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Optical Atlas Interview with Bryan Poole (The Late B.P. Helium)

This is one of my favorite pieces from Optical Atlas, because Bryan Poole/B.P. Helium – from Elf Power and of Montreal – went all-out, contributing demos and remixes for readers to enjoy. I was hoping this would be an ongoing series called “Liner Notes,” in which artists shared some outtakes and rarities, but I was only able to convince a couple others to go along with it (Robert Schneider of The Apples in Stereo and Davey Wrathgabar of The Visitations). In fact, I gave Bill Doss the option of doing a “Liner Notes” and providing Olivia Tremor Control or Sunshine Fix outtakes, but he declined, stating all that would be released one day. At least I had the nerve to ask…

Bryan would later ask me to redesign and run of Montreal’s official webpage. He wanted something more flexible for the band’s use, with a blog, and similar to Optical Atlas. He also wanted to ask someone who was a longtime fan of the band. I’d never met Kevin Barnes – an interview almost happened, but didn’t quite – but I had followed of Montreal since The Gay Parade and seen them many times live, including Kevin’s solo “A Pollinaire Rave” tour, with its eclectic mix of skits and songs. I agreed eagerly, and then wondered what I’d gotten myself into, because my web skills were actually pretty limited. Feeling the fraud, I plunged in nonetheless. The most exciting day was when Bryan gave me FTP access to a page containing HUGE digital scans of David Barnes’ beautiful artwork from Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer? and its various promotional items. I set about taking my favorite images and rearranging them in Photoshop. It was like playing with Spider-Man Colorforms when I was a kid. After hours of work, and having designed what I thought was the most visually attractive website I’d ever produced, I submitted it to Bryan for approval. He didn’t like the teal background. He hated the teal background. He confessed to having a lifetime loathing of teal.

I laughed and cringed at the same time, and worked on something that was black and hot pink. That went over better. In the back of my mind I couldn’t help but feel that the teal belonged to the old of Montreal – the band which critics compared to early Kinks and Sgt. Pepper-era Beatles. But of course Hissing Fauna marked a radical departure for Kevin Barnes’ band. My second design was more 70’s glam, more David Bowie, so it was more appropriate. I quit the of Montreal website after a stressful year or so (or was it even that long?). I felt B.P. should look for someone a bit more website savvy than I was pretending to be. But I was also feeling a little alienated by the new direction of the of Montreal performances. Kevin Barnes was as talented as ever, but I don’t think I knew what to make of Kevin performing naked at a Las Vegas show with porn running behind him (backstage at an Apples show, Bill Doss was laughing about my hesitant blog post on that particular news item – who’d have thought, he said, that it would be Kevin Barnes rocking out naked?). I hung on as long as I could, and faithfully saw the band live whenever they came to town, but my feelings for the band had slipped into a kind of distant admiration. These were good albums – and don’t get me wrong, I love Bowie, Eno, etc. – but I didn’t play Hissing Fauna and the later albums very often. As the band progressed to playing on Letterman, I still found I preferred their earlier material, and retained fond memories of seeing them perform live in the old band configuration, with handmade animation from David Barnes on a TV behind them in accompaniment, and shows that were well attended but in more intimate spaces. My sweet spot was Satanic Panic in the Attic, made right before they began their transformation. And that, too, meant I was probably not the right guy to be running their website anymore.

The following was originally posted on Optical Atlas on May 20, 2006. Thanks very much to Bryan for his blessing in reposting this here!

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The Late B.P. Helium is the band and stage name of Bryan Poole, the former Elf Power bassist who currently tours with his old friend Kevin Barnes and the rest of of Montreal. He’s also played with Olivia Tremor Control, Great Lakes, and numerous other Elephant 6 bands from the Athens area. After Elf Power‘s The Winter is Coming, B.P. left the band to pursue his solo project, issuing a few scattered singles and compilation appearances before releasing the EP Kumquat Mae, first as a tour-only CD-R in 2002 while touring with The Visitations, then as a slightly different CD on Hype City and Orange Twin Records. A full-length CD, Amok, followed in 2004 on Orange Twin, which received positive notice from the likes of The Onion and Splendid Magazine, which called the album “a rich and varied assortment, full of polished, sophisticated sounds and cool little details.”

While B.P. appears on the latest Elf Power album, Back to the Web (he rejoined the band briefly for a tour a few years ago), he’s still serving with of Montreal, only recently taking a break from that band’s rigorous tour schedule by vacationing in Germany. Soon it’s off to work again: he’s preparing a new album, and will tour in July across Canada as The Late B.P. Helium, then join of Montreal onstage at Lollapalooza 2006 and a tour through the States with The Minders. And sometime later this year, Waikiki Records in Japan will release a Late B.P. Helium compilation, featuring tracks from his catalog both familiar and unreleased. From Berlin, he took the time to send along some snapshots, exclusive MP3s, and his thoughts on the conception and recording of 6 songs from his catalog. Optical Atlas got to choose the songs. B.P. was gracious enough to accept the choices, and to provide revealing demos and alternate takes of some of the tracks.

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1) First, let’s talk about “The Ballad of Johnny Rad.”  There are actually two versions of this, one on the Kumquat Mae tour CD-R (the “preamble”) and the version on Amok. 

