Shellac returns!

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More than two decades have passed since Shellac played a show in Atlanta. Singer and guitarist Steve Albini, bass player Bob Weston, and drummer Todd Trainer graced the stage at the Clermont Lounge with a set of lean, hard-hitting noise rock assaults from the group’s early 7-inches and its debut album, At Action Park (Touch and Go), which wasn’t quite a year old at the time. The group emerged amid a national music climate that was still trembling with Nirvana fever. But Shellac rose above the trappings of the grunge era by forging a singular, self-reliant path, running business on the group’s own terms. For Shellac, touring has never had any correlation with an album’s release date — the group’s latest album, Dude Incredible, has been out since 2014. And existing outside the music business machinations has afforded the group an existential freedom that has kept it alive.

By all accounts, Shellac’s 1995 Atlanta stop wrought the kind of Old Testament-style debauchery that left Sodom and Gomorrah consumed by fire and brimstone. Tonight (Fri., Oct. 28), the group returns to play the Mammal Gallery. Before making their way to Atlanta, Weston took a few minutes to answer some questions via e-mail about what the group has in store.

The last time Shellac played a show in Atlanta was March 25, 1995 at the Clermont Lounge — 21 years ago. Do you have any memories from that show?

That’s the only time in my life I’ve ever been inside a strip club. I was kind of uncomfortable. I went across the street to a coffee shop so I didn’t have to be in there any longer than necessary.

We shared the dressing room with the girls. At one point I turned around and saw one of their naked butts right in one of the other guy's face as the young lady was nonchalantly bending over to put on her shoe.

Is it still the case that Shellac often performs in places that aren't traditional music venues?

We try to when we can. We think it makes for a more memorable show. Years from now will you remember anything specific about that Shellac show at the venue where you’ve seen hundreds of other bands? They all start to blend together in your memory, right? But you will remember seeing Shellac at the sad old strip club.

How does minimalism play a role in Shellac’s approach to playing music and writing songs?

We started playing the way we do without any minimalist agenda. Keeping things simple and open clicked for us. I don’t feel like we’ve exhausted the possibilities of three people playing three instruments, so there’s no need to complicate things yet. I wouldn’t say that minimalism is important to us. It’s just a description of how much of our music ends up sounding. We like it. It works for us.

What do you love most about Todd Trainer’s drumming (or about Todd Trainer as a musician)?

I love the patterns and arrangements he eventually will come up with for every song, and watching them evolve as we develop each new song. There are constant minor adjustments at practices and live shows until suddenly the part becomes perfect. Then you can’t imagine the part being played any other way.

How often does Shellac get together to practice and write songs?

It happens less often as we get older and have more other commitments in our lives with family and work. We try to get together for a two-three-day weekend every two-four months. Sometimes we can get a couple of weekends pretty close together (same month), and those time periods are usually more fertile for songwriting. Also, unfortunately, there are sometimes six-month periods where we can’t get together.

For your Atlanta show, are you playing anything that was written after Dude Incredible?

There’s a slight chance that we may play one new song. We don’t plan out our sets in advance. We decide on-the-fly during the show. We normally end up playing at least a song or two from all the albums and first two singles. I like playing as many as we can fit from Dude Incredible. It seems like we normally end up playing four-six from that one.

Do you have a favorite song that you play live?

Lately, I really enjoy playing the bass part to “You Came In Me.” It’s a really fun part that I’m really proud of.

Shellac plays the Mammal Gallery tonight (Fri., Oct. 28), with Shannon Wright. The show is sold out. 8 p.m. 91 Broad St. S.W. www.mammalgallery.com.