If you have a little brother or sister, or even a bundle of joy of your own, chances are you'll recognize Steve Burns as the benevolent—if slightly slow-witted—host of Nickelodeon's Blue's Clues. After retiring the green-striped shirt in 2001, Steve got together with veteran producer David Friedman and indie-rock gods the Flaming Lips to record his first CD, Songs for Dustmites. The album has met with great critical acclaim, and so A&F sent Patrick Carone to have a listen.
 

Is making an album something you've thought of doing for a long time?

Sure. I mean, being a rock star is everybody's dream, right? The interesting thing is, I didn't leave Blue’s Clues and say, "Rock 'n' roll is next!" There wasn't a real strategy that way. I had always been making music, and I played it for David Friedman, who is my favorite producer, and he liked it. And he said, "I could work on a couple songs with you," and then he hooked me up with the Flaming Lips, and it sort of developed its own momentum. Eventually it got to a point where I realized I had to do something with all of this. I’ve been too blessed with opportunities to not pursue this like a wild man.

David Friedman liked what he heard right away?

I think so. He had a Blue's Clues birthday party the night before I called him—how fortuitous is that? So I guilted him into listening to my CD, and he was pretty surprised. There is tremendous precedent for projects like this to completely suck. That is a mountain that is always in front of me with this. People bring to the table this expectation of horrible music. But the good news is, my record has been very credible and able to stand up on its own. Once people hear it, it turns around in their mind really quickly and they like it.

How was working with the guys from the Flaming Lips?

It was a really easy process. I mean, I was intimidated, because they are my favorite band. I think they are probably the best thing out there. I was horribly afraid to meet them, but within 10 minutes of meeting Steven Drozd, we were just sitting on the floor laughing like a couple of college kids.

I feel there is something about the Flaming Lips—their music and lyrics and stage show—that conveys a sense of childlike wonderment.

There is a thread of logic between Blue's Clues, where I would talk to animated bars of soap, and working with a man who pours blood on his head and talks to people in furry outfits. It wouldn't work with any other kids' show, and it wouldn’t work with any other band. There is a kind of wide-open sense of wonder in the Flaming Lips music that I hope is in mine.

Do you see a connection between the TV show and the type of music that you are playing?

I like to think the album is educational—it shares that with my life in kids' TV. The other thing I learned is that people respond to dynamic shifts. If you talk really quiet and then really loud, it gets people’s attention, and I think that is a fundamental aspect of rock 'n' roll music. It’s something I have tried to take to the extreme on the record.

Do you notice your young fans listening to your music?

I see a lot of tweens when I do in-store appearances, which is great. I mean, obviously I am not targeting any kind of crossover demographic, but I think it is great if they are into it. I have had a lot of lessons in targeting demographics—I was the host of a kids' TV show—and it was never my favorite aspect of what we were doing. Sure, if I wanted to be superfamous and make, like, a million dollars, I would have written a children's record. But that is not what this is about. So I wasn't really targeting any sort of demographic. Unless you count people who are into nano-technology and have a little problem with the Discovery Channel. I am targeting those people.

You did some singing on the show, right?

Well, sort of singing, nothing major. I would be most likely to sing if I got the mail. I would also often sing songs with salt shakers made of felt.

Have you encountered a difference in reaction to your music depending on where you have played?

No, the reaction is pretty much the same. You know, the crowd is kids in their 20s primarily. And there are always four or five really confused-looking soccer moms from the suburbs, who might not have been to a rock show in a very long time and are kind of huddled together for protection in the corner.

Are there people who recognize you?

Yeah, I tell people right up front that I am the guy from Blue's Clues, and I am making this crazy music for you right now. I think there is an interesting tension between those two ideas. On one hand, you have got this silly giant kids' show, and on the other hand you have this incredible rock record. And it does make you think. And in the same way, it’s been a real polarizing experience for me as well—I have gone from kissing babies to signing boobies.

Do you ever find moms that took a liking to you or flirted with you?

All the time. I have a whole folder of naked email I have received. I mean, I am a short guy, I am losing my hair—there is no reason why a mom should be sending me a sexy email. It’s just that I possess all the long-term mating criteria according to some study I read in GQ—I appear to be friendly and good with kids. But I don't have any of the short-term stuff.

Do people you meet expect you to act like your character in Blue's Clues?

Sadly enough, yeah. People expect you to inhabit the same kind of moral construct off camera that you do on-screen. Which really doesn’t make any sense. On the show, I couldn’t tell the difference between shapes and colors. I don't know why people would expect me to be that yokey-dopey in real life.