Ya know, I’m not so certain that the versions are that different.  Did I put the demo on the tour EP?  I can’t remember.  Ha!  [OA: Yes, the tour CD has the demo.]  If so, the demo was more straight up rockin’.

Ed Livingood, my old roommate and one half of Jucifer, played the drums. The Amok version owes its main riffage to Ben Crum [Great Lakes]. Ben really added the spark there. Then I had Doug Stanley [The Glands] add some texture and the middle eight solo. Who is Johnny Rad?  An old skate punk friend of mine named Benji used to have this persona called “Johnny Rad.”  He’d put a suit on with shades and go to shows and just stand there silently. He would never speak, but would try to look stupidly cool. He was a kind performance art character. I kind of morphed the character into a clueless poseur.  He’s a guy who wants this cool persona, but is really insecure, gutless and grasping at thin air.

The Ballad of Johnny Rad (Queen Salad Demo)
This was the first demo I made. Well, maybe second…anyways, Ed Livingood is playing the drums.

The Ballad of Johnny Rad (Early Practice)
Ooo…the sounds of a band version coming together…

The Ballad of Johnny Rad (Vocalese Mix)
I made a completely different version with different vocal melodies etc. in this vocal only mix; all of the vocals are placed at random. I like it. 🙂

The Ballad of Johny Rad (Preamble – Tour CD Version)

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2) “Candy for Everyone.”  I admit I like the backwards talk and the overall kazoo-like sound.

I wrote this on a tour with The Visitations in 2002 I believe. Candy=Love. And love is what? The physical, hedonistic side and also the deeper one at the core.  I wanted to write something a bit positive like a Sly and the Family Stone song.  So ya know…love is all around.  I really identified with the phrase and idea, “I stand in love.”  And I like to add to that the word “now!”  Derek [Almstead/Elf Power] is playing the funky bassline.  Dottie [Alexander/of Montreal] some “vintage keys.”  Casper [Fandango/Casper & the Cookies], Eric [Harris/Olivia Tremor Control] and myself had lot of fun doing the kazoo solos.

Candy for Everyone (Early Mix)
This was an early mix before I added the “she’s gonna love” break and the backwards stuff.  The vocal is a “scratch vocal.” That means I did it just to have a vocal to work with. I didn’t think it was going to be the used for the final vocal!  Here it is unedited.

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3) “They Broke the Speed of Light.”  My favorite of your work.

This song is one of many I have where I’m looking for what I feel I’ve lost.  It’s the deep, dark, sad part of me.  And it’s the reason I call myself “The Late B.P. Helium.”  I felt so god-like as a child. I really believed that I had special powers and insight. I was emboldened. I used to have “tricks” to put myself into trances where time seemed to race. I’d ponder and concentrate and achieve what now seem to have been out of body experiences.

I was über confident. But of course, as puberty hit and nerdom arose and the torture of social interactions deteriorated my confidence, I slowly lost this grand light. Also, around the time I was 18, I was put on a medication I was told was for depression. Later in my mid-twenties I found out it was for people whose minds are racing. I’ve never felt the same since. I can’t concentrate the way I used to. And that realm inside my head seems but a memory.

The title refers to a story I heard on NPR about scientists being able to freeze light and also to accelerate light past the known limit. It seemed fitting. The drums on the original were played again by old roommate, Ed Livingood. I was trying to help Adrian Finch [Masters of the Hemisphere] record some songs and he came up with the drumbeat, but neither of us could play it. So I grabbed Ed and he bashed out this beat. Adrian ditched the song. I stole the drum bit for myself and wrote the song. I find beats are a door to different songs for me. Drones are another door.

They Broke the Speed of Light (Original Version)
This appeared on HHBTM’s Happy Happy Birthday To Me compilation, volume 2.  Ed Livingood is playing the drums. I love playing the moog!

They Broke the Speed of Light (The Longest Journey Mix)
A 13 minute version!  Are you prepared to take the journey?  I thought this was way too indulgent and made a shorter version for the album. I think I could’ve chopped off some more!

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4) “Raisa Raisa.”  Because the fans would kill me if I didn’t bring it up.

“Raisa Raisa” is based on a true story I heard on NPR early one Sunday morning. While I was driving around Athens, I heard the story of Raisa, a mail-order bride from the Siberian coast. Her family was paid a fair amount and Raisa was whisked away to Oklahoma with her new husband, a Vietnam vet. For two years, Raisa was trapped inside this man’s home. She was not allowed to leave the house, not allowed to learn English. He beat her. Once he separated her shoulder and refused to take her to the hospital. Eventually, she found a way to escape this man. I was extremely touched by her story and decided to write a song for her that morning.

