Jakob Dylan and The Wallflowers bring their tour to Boston

“I’ve been at it a long time, but I enjoy it more than I probably ever did,” he adds. “If you’re physically able to tour, and you like doing it, what would be better?”

Apples don’t fall too far from the tree.

Bob Dylan couldn’t have been an easy tree to grow near, never mind thrive, but it’s something Dylan has done beautifully with The Wallflowers. Some 32 years after cutting their self-titled debut, and 28 years after their seminal single-packed T Bone Burnett-produced 4xPlatinum record, “Bringing Down the Horse,” Dylan’s Grammy-winning Wallflowers — through all their incarnations — climb on.

Touring now with Jeff Slate — a musician/freelance journalist who interviewed Bob for the Wall Street Journal in ’22 — The Wallflowers pull into Boston’s Wilbur Nov. 6 and Providence’s Strand Nov. 8.

But in conversation, Dylan is a witty live wire. Speaks quickly, jokes often. Our wide-ranging conversation — from Tom Petty to his brother’s Massachusetts days to Ken Burns — is peppered with quips and laughter.

So the most recent Wallflowers record was “Exit Wounds” (2021). You told me you’re “collecting songs” and hope to make a new record soon. What’s your songwriting process like?

It varies. Looking for new ways to do it if you have any tips.

(Laughs) I don’t.

(Laughs) I don’t know. The harder you try, the less you seem to get. You have to wait for good ideas to come, and when they do, hopefully you have a pen, paper, and guitar around. It’s a lot of work. It’s possible I overthink the whole process, but I need dedicated time to complete songs and realize an album.

You were executive producer and host of the documentary “Echo in the Canyon” (2018). What sparked that project? It’s almost like a Ken Burns-type scope to look at the music of Laurel Canyon. That’s a big undertaking.

It is a big undertaking. I didn’t realize what a big undertaking it might be when I started. I thought it might take six months. It took more like three years. You start a documentary, it’s about one thing, then you gather all the information, the interviews, and suddenly it’s about something else. It evolves. I admire anybody who does it, and Ken Burns does it consistently.

Would you work on another?

If the right opportunity came up. I do have an ability with musicians: I’m not a journalist, I’m a peer. People speak differently to peers.

True. I think you had the last interview with Tom Petty on film. You’ve said the song “Who’s That Man Walking ‘Round My Garden” was Tom-inspired.

He was on my mind quite a bit. I was able to see him up close when I was a teenager, when music meant the most. You can consume music all your life, but there’s nothing quite like being 15 years old.

And he was very encouraging. I wouldn’t say everybody from the old guard is necessarily encouraging. A lot of them have a competitive nature, which I understand — that’s one of the reasons they keep going. Tom became a guiding light of encouragement.

That’s interesting. You started a band at 15. Did you always want to get into songwriting? Did you veer away?

When I started out, I was sure I’d be a guitar player. I still want to be (laughs). As a kid, we played cover songs. Eventually, you realize it’s nice to have your own songs. I realized pretty early on that I at least understood how to compose a song — not necessarily a great one — but I was surprised that wasn’t natural to everybody. I started writing because somebody in the band had to. I’m glad I did. Anyone can do it. It’s not a difficult thing. I mean, writing good songs that people like is a different story.

(Laughs) But sometimes a songwriter says they couldn’t help but write.

Did I have to? I don’t think I had to. The world has plenty of songs. I just liked it. I’m still not aware of any better natural high than writing a song, showing it to people, hearing it come out of the speakers. I don’t know anything that moves me as much. You’re building something out of thin air that wasn’t there before. It’s profound when it works. It’s a gift to yourself.

The Wallflowers’ first name was The Apples.

(Sighs) Yeah, it’s been brought to my attention that wasn’t a great name.

(Laughs)

(Laughs) I don’t think we imagined logos and a name on the marquee. But yeah, that was the beginning of what became The Wallflowers.

You’ve also done solo albums. What do you like about band versus solo?

I don’t know that I’d do solo again. I think I found a way to combine the two (different sounds I was going for}. I thought there was a different sound I was going for that didn’t require the noise that is a rock band. I didn’t find, at the time, I could fit that into what The Wallflowers were doing.

Who came up with “The Wallflowers”? It’s such a classic, strong band name.

If I’m honest, I don’t remember. It was probably me. But I feel sorry for bands today — they’re all out of names. You can’t pronounce half of them. We’re out.

(Laughs)

I like the classics: The Sonics, The Ventures. I don’t know how you do that today. Everything’s tasks. We squeaked in at the end of that era.

The industry has changed so much since the ’90s. Do you think you could start The Wallflowers today?

I don’t envy people today. I don’t know how you do it. Obviously, social media wasn’t around back then. Good news is there’s a lot more opportunity. Bad news is a lot more opportunity. It’s just clogged up. I don’t know how anybody gets noticed above the noise.

Your kids play music. Do they want to go into the industry?

They enjoy it. Nobody’s mentioned being in the industry. I don’t know that those dreams come hand-in-hand anymore. There is no record business. It’s the traveling business, the touring business, the social media business.

Your dad tweets more than you do these days.

Yeah, like most people, I can’t tell you what’s going on with those. I’ve seen those. I can’t (laughs) can’t tell you what that’s about. I’m not sure. But you’re right: Whatever it is, it’s more than I do.

(Laughs) I know you’ve been asked this a million times, but growing up, you’ve said it didn’t feel weird to be the famous guy’s kid.

I mean, I was aware that it wasn’t the same as the next person. But your reality is whatever it is. I can’t say it’s weird, because I haven’t walked in anybody else’s shoes.

(Laughs) When I interviewed Cat PowerChan Marshall, she told me she knew your brother Sam from his Supreme Dicks days, at Hampshire College in Western Mass.

Yeah, maybe he should take some of the heat off me. He started a band before me. He saw some good bands there — I think Nirvana played in the lunchroom (in 1990).

Whoa. So the Wallflowers debut was in ’92 — but everything changed in ’96. Did you have a moment where you felt you made it?

The first time you hear your song on the radio is transporting. You can make CDs, cassettes, press a piece of vinyl, and that’s all yours. But when it’s on the radio and other people are hearing it — that’s a mind-blowing moment.

Would you tour or do a show with your dad?

I’m available. He knows how to find me.

THE WALLFLOWERS

At the Wilbur, Wednesday, 8 pm, thewilbur.com

Interview had been edited and condensed. Lauren Daley can be reached at [email protected]. She tweets @laurendaley1.