In an Aeroplane over the Sea

We are preparing for the last show on our current jaunt in Athens, GA, illustrious home of REM and Neutral Milk Hotel. Our performance at Red Light last night reinforced one of the stranger aspects of our band–we have no typical listener. Every show at home and abroad brings out an unexpected audience, at least one person who has a strong emotional connection to what we do, but we would have never imagined it. Last night, in front of a strangely mixed crowd (the venues is apparently a folk club), an older lady Gregg named Emma, a folk guitarist, and a bluesman from New Orleans all wanted some sort of merch, to tell us what we meant, or simply to talk about our music. Why is this? At our show for “The Set,” we had guys wander in after hearing us from outside who sterotypically would never listen to us and buy CDs. In Oxford, frat guys and hippies, middle-aged professionals and strangers from the streets all moved to “Ten Thousand Tongues.” We’ve learned to not limit ourselves to the indie-hip-ghetto that most of our contemporaries aspire to. I hope its because we offer something to everyone-Brea’s soulful voice, my encylopaedic lyrics, Gregg’s diverse drum and bass playing, tuneful melodies and difficult passages.

Conclusion-avoid defining who we are for anyone. People will create their own narrative and often it will be more imaginative than whatever we would try to give them. Give them room for interpretation and anyone will dream.