“It’s definitely a different world than it was in the ’90s,” says Mary Timony, center. Mary Timony will play the music of her former band Helium Tues., Feb 20 at Neumos. Credit: JAMES SMOLKA
“It’s definitely a different world than it was in the ’90s,” says Mary Timony, center. Mary Timony will play the music of her former band Helium Tues., Feb 20 at Neumos.
“It’s definitely a different world than it was in the ’90s,” says Mary Timony, center. Mary Timony will play the music of her former band Helium Tues., Feb 20 at Neumos. JAMES SMOLKA

Shortly before getting on the phone to interview Mary Timony, I had a strong memory from the fall of 1997. I was talking to a guy I only ever saw at Orpheum, and I asked what he thought of the then-new Helium record, The Magic City.

He made a puckery face and suggested that Timony and her bandmates had sold out to the corporate demand for electronic music by putting a keyboard line on “Leon’s Space Song.”

How better to illustrate how wrong everyone was about everything back then? But 21 years later, Timony isn’t so sure.

“Yeah, that keyboard part sucks,” she laughs. “I kind of agree with that person. I just made a bad call on the actual sound of the keyboard. I’ve always regretted that decision, honestly.”

Sean Nelson has worked at The Stranger on and off since 1996. He is currently Editor-at-Large. His past job titles included: Assistant Editor, Associate Editor, Film Editor, Copy Editor, Web Editor, Slog...