Imaginary People’s “State Trooper.” Alibi is out September 12 on Five Five Diamonds.
—Hobart Rowland
