PLAYGROUND BOSTON

Holiday Shores

Holiday Shores’ debut, Columbus’d the Whim, is pure, euphonic magic- a carnival of sounds. Post-name change, Nathan Pemberton & Co have produced an album of youthful and dream-like splendor. The hazy music is wrapped in sounds of, and packaged, like a time capsule, still hauntingly relevant and age-appropriate. It’s a psychotic and seemingly effortless mix of old and new that has been compared to the likes of Brian Wilson and Animal Collective.

The sound of Holiday Shores resonates like the “glory days” (or what our generation might imagine them to be). Pemberton’s voice is a gentle and melodic force, that somehow, finds stasis in the chaos behind him. Peel away the layers of distortion and polyphony of these tracks and you’ll find his songs left with a discerning innocence–not immaturity–that laces the lyrics. “Phones Don’t Feud” was my introduction to Columbus’d the Whim, already tapped by Fader, but, “Reruns” is the track that hints at their talent for broad appeal. “Tremor Rolls the Peak” is where I find the humanity in their music, and “Errand of Tongue” is where I hear the marriage of Pemberton’s wordsmith potential and musical prowess. The band’s sound is unpretentious, with a clever and subtle seduction.

Beautiful Weekend

Last week the guys drove up from Chicago en route to Brooklyn, stopping in Allston for Thursday night’s gig at O’Brien’s. The night’s lineup also includes local band Beautiful Weekend and Brooklyn-based Dan Friel. The setting is intimate, and showcases a sophisticated brand of humor wrought with self-deprecation and humility. Beautiful Weekend (Noell Dorsey and Joel Roston) kick off the evening with a cymbal, electric guitar, and vocals. The duo’s sound creeps off the stage with foreboding and ethereal quality. After some time, Dorsey and Roston’s voices become one, and the harmonies guide us through this wraithy soundscape.

Holiday Shores follow the local pair with a short set of about four or five songs. They manage to get the bar dwellers from their seats, and despite being reprimanded for unwelcomely shouting out a song preference, I enjoy the band’s energy. You’d never know these guys just drove through night. There is an excitement and genuine appreciation in their performance that seems to embrace the small and supportive crowd.

Dan Friel also seems quite comfortable in this setting, and sets up his one-man-band at the base of the stage, drawing the crowd closer, sitting ’round something like a Yamaha Portasound festooned with Christmas lights. Friel’s commitment to creating a melody with/in/out of noise might be what Black Moth Super Rainbow would sound like if stuck in a video game. He closes his set with “Ghost Town Part 1,” which truly exposes Friel’s pop-sensibilities and unbridled, electro-freestyle.

After the show, I get the opportunity to sit with Pemberton and ask him a few questions. So, at midnight, we sit on the stoop of an Allston residence and discuss The Beach Boys, karaoke, and the future of music. With an assuming ease and boyish charm, he describes the band’s risk-taking and inclusive approach to music that leaves me wondering…what’s next for these guys?

So, I know what I feel when I listen to your music, but if you could create a scenario for your music, where would you suggest someone listen to your music? When? What would they be doing?

Ah, huh. Well, a lot of it feels kinda modern to me. A lot of times, I’m like, “I haven’t really heard this before,” which is why I liked what we were doing. If I’d heard it before, I’d feel a little weird about continuing with it. But, to participate better with your question, instead of saying “now”… I dont know if we really fit in with the 60s, but I definitely feel like people from the 60s would enjoy it. Even the 70s, actually. But, I think it fits with what’s happening right now (in a cool way), and, hopefully, it will last a little bit longer than just right now. Because a lot of records don’t.

Yeah, funny, actually, I just was reading this interview with Lester Bangs shortly before he died, and, of course, he was ranting about the doomed fate of music as it is monopolized by major record companies. Seems “popular” music now is largely determined by, well, people like me – and that person over there. It’s at this seemingly extreme grassroots level, but, like, the availability and accessibility to this music has also made it easily disposable.

Holiday Shores

Yeah, it’s a weird spot. We were all really excited about 2009, like, who would take advantage of where we are, now. I mean, when the Animal Collective record came out in January–that was pretty exciting. And, then the Dirty Projectors record came out and that was really good. I mean, 2009 has been pretty good, and I had really high expectations for it. But, I’m still kinda worried about 2010.

I guess what I mean is, there is such a difference coming from an era where you buy an entire record and that album is valued, as a whole, you know.

Exactly. That’s a huge issue right now, I guess.

Yeah it is. I mean, it’s great because music is being done largely at this grassroots, diy level – rejecting this idea of the big record company – but, at the same time people are making music and uploading it to the internet, and others (not even consumers) are downloading only one song.

