Pat Sansone, Mikael Jorgensen, Jeff Tweedy, Glenn Kotche, Nels Cline, John Stirratt

For Wilco's Jeff Tweedy, a little down time made a whole world of difference.

Before the shaggy singer-songwriter began work on his band's eighth studio album last year, he took a much-needed break from touring. And it was the shot in the arm he needed.

"The amount of time we had off the road -- being able to relax a little bit and forget how to play the old songs -- added a certain freedom to the writing process," says the 44-year-old Chicago musician. "Once that was feeling fresher, everything else kind of followed suit. The whole rest of the record felt pretty liberated from the Wilco that's onstage every night. And it's easier to make something that feels fresh and new when you're not so immersed in your old songs."

If The Whole Love is anything to go by, maybe they should call time more often. With a stylistic and sonic palette that encompasses everything from folk and '60s garage-rock to psychedelia and post-rock, the disc -- in stores and online Sept. 27 -- is the alt-country sextet's most varied and adventurous work since their 2002 game-changer Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Like that album, it's accompanied by a change in the 16-year-old band's business model: It was released independently on Wilco's new dBpm label.

Hours before kicking off their latest tour in Indianapolis (so much for that break), the thoughtful and intelligent Tweedy -- now seven years sober after kicking a painkiller addiction exacerbated by migraines, depression and panic attacks -- discussed colliding worlds, accepting his self-centredness and the upside of being a no-hit wonder.

Over the years, you've moved between more traditional and more experimental worlds. This time the two feel more seamlessy integrated. Are you finally getting where you want to be?

I do think that's something we've been getting better at on the past couple of records. From our perspective it's kind of weird that those records are looked at as being straightforward and direct and less weird. I think maybe that's a case of us being too good at disguising what was going on! Because there's some pretty challenging and weird stuff on those records, at least for us to play. But we're still working towards something. Wilco likes a lot of different music. And it loves approaching music from a lot of different directions. We always seem to not be able to scratch every itch with one song. There's lots of different things we're trying to get at. So if this one feels more integrated, maybe it's that playing together for so long makes it sound more effortless.

Yeah, you've had a stable band for seven years now. Does that impact your writing -- knowing what they're capable of and wanting to challenge them?

I don't know if it does. I really just wanna make a good song I can put across with an acoustic guitar more than anything. Once we're in the studio, there's a deep appreciation for everyone's abilities and that contributes enormously to how collaborative the arrangements are and where we're able to go with these songs. But I honestly don't feel like I write with that in mind.

Lyrically, most of these songs don't seem to be about being loved. They seem to be about feeling alienated not only from love, but from the ability to love. Or am I reading too much into it?

(Laughs) No, I hear that. There are some consistent themes on Wilco records, and most of what you just talked about could be considered one of them. The concept of love is actually pretty easy; allowing yourself to love is very difficult and the part that people seem to have problems with as their fears control their lives. That needs to be transcended. It's worth applying effort -- not to fix somebody else, but to fix yourself in pursuit of that ability to love and to allow yourself to be loved. I don't know if I hear it more on this record; it's just part of who I am. I will say this: If it's more in the forefront, I'm really happy.

Nearly all songs have the word I in first line. In about half, it's the first word. What should we make of that?

That it was an oversight, or that I just stopped paying attention to stuff like that. In the past, I have felt self-conscious about there being a consistent first-person perspective. But I've come to learn writing in the third person doesn't really conceal anything about yourself. And writing in the first person doesn't necessarily mean you're writing about yourself. So I just stopped worrying about it and that's what came out. I'm just very self-centred, I guess.

Can I ask: Have you ever been in therapy? Your lyrics display a lot of introspection and self-analysis.

Well, if you talk to any addict or anybody who's had to maintain mood disorders, it's pretty much impossible to do that without help. Getting well requires that you learn. And digging deeper allows you to see more choices in your life. I've found that to be very helpful. It's just a part of the process and something I think is pretty good for you, damn it. (Laughs) But I've always had an innate inclination in terms of being introspective or philosophical. It took me years to realize that not everybody thinks about s--- all the time like I do. It still totally blows my mind. I guess the biggest difference for me is having some guidance and a healthier way of having that inclination and not being distracted by it.

I can see how having your own label makes sense from a control and business standpoint. But is there any advantage on the creative side for you?

No, not really. And that's actually the opposite tack a lot of journalists have taken. Everybody assumes the creative side of things must be liberated. But that's not the case. You're right; on the business side, it's great. It's a fairer deal and the playing field is much more level. But as far as a label presence in our creative process, that went out the window with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

You're hitting the road again. You seem to be one of few bands whose fans want them to play new material.

It probably helps that Wilco has never had real hit songs and records. If we had a bunch of hits, there would be people at our shows who were anticipating those songs and were maybe a little less willing to endure whatever is currently on our minds. But the band's fans have been really involved in this collaboration for a long time and they expect and want a certain amount of movement from us. That's a great place to be.

darryl.sterdan@sunmedia.ca