“Intimate” is probably the best way to describe former Soul Coughing lead singer Mike Doughty’s most recent artistic endeavors. His latest record, Sad Man Happy Man, is a collection of pared-down acoustic offerings that lean heavily on his scratchy, emotive vocals and syncopated guitar work. Lyrically, Doughty combines the quirky wit of his Soul Coughing days with the sage observations of his three previous solo efforts, touching on everything from breakups to heroin addiction (Doughty himself is a recovered addict).
To support the album, Doughty has embarked on an acoustic tour featuring only himself and cellist Andrew “Scrap” Livingston. As a solo act, Doughty has split time between touring with a four-piece band and playing acoustic sets, but lately has been more interested in playing stripped-down shows.
“[For Sad Man Happy Man] I wanted a record where I could just play with Scrap and do the whole thing live,” Doughty said.
He also noted that after two slick alt-rock releases, 2005’s Haughty Melodic and 2008’s Golden Delicious, much of his rabid fan base was anxious for a return to his acoustic roots.
“People were really looking for an acoustic record,” Doughty said. “So far, the reaction has been really gratifying.”
Doughty is no stranger to playing bare-bones acoustic shows. After Soul Coughing dissolved in 2000, he toured the country in a rental car, selling copies of his solo debut, Skittish, which was recorded in just a day.
Those early years on the road helped Doughty to develop into a dynamic solo act. They also helped him learn how to control smaller, sometimes rambunctious bar crowds.
“My shushing techniques have really evolved over the years. There’s even a video of me bouncing a guy on YouTube,” said Doughty, who was quick to point out he only takes such action on the most persistent hecklers.
Eventually Doughty built a following independent of Soul Coughing and signed to Dave Matthews's label, ATO Records. He has since found some mainstream success, having two songs (“Looking at the World From the Bottom of a Well” and “I Hear the Bells”) featured on "Grey’s Anatomy."
According to Doughty, distancing himself from Soul Coughing was a gradual process, but one that has paid off.
“It’s nice to be in your second life,” he said. “There are still Soul Coughing fans out there, but I’ve been touring long enough now that everybody is looking for an acoustic show.”
Since 2007, a staple of Doughty’s distinctive acoustic show has been the use of a “question jar,” which allows fans to write down questions for Doughty to answer between songs. No query is too bizarre for a response.
“People tend to go for weird rather than serious,” he said. “I think the best question so far this tour was ‘Would you rather play Twister with Dick Cheney or punch a kitten in the face?’”
The answer? Fear not, animal lovers — Doughty won’t be getting angry calls from PETA any time soon.
“As much as it pains me to say, I’d probably play Twister with Dick Cheney," he said. "I don’t think I could punch a kitten.”
Go see Mike Doughty
Mike Doughty will be performing Thursday, Nov. 19 at the Westcott Theater. Doors open at 8 p.m. and the music starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20 to stand, $25 to sit.
Photo courtesy of Laura Musselman [10] / CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 [11]