Well, it’s like, with itunes you can pick and choose.

Yeah, definitely. And, I guess, as an artist how do you feel coming out during all of this?

I mean, I worry about it a lot, of course. I think everyone’s kind of worried about the whole blog thing. And, how quickly someone can go from nothing to something. It’s a whole weird level of stardom, where someone can just as easily and quickly go back into obscurity…it’s a strange time. I think the “value” of music is maybe being lessened. But, I also really think, at the same rate, this format allows for music to be more progressive. But, it does just seem like bands can be built up and then broken down on a whim. I’m a little worried that everyone is rushing to find something new, and then these days things are falling out just as quickly as their made. But, I also don’t foresee anything slowing down, so I think people have to adapt to that.

Yeah, there are the artists like Beck who’ve changed with the times and who are still successful.

Definitely, the artists who started in the 90s with record deals, royalties, and advances, and now aren’t signing cds anymore – what a huge culture shock for them.

I see a little Beck in your sound. Maybe that just came from the sounds I hear in the background–in the living room where you recorded. Or, what I see, in this, like, playfulness and willingness to experiment.

Yeah, I like to just kinda go for it. See what happens…Have you ever listened to Brian Eno?

Yeah.

He actually had this set of cards and these cards contained small phrases and the phrases said, well, they would just say random things. They would reference these cards when they’d get jammed up while they were recording. So, if they got to an impasse when they were recording they would reference the card and the card would say something, like, you know, “G”o with your gut” or “What would your best friend do?” Just these random things, and they would use these cards to guide their decision-making process. I hadn’t heard about this before I started recording, but in retrospect it seems similar to how we recorded. Just like, “Okay, well, you know, what’s our gut instinct for this part?” or “How much time do we have?” We didn’t really lay it out in advance. We kinda just figured it out in the moment. Piece by piece.

Holiday Shores

So, how does that affect your songwriting?

Hm, my songwriting…I’ve never been able to just sit down with a guitar and write a song from start to finish. I’ve always had to start recording the song, and, I’ll make a mistake or I’ll hear something weird when just fucking around with that song, and I’ll have to extract that bit, blow it up. Then, that’ll become a part of the song. It’s totally by trial and error. Just letting things happen. I do feel a little weird about that. ‘Coz that’s a modern way of approaching music. You couldn’t do that in the 60s or 70s. So, sometimes I feel like I’m cheating to a certain extent. Taking advantage of the resources I have. I wish i could just sit down and go from a to b on one instrument, and then go from there. I’m shooting for that, still. But, for this album, the songs as a whole came together, primarily, by just recording them.

I mean, it sounds great. I feel like the creative process…well, there’s no right way.

Yeah, totally, There’s no one way. But, I do kind of feel like it’s not as accomplished to sit down in front of a computer and edit stuff together. I think I’ll keep trying to strive to create differently.

Okay, so, I would hate to stamp any temporal or seasonal label on music or a band, but I just feel like your sound oozes summer. Like, it’s the perfect soundtrack for sitting on a porch and drinking a beer.

{Laughs.} Well, uh, the record was recorded in the middle of winter. Totally dreary. I definitely didn’t set out to incorporate “summer” into it. I mean, if that’s how it came out, I think it’s awesome that it did. But, at the time, I was going to school everyday, then coming back and recording from 4 or 5 in afternoon to midnight, or 2 or 3 in the morning. Then, waking up and going right to school. You know, not exactly carefree. But, there definitely was a time when we were just…anticipating summer. I think that aspect is there. I was anticipating graduating, anticipating being done with it all, and takin’ it easy. Which, we have been doing so far. I think a lot it was just like, not wanting to be…

Doing whatever you were doing…

Ha, like in school. You know, it was definitely about me looking forward. I feel like everyone thinks we recorded in the summer.

Well, I guess being a Floridian, that’s just in you (I know. I’m also from Florida.) But, in talking about homebase, I think geography is important noting. And, any sort of sociocultural elements that might influence the music that you make. Like, I think the music that you’re making in Tallahassee is really different from the music that’s coming out of Gainesville – which seems to be harder rock.

Well, the thing is, Florida is so spread out. So big. And, Tallahassee is a little more folky- folk punk. Like, when we play shows it’s really hard to find a band that fits with us. Really hard. I think we feel a little out of place there. It’s not that people aren’t receptive to it, it’s just that people are necessarily making this kind of music.

Then, where do you get these ideas from?

A lot of it was the records we were listening to, and just keeping in touch with what was happening across the country. Not that we necessarily drew a lot from them, but it was interesting to see how things are lining up. Things on our end just seemed to sync up with everything else that was going on.

I think it’s really interesting, too. That there does seem to be a sound that defines a sort of what’s going on in music right now.

