The Shins' James Mercer Talks New Lineup, Old Songs

FUSE TV - The Shins' James Mercer Talks New Lineup, Old Songs

Fuse's Juliya Chernetsky caught up with the Shins' frontman James Mercer at Bonnaroo 2012 and talked about what it's like performing old material with an all-new Shins lineup (excepting Mercer, of course).

"It's interesting, the person's personality changes the parts, subtly," Mercer tells Fuse. "I've allowed a lot of freedom to riff and come up with new ideas."

He also chatted about the covers—from Pink Floyd to Squeeze—they've been peppering their sets with, and finding ways to stay engaged with their oldest material. "Now that we've got some new people in the band, that freshens it up a bit," he says, adding it doesn't take much to get him excited to play "New Slang" for fans. "That song is pretty effective even on me when we play it. It hasn't been that difficult to keep from getting bored."

But could "New Slang" ever get old? Check out the video above and then tell us what you think. And head over here for our complete coverage of Bonnaroo 2012, including interviews with performers, photo highlights and the best moments from the fest's final day. 

Out With The Old, In With The New

20m

Out With The Old, In With The New

The Dirtiest Song Ever Recorded

21m

The Dirtiest Song Ever Recorded

Lebron James: King of the Court

41m

Lebron James: King of the Court

Don't Swear In Front of The Song

21m

Don't Swear In Front of The Song

Asian Song Festival

21m

Asian Song Festival

Edward James Olmos

22m

Edward James Olmos

G Fella Delivers More Grilling Tips and Talks New Music

4m

G Fella Delivers More Grilling Tips and Talks New Music

Baby Talk

23m

Baby Talk

Old School Bounce

20m

Old School Bounce

Old Folks Phobia

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Old Folks Phobia

The New York City Hustle

1m

The New York City Hustle

James Davis Makes Pork Chops

20m

James Davis Makes Pork Chops

The Cadets and Their Spankin New Toys

43s

The Cadets and Their Spankin New Toys

LGBTQIA Community, What Is The New Norm?

6m

LGBTQIA Community, What Is The New Norm?

LA and Xristina Talk Transitioning

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LA and Xristina Talk Transitioning

The DCI Struggles of Starting A New Summer

46s

The DCI Struggles of Starting A New Summer

New York, New York

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New York, New York

LGBTQIA+ Rights, Let's Talk About It

2m

LGBTQIA+ Rights, Let's Talk About It

We Need To Talk About America

We Need To Talk About America

Fuse's Wildest New Series The Hollywood Puppet Shitshow: Sneak Peak

1m

Fuse's Wildest New Series The Hollywood Puppet Shitshow: Sneak Peak

A$AP Rocky & Trinidad James At H-Town Sneaker Summit

9m

A$AP Rocky & Trinidad James At H-Town Sneaker Summit

Robert Jordan Talks Life Outside of DCI

1m

Robert Jordan Talks Life Outside of DCI

New Generation

56s

New Generation

Young M.A Talks Whitney Houston & Barbershops

2m

Young M.A Talks Whitney Houston & Barbershops

New Beginnings

20m

New Beginnings

New Blood

45m

New Blood

The Exclusive Premiere of Big Freedia's New Music Video, "BigFoot"

3m

The Exclusive Premiere of Big Freedia's New Music Video, "BigFoot"

Nick Cannon Talks His Personal Opinion on Marriage

1m

Nick Cannon Talks His Personal Opinion on Marriage

We Need To Talk About America - S2 Trailer

1m

We Need To Talk About America - S2 Trailer

New Cage King

44m

New Cage King

A New High

1h 39m

A New High

Issa Rae Talks 'Raedio' and Prioritizing Therapy (Extended Cut)

12m

Issa Rae Talks 'Raedio' and Prioritizing Therapy (Extended Cut)