I feel I didn’t really get her message across in the song. It seems a bit of a failure to me. When we play it live, I take on the character on the Vietnam vet. I become very violent and misogynistic. I think I’ve confused most audiences with this. Matt Dawson [of Montreal] regularly regales people with the story of me playing this song at a BreastFest benefit. It was at about 5pm in the afternoon. Little kids are running around with their moms and grandmoms. And then I launch into my Vietnam vet character. And there is shock in the room. Ask Matt about it. He paints the picture well. Anyways so Raisa’s elders come and mourn for her loss. Those are the old men in the middle section. And the song ends. Blah blah… (smirk)

In the NPR story, Raisa has a new boyfriend and works at Wal-Mart. I didn’t include that part. But hey, that’s part of the American dream, yeah? (wink)

Raisa Raisa (Siberia to Oklahoma Mix)
This was a possible mix for a while. The lapping water is the lull of the Siberian shoreline. Then the wind picks up and the sounds of the Siberian canning factory come in…Raisa’s plane flight to Oklahoma…and then Oklahoma is chopped up and made disorienting.  I also wanted to have the sound of Raisa being attacked and thrown against a wall…not in this version.  Casper thought it was too scary. 🙂

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5) “Don’t Let Me Wait Too Long.”  Did you resurrect George to play for you?  It’s amazing how you capture that famous Harrison guitar.

Casper and I busted this one out very quickly. I needed a song for the EP and we finished this one in about a day and a half.  Casper actually had to coach me away from sounding even more Georgey. The slide solo’s about 2/5 me and 3/5 Casper. It was like 4 or 5 in the morning and I was muffing this one bit and just made Casper finish it. He thought his were bad too, but then we were heard them together we were kind of stunned. It sounded pretty darn good!  So yeah, the slide guitars are doubled.

That was a lot of fun and I think that recorded song alone has convinced a lot of people to record with Casper at his studio. I hope so at least!

Don’t Let Me Wait Too Long (George Harrison cover – Kumquat Mae version)

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6) “Chant for the Birth of a Rising Sun.”

This one has its genesis with me being infatuated with Tom Waits‘ The Black Rider.  I love this album. There’s a song near the end called ‘”Oily Night” which is just percussive beating on bones with bones and the dark chant of “oily night.” So I decided to make something similar. I was living with Andy Baker [The Glands] at the time and just picked up every instrument in the house and just started making noise with it. A few days later I think John [Fernandes, Olivia Tremor Control] came over and we did an overdub where he plays an African water drum. I have a couple of OTC credits playing this thing. It used to be my ace in the hole for freakouts.

Anyways, luckily John wanted to make a mix for himself to possibly use it for the Black Swan Network or whatever. My master cassette disappeared and it was only years later that John found his mix copy. I wish my screeching violin was louder, but I’m just happy this exists.  It needs a good editing I think though.

Chant for the Birth of a Rising Sun (from U.S. Pop Life Vol. 10)

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Optical Atlas Interviews: Great Lakes, of Montreal, Dressy Bessy, Marshmallow Coast, Elf Power

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When I first started Optical Atlas, it was just a MySpace page! I started reaching out to Elephant 6 artists for interviews, and when Robert Schneider of The Apples in Stereo agreed, I quickly realized that it was a bit embarrassing to just post his interview on MySpace, and that I should set up a proper blog. Most of my early interviews with those in and around the E6 collective were in the format of “6 Questions With…” Since I didn’t live in Athens, Lexington, Brooklyn, etc., and didn’t have a landline (thus, no phone interviews at first), it seemed easier to just provide someone with 6 questions over email. Any more than that might seem like homework. With just 6 questions – often not very good questions, because I was new at the game – the rest was in the hands of the artist. Some responded with very brief answers, and I found that my format gave me no room for follow-up. Others had either the time or the inclination to respond in greater detail, like the 2006 Bill Doss interview I posted last Friday. Regardless, I was thrilled to be interacting with musicians I had followed for many years. And, as it turned out, many would become advocates and supporters of Optical Atlas, none more than Robert Schneider, who would even contribute a theme song for the site…but more on that later. Here are some “6 Questions With” responses from the early Optical Atlas days. I’ll post more, including Robert’s, in the days ahead.

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Ben Crum/Great Lakes: March 15, 2006

Great Lakes has hit its tenth anniversary. The band–Ben Crum and Dan Donahue–formed in 1996 in Athens, although Ben and Dan had known each other since high school. As a trio (with Jamey Huggins from of Montreal), they released a self-titled first album during Kindercore’s peak period, an album that still stands out as one of the most distinguished in that label’s catalog, an addictive selection of psychedelic pop songs that flow together cohesively. Their sophomore album (released on Orange Twin around the time of Kindercore’s collapse), The Distance Between, collected singles, rarities, and cover songs, and has a greater emphasis on rock, notably on the energetic “Sister City” and the extended jam that closes the album, “Conquistadors.” The band has since relocated to Brooklyn, and are about to release an eagerly-anticipated third album, Diamond Times. Ben Crum agreed to answer 6 questions about the new album, his creative relationship with Dan, and an aloof painting.

1) All I know about your new album is that Empyrean is releasing it this year. I’m curious who appears on the record and how the music compares with your previous work.

These people appear on the new album: Dottie Alexander, Jeff Baron, Kevin Barnes, Tim Barnes, Dave Carey, Matt Crowe, Anne Cunningham, BP Helium, Jamey Huggins, Jay Israelson, Heather McIntosh, Gary Olson, Brian Slattery, Matt Stoessel, Jeff Winesett, and Chris Ziter.

The main difference in “who played what” with this album is that Jeff Baron [The Essex Green] played probably 2/3 of the lead guitar on the record. In the past that would have been pretty much 99% me. I like his playing a lot and I think it gives the record a more “accomplished” sound.

