THE SIGNAL from David Katznelson
"If the path be beautiful, let us not ask where it leads."-Anatole France
I first met Tim DeLaughter of The Polyphonic Spree when the band played one of their first shows in Los Angeles back in the early part of the turn of the century. I had been just blown away by their performance at the Coconut Grove…I had never seen anything like it…a cast of dozens crammed into the corner of the long, rectangular room….all white robed and kinetically moving to ecstatic orchestrated pop…and suddenly there was Tim, right in front of me. Before I knew it, we were in deep conversation about The Boredoms and have been friends ever since.
For those new to the Polyphonic Spree, they are an orchestra of a band that creates beautiful, epic soundscapes full of catchy melodies and uplifting lyrics.
Tim and I caught up last week, and that is when I learned about the cover record they are posting on Bandcamp today—a surprise release they recorded right before lock down. Known for the amazing covers they spree-i-fy during their wondrous live shows, it is a trip that this is the first official cover record they have ever done. So here it is, Afflatus…the first Polyphonic Spree record in seven years…here today for your listening & purchasing pleasure on bandcamp…and one listen will tell you: the classic Spree sound is back, huge on some places, intimate in others…always celebratory. The album opens with their killer cover of INXS’ Don’t Change (video included). I love their version of Bee Gees Run To Me…so heartfelt…and the piano intro to Could It Be Magic (Barry Manilow) is majestic. The whole record is just a refreshing listen, like pomegranate mint ice tea on a summer day.
Even though Tim is right in the middle of recording a new Spree record of originals, he agreed to sit down and answer some questions about Afflatus and life during pandemic, when a 20+ member band is forced to shelter in place…..
David: You recorded this record after a cancelled live Spree cover-show. When putting together the show, how did the song curation come about? Some of these are live staples. Some are total surprises.
Tim: Yes, some of these songs have been staples of live Spree shows for a while now, like the Monkees, Stones, McCartney and INXS.
I’d recently played a tribute show to Daniel Johnston and chose “You Put My Love Out the Door” so, it made sense to choose that one to play as a band. The others were for nostalgic reasons, pulled from my childhood when music was making an impression without me knowing. It’s all over the map because of 70’s radio and my interests at the time..
David: They say that covers help define a band, a band’s sound. Do you agree and if so, is there a song on this album that fits the bill?
Tim: I would agree, with a lot of bands out there, but with the Spree, I think it’s a culmination of a lot of influences and a strong desire to celebrate them all at one time..
The Spree has always had an innate ability to go anywhere musically, so, on a whim, any song that appeals, we can go there..
But, if I were to choose of this collection, I’d say the Monkees “Porpoise Song” pretty much has the bulk of everything that encompasses the sound of the Spree..
David: Of all the songs on the record, which do you wish most you had written?
Tim: I’m not really like that with any of these songs, although I love them all in their own individual way. I’m more of a I write the songs I wanna write kinda guy. No envy here..
David: You talk about the fact that this recording happened right as everything was shutting down. What was the mood like in the studio, especially during the moments when the last recordings took place?
Tim: I would say it was a bit unnerving.. Covid was unfolding by the moment and there was this unknown that permeated throughout. The thought that kept us going was knowing we had all been together prior, because we had been rehearsing so much for this particular show, so we somehow either felt “safe or we already had it” which meant oh well , might as well push on through.. (none of us had it or got it as a result of recording)
David: As an artist, what are you going to take away this time of Covid?
Tim: Isolation can be a good thing, by alleviating some of the distortion in everyday life, which for me provided a space for a creative intimacy, which I found enlightening..
It was a disaster in so many ways, but I found something positive, you kinda don’t have a choice, I mean the point is to keep moving, right?