Plastic Surgery Talks With Dr. Miami and Jenelle Butler

6m

Plastic Surgery Talks With Dr. Miami and Jenelle Butler

Cajun Fried Mac and Cheese Balls In New Orleans: Fluffy Off the Menu

3m

Cajun Fried Mac and Cheese Balls In New Orleans: Fluffy Off the Menu

New Boss of Bounce

21m

New Boss of Bounce

New Girl In Town

22m

New Girl In Town

A New High - Trailer

2m

A New High - Trailer

Surgeon Dr. Crane Talks Breast Surgery, Focus On Trans Community

1m

Surgeon Dr. Crane Talks Breast Surgery, Focus On Trans Community

Gabriel Iglesias Talks Favorite Comedians and Large Penises: Ask Fluffy

4m

Gabriel Iglesias Talks Favorite Comedians and Large Penises: Ask Fluffy

Ayo and Teo Talk Their Evolution While Cooking With Their Father

10m

Ayo and Teo Talk Their Evolution While Cooking With Their Father

New York Skate Of Mind

22m

New York Skate Of Mind

T-Pain Talks Developing His Unique Style While Cooking With His Mom

12m

T-Pain Talks Developing His Unique Style While Cooking With His Mom

Does Finance Talk Stress You Out? Amara La Negra & Sharelle Rosado Tell All

5m

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The Beatles: In the Life

1h 2m

The Beatles: In the Life

The River and the Wall

1h 45m

The River and the Wall

RiRi Teases 'R9' With New Merchandise

2m

RiRi Teases 'R9' With New Merchandise

The Best of The Best Clash

2m

The Best of The Best Clash

The Blue Devils Bring The Parade

1m

The Blue Devils Bring The Parade

The 212

The 212

The Feels

1h 21m

The Feels

The Motorcycle

23m

The Motorcycle

The Citizen

1h 34m

The Citizen

The Canvas

The Canvas

The Exchange

1h 27m

The Exchange

The FP

1h 20m

The FP

The Reunion

45m

The Reunion

The Decision

44m

The Decision

The Pilot

21m

The Pilot

The Hustle

20m

The Hustle

The Ladies Play "Fill In The Blanks"

1m

The Ladies Play "Fill In The Blanks"

All the Focus is on the Diamonds

21m

All the Focus is on the Diamonds

Fluffy Tries Buttery Chargrilled Oysters at New Orleans Acme

3m

Fluffy Tries Buttery Chargrilled Oysters at New Orleans Acme

The Hilarious Reality of the American Rat Race

2m

The Hilarious Reality of the American Rat Race

The Sex Clinic

The Sex Clinic

Cassandro, The Exotico!

1h 15m

Cassandro, The Exotico!

The North Shore

22m

The North Shore

Free The Robots

9m

Free The Robots

The Read - Trailer

57s

The Read - Trailer

Create The Future

20m

Create The Future

The Glow Up

20m

The Glow Up

Mind the Mints

21m

Mind the Mints

Surfing the Skies

22m

Surfing the Skies

Who's the Boss?

24m

Who's the Boss?

Making the Cut

46m

Making the Cut

The Feels - Trailer

1m

The Feels - Trailer

Missy: The Icon

20m

Missy: The Icon

The Prison Within

1h 23m

The Prison Within

Meet The Family

21m

Meet The Family

The Winner Is…

44m

The Winner Is…

The 212 - Trailer

59s

The 212 - Trailer

The Right Girls

1h 22m

The Right Girls

Behind The Snow

22m

Behind The Snow

The Great Director

23m

The Great Director

The Third Strike

1h 3m

The Third Strike

The All-Americans

1h 36m

The All-Americans

Meet The Jets

48m

Meet The Jets

Rock the Bells

21m

Rock the Bells

Into The Woods

21m

Into The Woods

Enter the Metaverse

21m

Enter the Metaverse

The Vest Guest

20m

The Vest Guest

The Revolution Generation

1h 17m

The Revolution Generation

Crossed the Line

1h 30m

Crossed the Line

Between the Shades

1h 22m

Between the Shades

The Daphne Project

1h 7m

The Daphne Project

Facing The Truth

20m

Facing The Truth

Rich The Kid

20m

Rich The Kid

Pink: The Truth

57m

Pink: The Truth

Making The Retrograde

20m

Making The Retrograde

Anthony Ramos On 'The Good & The Bad' (Extended Cut)

12m

Anthony Ramos On 'The Good & The Bad' (Extended Cut)

End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock

1h 27m

End of the Line: The Women of Standing Rock