But as to how the record sounds stylistically–with the first record I was going for something more 60s pop and more psychedelic, but with this one I tried to make it more organic and natural sounding. Or, I didn’t so much try as it was just a natural thing for me.

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2) Can you describe how you and Dan became involved with Elephant 6, and your thoughts on the collective in general?

Well, we were living in Athens, in the midst of all that stuff. And we just fell in with that. It fit with what we were doing and we were influenced by it at the same time. It was hard not to be. Plus Robert Schneider helped mix our first record, and he was a big proponent of having us “on the team” or whatever. But I don’t think Great Lakes has ever been considered a true Elephant 6 band by your average die-hard Elephant 6 fan, or even by those of us in the band.

3) How does your collaboration with Dan work? On your last album, he’s credited for the lyrics, while you have lead vocals, so I’m wondering how clear-cut are the boundaries when you’re assembling the music.

Well, Dan is purely a lyricist. He doesn’t really write or play music, or sing. We’re both 32 now, and we’ve been writing songs together since we were 16. Half our lives. He writes lyrics and I put them to music. Sometimes I’ll bring him a piece of music and he’ll write lyrics for it, or vice versa. But these days we’ll hang out and he’ll show me some lyrics he’s come up with and I’ll try to put them to music on the spot, with him there. We’ve realized over the years that that tends to work best for us. That way we can communicate during the process. I don’t necessarily like to talk to him too much about what the lyrics “mean.” Or what he means by them. I find it’s better for me to sing them from a personal interpretation. That way it means something for him, for me, and for the listener–which may all be the same, or may be totally different.

4) How long do you work on a song before you know it’s finished?

I feel like the music I write that I like the most usually comes really fast. And a lot of times the lyrics too. But, also, there have been many times when Dan was revising and editing right up to the moment when I recorded the vocal. So it varies.

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5) “Virgl” is one of my favorite Great Lakes songs, so indulge me. I remember on the old Kindercore website there was an actual Virgl painting shown, which the song describes perfectly. Which came first, and can you talk about the origins of the song, if not the production, which seems pretty elaborate?

Dan bought that painting at a flea market and we all just flipped out about it. It hung in our house on Ruth Street for a long time. That song is the one Great Lakes song which Jamey Huggins wrote the music for. He and Dan collaborated on the lyrics. I think Jamey had been working on that music for a long time, stringing all the parts together. He was always writing these long, epic pieces of music, and he never really finished them or made real recordings of a lot of them. I’m glad we got this one down, though.

Production-wise, that was done right at the end of the first album. I’d been using a TASCAM 38 8-track, but towards the end of recording the first album we added a beautiful-sounding TEAC 40-4 reel-to-reel 4-track to the studio. By the time we were recording “Virgl” we’d gotten pretty good at experimenting with compression and with hitting the tape at certain levels to get certain sounds during the submixing process. I think it shows in that recording.

6) The Distance Between has a number of cover songs, which span a wide variety of music; is this a fair glimpse of your influences? Certainly the band reminds me of the Zombies.

Yeah, there are three covers on there. I just recorded some songs I liked because Dan and I weren’t writing a lot of songs at that time. I guess they do say something about our influences. The Bee Gees I like a lot. I’ve always liked the Linda Ronstadt version of that Michael Nesmith song [“Some of Shelley’s Blues”]. And, yes, the Zombies were definitely a big influence. But my biggest influence is probably The Band. I’m not sure you always hear it in the music, but it’s there. It’s mostly a feel thing.

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Dottie Alexander/of Montreal: March 16, 2006

Dottie Alexander is the resident keyboardist at of Montreal.

1) How did you initially become involved with of Montreal?

of Montreal initially began as a 3 piece in 1997 with Kevin (of course), Derek Almstead on drums, and Bryan Poole on bass. In ’98 Bryan left to play full-time with Elf Power (he’s since made his glorious return to us) and Derek moved to bass. The band’s sound was expanding a bit and Kev needed someone to play keyboards as well as a new drummer. Jamey and I were playing shows around Athens as Lightning Bug vs. Firefly which was just the two of us on drums and keyboards. Not only were we a ready-made package deal, but we were so darn cute back then! The two of us joined up to play this big E6 festival thing in Florida and never looked back.

2) Has anything interesting happened on the most recent tour that you’d like to share?

Well, something interesting happens every day, but what sticks out? Hmm…Matt Dawson knocked himself out stage diving in Virginia. That’s kind of interesting. I saw the world’s largest hairball in the basement of a monastery in Oregon. It was cut from the stomach of a 300 pound pig. That was interesting as well.

3) What are your thoughts on the band’s increasing popularity of late?

Well, it’s all a bit hard to process at the moment. (I’m writing this from SXSW.) Of course it’s great to see so many people at the shows–it’s just not fully sunken in yet.

4) Which do you prefer, performing live or recording?

Both, but if I had to choose I’d say performing live.

5) Barbara Walters-style personal, probing question: Your MySpace blog mentions that you recently tried to quit smoking; how’s that going?

Terrible. Smoking right now, actually.

6) When do we get a My First Keyboard album?

Hmmm. Never? Yeah. Probably never. (But thanks for asking.)

