John McCauley may just be the first folk rocker who doubles as a self-wholesale pimp. Self created and wishful billboard, he’s gone on record to vend himself to the highest bidder for their commercials and campaigns. There is no shame with selling out when you know your shit is this good. The Rhode Island crooning guitarist, who plays under the mantra Deer Tick, would seem more rooted in the swamp filled south. His debut full length War Elephant seeps the train yard tales of a man lost, found, and disappointed graciously masked by the pick of his strings and a slight New England arrogance. We sit down with McCauley to discuss averting both pop music demons and failure.

Pensatos: There’s a lot of heart ache buried on War Elephant. A longing of sorts for what used to be. Tell me a little bit about the life of John McCauley before this album.
Deer Tick: John McCauley is a hopeless romantic and terrible lover. It’s always been that way. I grew up in the Catholic Church which I think is responsible for skewering my outlook on things like love and how forced and fake it can be. Since denouncing my faith at the age of 13 I’m still trying to put together little puzzle pieces of my childhood and early teenage years. A lot happened; I only feel impacted by the bad stuff from pre-adulthood. Ever since I completely severed ties with the church and got myself out of high school I’ve collected a lot of good memories. Songwriting is my only way to lament these things that happened to me and tell people about them, whether I write about real things that happened to me or choose to get a little metaphorical is at my discretion - I like being a little enigmatic about my past.

I’m pretty confident I’ll find my place in the music world someday soon. I just hope its not behind the counter of a record store.

Your influences have been said to range from G.G. Allin to Gram Parsons. Which would you say has had a more prominent effect on your writing style?
I don’t know. I write in a few different styles and try to incorporate things I like about everything in my songs. I think the next album will be a better example of that. But Townes Van Zandt and Nirvana might be the two things that effect my songwriting the most.

Is War Elephant the type of album you originally set out to write?
No. Most of the songs on War Elephant I wrote as far back as 4 years ago. I mostly compiled my favorites and decided to rerecord them to give it an album sound. The production on the album is pretty close to my original vision though.

War Elephant is an album accessible to casual music listeners while retaining hidden nuggets of wisdom and subtle genius for those who really like to think about what they’re hearing. What’s the secret to creating such a versatile sound?
I think it might have something to with being a sucker for pop music. I put a lot more thought into my lyrics; I go with my pop (and sometimes commercial country) instincts for the music and melodies.

Hailing from Providence, Rhode Island, inquiring minds wonder how the deeply rooted country sound came into the picture. Does this prove you don’t have to have just stepped off a bus in Nashville to write an album in this vein?
Providence, RI is just as American as country music. I feel more comfortable calling the United States my home than Providence. Anybody can feel inspired to write and perform music like this. I just happen to live far from its more prominent regions.

I’d sell out. If some company wants to give me thousands of dollars to use my song in an advertisement for some shit I don’t eat or a truck I don’t drive. I’d have a ball.

With all the craze over danceable electronic independent artists these days, the bar has been lowered to allow a slew of acts devoid of any real musicianship to be ushered into the spotlight. This doesn’t leave much room for an alternative country act like Deer Tick, or does it?
I wouldn’t say that exactly. I can get down with danceable electronic music. I’m pretty confident I’ll find my place in the music world someday soon. I just hope its not behind the counter of a record store.

Your Myspace page says, “Any consideration for your McDonalds or your Chevy commercial would be appreciated. Deer Tick’s lookin’ to really sell out.” This is obviously tongue in cheek, but would you sell out for the right price? Some, though, might call it buying in. What’s the difference for you?
I’d sell out. If some company wants to give me thousands of dollars to use my song in an advertisement for some shit I don’t eat or a truck I don’t drive. I’d have a ball. I’ll sing the Monday Night Football song. It doesn’t matter to me. I don’t get a weekly paycheck; I’d be more than happy to take a fat check from McDonalds. Talking like this though, I think I’m blowing my chances! Selling out and buying in… the difference? … Desperation maybe?

What can we expect to see from Deer Tick in the near future? In the not-so-near future?
I’ll be recording through the winter. I hope to get enough material together for a double album. I want to call it “What It Takes to Be a Musician” (the name comes from an essay I wrote in seventh grade, which will be included in the liner notes). I hope that in a few years I’ll be able to go Vegas - but realistically, I’ll probably just keep recording and touring for the next couple of decades. I’d also really like to collaborate with Alicia Keys and Johnny Farina (of Santo & Johnny) someday.

• review: Deer Tick - War Elephant