David Duchovny on New Album Prince of Pieces, New Movie Soapbox, and Why Comedy Needs Movie Theaters: Podcast

David Duchovny has been transforming the phrase "actor-turned-musician" into a more significant artistic journey over the past decade. For his latest album, Prince of Pieces, he has focused on revisiting songs rather than experimenting with new versions. In a podcast interview, Duchovny discusses the record's lengthy creation process, the inspiration behind the track "Stay on the Train," and the shift in his creative process that began when he turned 50.

One aspect of Duchovny's creative output, songwriting, allows him to reuse familiar language that he might avoid in his fiction. He explains that in movies and songs, audiences don't expect rigorous originality; instead, they seek commonality and a sense of history. "Stay on the Train," his take on this concept, presents a collection of familiar father-child images centered around a piece of advice: progress even when surroundings change.

Duchovny also reveals that songwriting provides a disguise for his personal life. He describes the process as taking well-trodden modes of expression and giving them new life with his own experiences. This duality between personal and collaborative themes can be seen in Duchovny's film work. In the upcoming film, Soapbox, he not only stars but also writes and performs alongside his daughter.

Duchovny shares that this experience was profound and that his daughter was the film's shining star. He expresses pride in her performance.

While Duchovny acknowledges the increasing challenges faced by independent films in reaching theaters, he longs for a communal experience that once thrived: comedy. He hopes that a renewed sense of shared enjoyment in comedy can fill theaters again, as it once did for various genres.