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Tammy Ealom/Dressy Bessy: April 18, 2006

Tammy Ealom is the lead singer/songwriter of Dressy Bessy, the Denver-based band that’s been rocking indie pop fans since their debut EP in 1997. Four albums later, the band’s received considerable exposure and wide critical acclaim. The band’s most recent album is Electrified, released on Transdreamer Records.

1) What’s next for Dressy Bessy? Is a new album in the works, or anything else on the horizon?

Yeah, I’ve been demoing new songs for the past eight months or so. We’re looking at possibly releasing an EP in the fall, new album 2007! Until then, on and off touring…we head to the U.K. and Sweden next week, can’t wait!

2) What was it like to play Late Night with Conan O’Brien, versus playing any other venue? Anything interesting happen?

Playing Conan was awesome…very different than playing a club. (1) You show up at the studio around 9am…wait around a bit…sound check…wait around a bit more and then boom one shot and you’re done. (2) It’s not everyday that you play a song six feet away from Max Weinberg and his band. 🙂

3) When looking back at the history of the band, has the approach to the music or the focus of the band ever shifted? In other words, do you see the band as having gone through any significant changes that affected the music?

Only that we’ve become a better BAND over the years; it takes time for a group to really get to know what makes each other tick and to respect/accept each person’s role in the band…we’ve had our ups and downs over the past eight or so years, but I can truly say we are better than ever, musically & personally! 🙂 True love always ~ long live DB!

4) You’ve provided some amazing artwork for the albums; have you had any training and have you always been interested in art?

Yeah, I often say I’m more into crafts and that the main reason I began writing songs was so I could start a band and make band-related stuff…paper, scissors, glue…Photoshop has been a blessing for my busybody ways as well. I always HAVE to be doing/making something whether it be writing/recording music, cutting pasting paper, sewing a new trim onto a new dress, crocheting or transforming photographs. I blame my mother for this, she’d always involve me in her crafts as a kid…yay, mom! (I became interested in photography some fourteen years ago and made a living shooting fashion for eleven…I still shoot tons for the band.)

5) I understand you make and sell your own clothing, correct? Can you explain what it is you do?

I collect/wear vintage 60’s/70’s clothing and have for years. Due to lack of space and constantly buying things that don’t quite fit, I decided to start an eBay shop…I’ll take a longish thrift store granny dress, cut it off into a spunky mini and use the remaining fabric for a matching hat, belt etc. I haven’t had much time for this sort of thing lately, but hope to get back into it soon.

6) What was the inspiration for the “Electrified” music video?

We just wanted something simple, colorful and fun shot within John and my living room. It was a blast!

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Andy Gonzales/Marshmallow Coast: March 15, 2006

Andy Gonzales is behind Marshmallow Coast, which has crossed three labels, five albums and numerous singles with a very particular mix of melody and absurdist humor. After moving to Athens, Andy joined of Montreal for an extended period, while still putting out solo work to a growing circle of fans, and even, for a certain time, writing and recording songs on commission for anyone who wanted a personalized Marshmallow Coast song. While his once-prolific output has slowed down a bit as he’s entered nursing school, he recently launched a new project with Derek Almstead, Sara Kirkpatrick, Emily Growden, and Carlton Owens: M Coast, the first album from which will be called Say it in Slang.

1) Why did you decide to turn the Marshmallow Coast into the M Coast?

Well, after five albums with marginal success, you gotta try tweaking things a little bit! I have been thinking about changing the name forever, and this will have the least amount of confusion. I am thinking about putting on the CD “M (marshmallow) Coast.” Also, having Emily singing and Derek singing kinda makes it a different thing all together.

2) Although you’ve collaborated in the past, Marshmallow Coast has always seemed like your solo project. How has the creative process changed now that that there are multiple perspectives shaping a song?

Well, I started out doing another Andy record, and I was really happy with that. THEN! Derek started laying the pressure on me big time, he was all like, “Andy, man, let’s put our records together (’cause he was already making his own masterpiece). And I was like, “Dude, that’s your shit and this is my shit, you don’t mix shit.” Then he was all like, “well, either you take my songs or I delete the files for your record!” and I guess that’s what won me over…

It is nice, because in the future, we can just put about six great songs on there apiece and make a whole record rather than having to rack my brain to write more. Derek and I have always thought along the same lines; even though we occasionally butt heads, it has always worked out. I also want to say that it was great having input from Sara, Emily, and Derek with stuff like lyrics, because I would have an almost complete section, and they added nice touches that worked well. This is also the first time Sara has helped mix, and she made excellent suggestions; we just need to get more Emily input, which I think will come once she feels more a part of it all.

3) Please spill all you can about the Bizarre Classical album, of which I know very little.

Well, this is essentially an instrumental record. It is comprised largely of the songs Derek wrote for his solo record, that we couldn’t fit on Say it in Slang. I had some instrumentals too, and I need to record more because now it is largely Derek’s stuff. I think Cloud Records is releasing it, and they are 100% respect. Basically, I have been away from the game for a couple of years, and Derek is making his big debut, so we are just trying to get all the music that has been stockpiling out there. I also want to add that I have been bugging Derek for years to release his stuff, so I am very excited in that regard.

4) Pitchfork recently posted a long list of “bad” album covers, and a number of your fans took umbrage when Ride the Lightning made the list. Please vent.

