If you ever wondered what keeps the Gin Blossoms rolling through three decades of jangle-pop heartbreak, Robin Wilson has the answer: airports, REM, and a deep sense of never really growing up. “I just started writing songs and felt like I was reconnecting with my 20-year-old self,” Wilson says about Mixed Reality, the band’s first album in eight years. “That kid would’ve wanted to present these songs to the band.”
The kid apparently also wanted to name-check the college rock pantheon. Mitch Easter and Don Dixon — the team that gave early REM its chime — produced Mixed Reality, which leans so hard into that vintage sparkle it might as well have come with a free IRS Records sampler. “I had Don and Mitch’s catalog in my thoughts,” Wilson admits. “It wasn’t like I sat down to write an REM song — it’s just what came naturally.”
What comes naturally for Wilson also includes complaining about JFK Airport. On the album, there’s a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it ragtime ditty called “JFK Shitshow.” It’s exactly what you think it is. “I was stuck on the tarmac again — there’s nowhere to park, no ground crew,” he says. “So I started singing that song in my head. By the time we actually parked, I had the whole thing. Went home, sang it to my son. Later, I hear him bragging to his aunt about it — mostly so he could curse.”
All these years later, the band’s past still looms large. They’ve spent the last few years playing New Miserable Experience in full, which forced Wilson to finally re-listen to it. “I heard it with an objectivity I never had before. I was like, ‘Holy crap — this is good!’ Even our crew was like, ‘Wait, all these songs are on one album?’ Yeah. We’re pretty good.”
They’re also still sentimental about the ghosts. Face the Dark started as a breakup song but turned into a tribute to founding member Doug Hopkins. “I realized it applied to him, to our relationship. And his final days,” Wilson says. “I think he was facing the dark.”
As for anniversaries, the Gin Blossoms have racked up plenty. Their first record Dusted turned 30. Their covers EP Shut Up and Smoke turned 25. And today, Wilson will proudly tell you about fronting Kiss — yes, the Kiss — on Letterman to promote the Kiss My Ass tribute album. “Jean and Paul flanked me during the solo, doing that coordinated rock back-and-forth. I literally had to look straight up to see both their faces. I’d dreamed of being in Kiss since sixth grade — and for a minute, I was.”
There’s more. He fronts the Smithereens these days, too. “We’re talking about making a record. And a new Gin Blossoms record, too. Maybe I’ll knock out all three — Gin Blossoms, Smithereens, and Kiss. And if REM wants to call, you know, I’m qualified.”
Tune in for a comprehensive chat with Robin Wilson, filled with memories, influences, and future plans.