There definitely is something going on right now, and it’s really cool. I think this summer has been really great, and I’m curious to see what happens next year, and this fall. What things shift into. I don’t want to know what next is, because I feel like that would be too soon. It seems like a lot of this is only just starting. But, I’m definitely curious to see where it heads.

Do you have any plans?

Hopefully just to tour more. We have some new songs in the works. Hopefully looking for a release over seas. Still working on that, though. Nothing positive. Just, shooting for it.

Why not.

Why not.

So… I mentioned, that I read some reviews, specifically of Golden Throats, where people have thrown around words like ‘atonal’ and ‘unpolished’ to describe your voice. You may not like this comparison, but when I listen to you I think your approach to vocals is reminiscent of Stephen Malkmus…

Yeah! A couple of people have actually said that.

What! Why’s everyone stealing my lines? But, I mean, when people start comparing you to or referencing people like Malkmus, [Brian] Wilson…if it were me I’d be like, “ahhh”…

Yeah, I just don’t think about it. I think it’s inappropriate, because they’re, like, untouchable. I’m not going to try to pretend that i’m anywhere near…

… But, how do you feel about other people trying to define your sound?

I’m just trying to go with the flow. Like when people say “beachy”… I mean, a lot of us who are close to the record think it sounds more like…Well, first of all, i think it’s hard, weird, to describe things like you said before with a seasonal tag. I feel like the record is a little darker than a summer or poppy record.

Holiday Shores

Well, I guess that’s where the Brian Wilson reference comes in.

I mean, the songs are kinda dark. But, I didn’t want to write dark music. Like, with The Beach Boys, all their songs manage to present themselves as Beach Boys’ songs, but for people who care to look at them, they’ll see the weird mental states Wilson was in, and what was going on his life. They reflect pretty clearly, actually.

Absolutely. I think his inclusion of strange and dark instruments, noise helped do that. I think that’s what you are doing, like, by incorporating these things that are in your everyday life.

Yeah, especially, with a recording process that was so in step with my everyday life. I think, my feelings and life at the time just spilled over.

Like in “days drag.” Totally relate.

Yeah, it spilled over with lyrics. To express what was going on at the time. I actually had to write those really quickly because we didn’t have much time left.

When you say time, what do you mean. Like, were you under pressure?

Well, I was supposed to mix the record in March. Which i did. But, we did “Days Drag” in something like 4 days. But, I was definitely like, “Okay, I’m going to sit down and write a record now” because they want to release it. We set a deadline.

Was that part of the reason you might have brought on your collaborators…bandmates?

Yeah, I approached Josh in the fall, and was like “I’m gonna record this record, you should help me.” He helped a lot. The bass player and other drummer recorded on a lot of tracks. One of the guys is still performing with us, he’s just in school right now.

Yeah, I thought you had two drummers?

We play a lot with two drummers. But, now that we’re touring, the other drummer just can’t come out. I would like to do that more often. Ha, there’s also not really enough room in the car. …But, a lot of the record does have two drums, with me and josh playing two drums at the same time.

I think you can kinda tell the difference. Even when you were playing “Errand of Tongue” tonight, I was listening to it and noticed some elements were missing. The first time I was listening to through my headphones –Well, you know, when you first listen to a record you just listen to it and then listen to it again to absorb it –well, i was listening to this song and heard that computer inbox sound…

Ha, yeah, someone has said that. I looked for that sound, and couldn’t find it?

What! You didn’t do that on purpose?! Because, I thought that was genius. I thought, they take these ordinary sounds that I hear everyday …See, this is where being an artist becomes weird, because people start picking up on things you didn’t mean to do. Or, drawing meaning from something that wasn’t there in the first place. …Apparently.

{Laughs.} We did it on a boombox. I think the boombox pitch is just speeding up.

Well, uh, I was going to ask how you decide to incorporate these elements…

I think I just got lucky. I think a lot of it was the pace of the schedule we were working with; not a lot of time to second guess.

Yeah, well, I’m glad you didn’t. …Maybe, don’t tell people that. Let ‘em think it was deliberate.
Okay, so, top 3 favorite songs for a dance party. Go:

1. Like A Prayer – Madonna.

That’s a great karaoke song.

Oh, yeah? Josh really likes karaoke, I’m just not very good at it.

…Because you’re a singer…?

I don’t know…I just get up there and…

…Yeah, the trick is you have to be really drunk. And, it’s not really about the other people…Next time you’re in Boston you have to go to the Hong Kong…

Ha, okay. …

Last two.

2. Rhiannon – Fleetwood Mac
3. Billy Jean – Michael Jackson

Holiday Shores

m

photos by Pete Legasey

[View with PicLens]