There’s not much to say. I wish they enjoyed our stuff, because it is high quality musicianship. Really, I don’t believe having bad press hurts you. The simple fact that you mention them in your interview says that they are an influental website, so I hope they will review the new CD. The funny thing is that they didn’t even review Ride the Lightning, probably because they kind of liked it! Clearly, it is taking time for M Coast and my sense of humor to reach certain people. I don’t think anyone out there writes songs like mine, and I would think that they would pick up on that.

5) Will your earlier, out of print albums be reissued anytime soon?

Well, to the best of my knowledge Happy Happy Birthday to Me will be doing this. It is a strange case, because in a sense I had to grow up in front of an audience. Did I know what I was doing as a teenager, recording wise? No. But I put it out there, and can only hope that people will look at the whole spectrum. Though, I do have a desire to re-record Seniors and Juniors using better gear, while keeping it faithful note for note. If George Lucas can do it…
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6) Who and what is Ice Bunny?

That is my comic character that I am working on. He was a normal (talking, human-like) rabbit who got changed into something akin to Ice Man (because I always liked him). I am selling issue 1 on my website, and I have written #2 but am still working on the art. I like comics…

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Andrew Rieger/Elf Power: August 29, 2006

Andrew Rieger has fronted the folk/psychedelic/rock band Elf Power since 1993, when he was a student at the University of Georgia. Through eight albums and a handful of singles and EPs, the band has become a staple representative of Elephant 6, and appropriately Andrew has appeared on albums by Olivia Tremor Control, of Montreal, Fablefactory, Circulatory System, and others. While Elf Power‘s classic When the Red King Comes is a concept album set in another world, most of their work is straightforward rock and roll with dream-like lyrics, and albums such as A Dream in Sound, The Winter is Coming, and Walking with the Beggar Boys have garnered considerable critical acclaim. Elf Power‘s most recent releases are Treasures from the Trash Heap, a tour-only rarities compilation covering the band’s entire history, and Back to the Web, of which the Onion A.V. Club wrote, “Rieger surrounds images from nature and recalled dreams with compact, layered folk-pop songs that mingle joy and fear in equal measure…he proves the band’s ability to thrive with age.” In anticipation of the band’s massive tour this fall of the East Coast and Midwest, and fresh off an appearance on the children’s TV show Pancake Mountain, Rieger submitted himself to Optical Atlas’ 6-question interview.

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1) How did the Pancake Mountain appearance go, and what can we expect when we see what was taped?

It was a blast…we acted out some skits with the kids, had a dance party, went swimming, lots of little kids jumping around going apeshit, twas a good ol’ time! Not sure when the show will be airing…

2) You also shot a video for “All the World is Waiting” this year, and it’s terrific work. Basically two very long takes, and in the second take, it looks like the camera is attached at your waist. Is there anything you can tell us about the shooting?

It was done by our friends Nick Canada and Jay Nakashi. Nick has done a lot of our videos over the years, and I think we all agree this is the best one. It was shot in our friend Jeremy Ayers’ garden, with lots of friends assuming various guises and characters. To get the wobbly psychedelic look we lip-synched to the song running at a much faster speed than normal, then slowed down the tape.

3) Your songs often center around dream imagery, either explicitly referenced or just dreamlike and stream-of-consciousness. Do you ever actually describe dreams you’ve had in song, or is it just a recurring Elf Power theme?

Some actual dreams make appearances. The other night I had a dream that I was riding a giant crocodile around like a surfboard; don’t know if that one will make it to tape or not. I’ve also been having more lucid dreams lately where I realize I’m dreaming and take control…usually involves flying or pursuing otherwordly nymphs.

4) Whose idea was it for the artwork of Back to the Web? It seems to be a collage-tour through Elf Power‘s past. And is there any photo or drawing of the bunch that you’d like to draw our attention to?

That was my idea that Henry Owings helped me to realize. There’s lots of friends and icons from our past. Inside cover, bottom middle square is a hitchhiker we picked up in Nashville years ago. He was a crazed-looking 7-foot-tall hippie freak who went by the name of “Big Bird” and who was jumping trains and travelling all over the country. We were travelling in a Winnebago at that time and we took him in for about an 8-hour ride and had many wild and grand discussions. We’ve always hoped he’d resurface at a show, but alas we’ve never seen him again.

5) I’d like to ask about some side projects. First, according to Sloan Simpson you recently played with Will Cullen Hart and John Fernandes at Heather McIntosh’s AUX festival as Vortex of Withering, correct? Can you describe what Vortex of Withering is, and if you’ve played together in this incarnation before?

Vortex of Withering is an impov free-form heavy noise jam that Will and I get together every few years…I think this was our 4th performance in the last 10 years!

6) Would you describe how you became involved with the Major Organ and the Adding Machine album? It seems like the album was an experiment to have various members of the “Elephant 6 Orchestra” write songs for others, sing others’ songs, or play around with tracks that others had recorded, but there’s a cloud of mystery over the project. One thing’s for certain–that’s you singing on “Francisco’s Victory”!

I’m not at liberty to discuss the inner workings of the Major’s body of work, but I will tell you that the Major Organ movie is coming soon and it will be a twisted masterpiece…and Francisco will be seen in all his glory and splendor!

