When I interviewed Ted Leo before the release of The Brutalist Bricks earlier this year, he seemed a bit apprehensive — yet guardedly optimistic — about his future in music. Yes, the thought of retiring from life as a full-time musician was looming, but it wasn’t imminent. However, that seems to have changed in the intervening months.

In a recent interview with Joseph Lord of Louisville’s Velocity (the story is only in print at this point), Leo seems to have pretty much decided that 2010 will be his last of making music as a livelihood. He just doesn’t see it as a sustainable model for himself and the Pharmacists — and drooping record sales (which was also a theme of my chat) is the driving factor in the decision. Per Leo:

People don’t think record sales matter to musicians. If you’re selling less than 10,000 records, it probably doesn’t matter. And if you’re selling more than 100,000 records, it probably doesn’t matter. But if you’re selling somewhere in the middle, it can make a huge difference.

It’s a losing proposition for us at this point. It’s something we can’t keep doing. It’s a simple, unfortunate fact. In our particular case, it is totally tied to a downturn in record sales.

And while some of his talk seemed to hint at part-time rock and roll antics in 2011 and beyond, other statements were much more foreboding and worrisome.

I’m going to be totally honest with you. By next year, there’s no way I’m going to be able to be on tour like I have been these last few years. There’s no way I’m going to be able to keep writing and recording and playing music.

a big part of the problem is that his last two albums have been pretty terrible and i'm a huge ted leo fan

a big part of the problem is that his last two albums have been pretty terrible and i'm a huge ted leo fan

Ted Leo not "retiring," but will make "some changes" in 2011
by Kyle Ryan July 7, 2010

The ever reasonable Ted Leo just posted a level-headed response to a "classic journalistic hissy-fit" that he's retiring at the end of the year. He's specifically mentioning a post on Buzzgrinder, which quotes an interview where he says the life of a touring indie musician ain't paying the bills anymore.

Although "the energy we have inside us is not as boundless as it once seemed," Leo adds that he isn't planning to stop altogether.

"The important part of what I said in the particular interview that was re-quoted without full context by Buzzgrinder, is that we’re completely booked through the end of 2010, but that yes – by next year, you will see some changes – it simply can’t go on like this forever; followed by “I’M SURE I’LL NEVER STOP MAKING MUSIC,” which is a statement I stand behind, but as I said in Spin a while ago (just to make sure you understand that this doesn’t come completely out of left field), pretty soon, I have to start figuring out what comes next."

What comes next? He's not sure, or he's not saying. Either way, he sounds a bit like Trent Reznor these days—maybe they could collaborate in a new, non-touring band? It'd probably be a whole lot more interesting than that new How To Destroy Angels EP.

By the way, did you see Ted Leo's version of "Everybody Wants To Rule The World" in A.V. Undercover?

Y'all are crazy, Brutalist Bricks is incredibly mediocre.

Y'all are crazy, Brutalist Bricks is fantastic.

but its clearly not as good as his best records

i find i can listen to shake the sheets and i really dont tire of it...is it great? probably not but very entertaining for what it is.