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Optical Atlas Interview with Bill Doss

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For years I ran a website called Optical Atlas, dedicated to the music of the Elephant 6 collective (Neutral Milk Hotel, The Apples in Stereo, The Olivia Tremor Control, Elf Power, of Montreal, and on and on). I retired the website in 2010. Sometime after that, my renewal notice for the domain name came through – to the wrong email address – and what I had hoped would be a permanent archive of E6 interviews and old news items instead has become a link to several dubious dating portals. However, I do have a backup, and though it’s a labyrinth to navigate, I’m uncovering many things I’d either forgotten about or had long since given up for lost. So what I’d like to start doing is reposting some of those old materials here on my personal website, so they can be available to those interested in these fantastic musicians.

To start, here is an interview that means a lot to me. Bill Doss of The Olivia Tremor Control, The Sunshine Fix, and The Apples in Stereo passed away on July 30, 2012. I always had a strong connection to Bill’s music. In the OTC, he would answer all of Will Cullen Hart’s avant-garde, head-warping travelogues with crystal clear 60’s-inspired pop – it was exhilarating to emerge from the tangled, ominous Black Foliage of sonic collages into the sunny clearing of Bill’s Beach Boys-inspired “Hideaway” or “A New Day.” The two proper Olivia Tremor Control albums, Music from the Unrealized Film Script: Dusk at Cubist Castle and Black Foliage Animation Music: Vol. 1, remain high watermarks of the E6 collective, right alongside In the Aeroplane Over the Sea.

This interview was conducted on July 15, 2006.

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“So long Seku, goodbye Wren.” Whisper these lyrics to a true fan of indie pop and watch the fellow buckle at the knees. That the words actually seem to reference Egyptian mythology and William S. Burroughs is almost beside the point; when sung by Bill Doss on “Hideaway,” they embody the pinnacle of psychedelic pop bliss. For six years or so Doss split singing/songwriting duties with Will Cullen Hart in one of the most critically acclaimed indie bands of the 90’s, The Olivia Tremor Control (critically acclaimed in hindsight, anyway, as these bands always seem to be best appreciated just after they’ve split up). The Olivias released two albums and a handful of singles, and with each release seemed to be drawing into tighter and tighter focus a concept of what pop music ought to be: a dream-like space you could occupy in your headphones. It was rumored, or just misunderstood in certain circles, that they really wanted to put out a film of their Music from the Unrealized Film Script: Dusk at Cubist Castle, perhaps to star Yoko Ono. When Optical Atlas asked about this, Bill Doss replied: “Well, it does say ‘unrealized’ right there in the subtitle. Some pipes you see and some you don’t! We always put Yoko on the guest lists at all our shows because well, you never know…” The follow-up, Black Foliage Animation Music: Volume One, combined the ever-refined pop songs of Will and Bill (and now Peter Erchick) with vast experimental landscapes. The band never officially split, although they performed a “farewell tour” in 1999 (a brief reunion tour strode the countryside last year). Hart launched Circulatory System, and Doss began recording under the name he used for an early Elephant 6 cassette release, The Sunshine Fix. Age of the Sun, on Kindercore/ Emperor Norton, is a pop fantasia on the title topic. Green Imagination, while still a bit trippy, stretched his sound with the addition of a children’s choir and a bit of soul. Following a successful tour as a member of The Apples in Stereo while opening for The Strokes, Bill Doss agreed to talk to Optical Atlas about the tour, the reunion shows with Olivia Tremor Control, and a new direction for the Sunshine Fix.

1) I love Green Imagination, and the addition of the Georgia Children’s Chorus on a few of the tracks (“What Do You Know,” “Runaway Run”) really adds to the Sunshine Fix sound in a unique way. How did you become involved with the group, and what was it like working with them?

I had always wanted to have kids involved in my music and the song “Runaway Run” seemed like the perfect place to do this. My wife, Amy, actually set that up for me through her boss. He is involved with the local Presbyterian church here in Athens and the Georgia Children’s Choir is part of that church. So, he put in a call to the choir director and we met and went over the songs so that they could make sure there was nothing too off-color for the kids to sing. I was worried that the song might be too difficult for children to sing but to my surprise, the material they were warming up with was far more complicated than what I had for them! In fact, they learned and perfected the parts so quickly and with so much time left that I decided to also have them sing the refrain on “What Do You Know,” which wasn’t originally planned. The director even had us all go into a classroom to discuss each line of the lyrics individually so that the children could completely understand what they would be singing. This was a little uncomfortable because of the lyrical content. I wouldn’t say that the lyrics are anti-God or anything like that–quite to the contrary–but they are definitely not pro-Christianity or even pro-organized religion. They more refer to a oneness that is expressed better in religions like Taoism. I think ambiguity helped mask that fact. Either that or the kids were down with the Tao! My goal now is to have the kids sing every song on my next record and me not sing at all. I prefer the sound of their voices to mine!

2) What was it like to spend some time on the road with The Apples in Stereo? Are you involved with their new record?

Robert [Schneider] and I have known each other for a long, long time – since the early days of high school. In fact, our band, Fat Planet, though not my first band, was my first real band in that the people could actually play, and that really pushed me to get better. So now, playing in a band with Robert for the first time since then, not counting one-offs and the occasional recording session, has just been incredible. It has the carefree feeling that you can only get when you are young and think that you are going to take over the world someday–and maybe someday we will! Plus, our voices really blend well together. There are only a handful of people who I really enjoy singing with and I would have to say that Robert is at the top of the list. I must also commend Hilarie [Sidney] too. Even though this is the first time she and I have sung together, it’s effortless to blend voices with her. She is quite an amazing singer as well and pounding the hell out of the drums at the same time! Quite a feat! Not to mention that all the Apples are super great people to hang with. As for the new album New Magnetic Wonder, Robert came down to Athens recently and brought his entire set-up–computer, mikes, and a rack of mic pres and compressors and set them all up at my house. He was in town for a couple of weeks and we did a lot of overdubs–mostly singing–and had a great time. Will Hart was involved on a track as well. We all hung out and just had a fantastic time getting high and making up stupid parts, some of which actually made it onto the record! The creative energy was unbelievable.

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3) Last year Olivia Tremor Control briefly reunited for a pretty spectacular little tour to enthusiastic crowds. How did it feel to play and tour with your old band again?

It was just amazing. I couldn’t believe that so many people even remembered who we were, much less wanted to come out and see us dust off those old ditties. I always felt that we aborted the band far too early in our “career” and getting back together with the old guys felt very good. We fell right back into the music without skipping a step. It was very natural and effortless. Plus my friends Andrew Hawthorne and Kevin Evans put together some fantastic visuals and projected them behind us for some of the shows. That made it even extra special for me. I would love to re-rail that train back on the tracks for some new stupidity but that will have to come in its own time.

4) Can you confirm the rumor that you’re credited as “The Bill Doss” on the Powerpuff Girls tribute album, Heroes & Villains, because the Cartoon Network (or perhaps Kid Rhino) thought “The Sunshine Fix” might be a drug reference? And how did you become involved with this record?

Starting with the last part first, apparently Craig McCracken, the creator of the show is a fan of Elephant 6. How about that, huh? He told me that he had bought a copy of the first Sunshine Fix single (the one with the insert controversy) and liked it enough to ask me to be on that record. Then they sent me a bunch of episodes of the show and asked me to become familiar with the characters and try to inject them into my song. It was great fun! I was sitting at home watching cartoons and thinking,”I’m working! What better job could anybody have?!?” Plus, the songs were mastered (mine was mixed as well) by Mark Mothersbaugh which thrilled me to no end! As for the name change, yes, the show (or it may have been the label, I forget) thought that The Sunshine Fix was too much of a drug reference for a record about a kids show. I never intended for that name to be a drug reference but when I thought about it I could definitely see it! I’ve always liked names that have multiple meanings and I suppose that one could mean several things depending on how you look at it. So I decided to just use my real name–I played all the parts myself–and thought I’d be really clever and stick a “The” on the beginning so that it would sound more like a band name like The Pink Floyd or The Sonic Youth.

Of course it came off sounding egoistic as in I am “The” Bill Doss. So much for clever! Actually, I am one of several Bill Dosses. I recently got an email forwarded to me from a paramedic in Ohio named Bill Doss who had received a fan letter saying how much they loved The Sunshine Fix. Nutter.

5) Are you writing or recording any new material at the moment?

Oh yeah, I am always writing and recording. I got into ProTools recently and have been experimenting like crazy with it just learning the program. I have also been trying to shy away from writing 60’s-style pop songs and instead come at my songwriting from a different angle, which is not as easy as it sounds after so many years in one direction, and also the reason I don’t have a new record out yet. I will definitely get back to the 60’s thing eventually but for now I am enjoying trying to do things differently. The new stuff is darker and lots of minor keys and sadness closer to Leonard Cohen than John Lennon, I suppose. I don’t know why, actually, because my life is wonderful and I am very happy, but the darker themes seem to be coming through in the new material. I suppose it’s all part of whatever it is…and as Lou Reed said, “I just write ‘em, I don’t explain ‘em…” or some other such nonsense. Plus after writing a galling amount of songs about the sun and light, an about-face was inevitable.

6) What are you listening to at the moment that you find particularly inspiring?

Right now, I am listening to a lot of Middle Eastern Music–especially from Lebanon. Also, some old stuff from Japan. It’s all so strange to ears that are used to hearing music from the west–all wooden and tinkly. I also recently got into Paulo Conte. He is an old Italian eccentric who’s crusty and sort of Tom Waits-y and just wonderful. With any luck, I could definitely see myself growing into that sort of character. Also, since I started playing with the Apples, I have gone back and listened to that stuff again and have really rediscovered their music. I think I had forgotten just how brilliant those records are. That has really inspired and reinvigorated me musically. And of course with the passing of Syd [Barrett], I have gone back and listened to all my old Pink Floyd and Syd solo albums. It’s sad for us that he is gone but at least now he is free from any earthly pain and besides, we lost him nearly forty years ago anyway. I think that has inspired me to keep working. You never know how much time you have to do the things you want to do. To paraphrase my friend Will, it’s best to enjoy your sunny day while taking the time to waste it.

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Portrait photo by Amy Hairston
Live photo of Olivia Tremor Control by Chris Yetter