[imgleft]http://www.ultimatemetal.com/bandpics/pelican1.jpg[/imgleft]By Nathan Pearce
Pelican is one of those bands that youre just as likely to find at a stoner party, as you are to find at your uncles party for his fourth PhD in some sort of anthropological studies. Comprised of Larry Herweg (drums), Bryan Herweg (bass), Trevor de Brauw (guitar), and Laurent Lebec (guitar), and hailing from Chicago, the band has not exactly affiliated itself with a scene anywhere. Hydra Head was a logical label to snatch them up, but Pelican is much more than just another thinking-mans rock band.
I recently had the chance to discuss animals, air guitar, and the state of experimentation in rock with guitarist Laurent Lebec. It first must be noted that Pelican wasnt originally the primary focus for 75% of the band members.
Three members (not Bryan) are in another local band named Tusk, which is more of a form-free grind band, so to speak just really out there. I (Laurent) started to write riffs on the side that werent grind or traditional metal at all, and they all figured it could be fun to do a band on the side. Over time, Pelican grew in importance and can now be considered the main band.
Interesting . . . but why would a bunch of grinders give up on that dream to pursue instrumental music?
We had trouble finding a singer at first. Soon, however, we realized that the songs we were writing actually had a sort of cinematic feel to them and therefore might be allowed to grow without a singer. People at our first shows really seemed to appreciate the fact that we didnt have a singer, as the type of voice a singer has tends to determine what genre youre assigned to. Wed rather just have the chance to appeal to fans of all types of music, so we dont want a singer.
Since a lot of bands tend to base songs around lyrics or vocals, one cant help but wonder how a band like Pelican goes about writing their songs.
I (Laurent) will usually structure a song, with a foundation that often includes a lot of riffs. Trevor will usually be the first person to hear this foundation. Hell make suggestions for better transitions and come up with all his own parts and leads. Its increasingly rare that the two guitars ever play the same thing. When the guitar progressions are ready, Larry and Bryan get to hear the song, and make their own recommendations for how it will flow. A good metaphor for the process is stone cutting. You start with a raw piece of rock, and as each person works on it, you refine it. Its the same with us: One person conceptualizes the song, and the other three help creatively shape it.
Wow! These guys seem smart. Do audiences appreciate all this attention detail by actually paying attention to the band, or do they simply jump around moshing like idiots?
We sometimes get moshers, but its rare. Those are usually people who are drunk. Quite simply, the rhythms dont really lend themselves to moshing. We do get a few headbangers, of course. The fans I actually enjoy the most are those who air guitar or air drum some of them look like they memorized our riffs!!! Hahaha. Its really funny. But actually we get a lot of people who seem like they are in some sort of trance they just stand there, fixated and quiet. Were never sure whether they like it or hate it, but I guess if they stay there, theyre enjoying the performance.
So what types of shows is Pelican involved with?
Weve really tried to play with a variety of bands, from straight up heavy rock bands, to noisier acts, instrumental indie rock acts or more abstract bands. Any bill that can diversify our audience is worth getting on, so weve played with everyone from Denali to High on Fire and Dalek.
I truly believe that we are just a rock band. We have way too many influences and are so different as individuals. Being niched would be limiting. I, for one, think we could and do appeal to a variety of people. Id say we simply would like to belong to the scene that is the most open-minded, the scene that believes in growth and forward motion.
Hydra Head is quickly becoming a label known for its otherworldly and forward-thinking bands. Pelican can easily fit in with almost any band on the label, but a label the size of Hydra Head picking up an instrumental band is a little rare.
We played with Isis, and Aaron and those guys encouraged us sending a CD. They liked us, but not necessarily to do anything with it. They just wanted to hear what we had when it was recorded. I was quite pleasantly shocked when Aaron emailed us and said hed be interested in working with the band. They are creative, committed and very nice people.
Pelicans music is both complex and free of restriction. A band that pays such attention to detail typically has a purpose behind everything involved with the album. Whats the deal with the artwork for the album?
Well, Bryan took a trip to Australia and came back with some fantastic photos. We really wanted to use some of them for our record, and so we came up with a loose concept around the photos. The term Australasia is foreign to a lot of people outside of the region, I would think, and it encompasses the area surrounding Australia as well. Also, the cover art was manipulated to reveal a familiar and inviting but also strange and foreboding place these two concepts apply to our music as well: We play in a music arena where similar sounds have been heard before, but were trying to offer something different for our audience. Additionally, we meddle heavier riffs with more melody than similar bands normally offer. So the music has a warm and cozy vibe sometimes, and then it can turn quite monstrous.
What about the band's name . . . Pelican? Whats that all about?
Its about the fact that weve always enjoyed naming our bands after animals, which already have various characteristics associated with them. A pelican is a quiet, mysterious creature that flies very high, has a huge wingspan and towers over the sea it hunts in. That image is very attractive and we wanted it to lend qualities to our music, such as the idea that you can let yourself go in there and just roam free. Sounds cheesy, maybe, but its better than being called Blood Shits or something like that.
Where does Pelican go from here? What aspirations does the band have?
We have a U.S. and Euro tour planned for spring and summer 2004. We cant wait to hit the road and play cities weve never gone to before. Also, we are recording in the spring for two split records we are doing on Hydra Head, one will be with Growing and the other with Floor. Growing is ambient drone band, and Floor is just pummeling heavy goodness. Look out for those.
www.hydrahead.com
Pelican is one of those bands that youre just as likely to find at a stoner party, as you are to find at your uncles party for his fourth PhD in some sort of anthropological studies. Comprised of Larry Herweg (drums), Bryan Herweg (bass), Trevor de Brauw (guitar), and Laurent Lebec (guitar), and hailing from Chicago, the band has not exactly affiliated itself with a scene anywhere. Hydra Head was a logical label to snatch them up, but Pelican is much more than just another thinking-mans rock band.
I recently had the chance to discuss animals, air guitar, and the state of experimentation in rock with guitarist Laurent Lebec. It first must be noted that Pelican wasnt originally the primary focus for 75% of the band members.
Three members (not Bryan) are in another local band named Tusk, which is more of a form-free grind band, so to speak just really out there. I (Laurent) started to write riffs on the side that werent grind or traditional metal at all, and they all figured it could be fun to do a band on the side. Over time, Pelican grew in importance and can now be considered the main band.
Interesting . . . but why would a bunch of grinders give up on that dream to pursue instrumental music?
We had trouble finding a singer at first. Soon, however, we realized that the songs we were writing actually had a sort of cinematic feel to them and therefore might be allowed to grow without a singer. People at our first shows really seemed to appreciate the fact that we didnt have a singer, as the type of voice a singer has tends to determine what genre youre assigned to. Wed rather just have the chance to appeal to fans of all types of music, so we dont want a singer.
Since a lot of bands tend to base songs around lyrics or vocals, one cant help but wonder how a band like Pelican goes about writing their songs.
I (Laurent) will usually structure a song, with a foundation that often includes a lot of riffs. Trevor will usually be the first person to hear this foundation. Hell make suggestions for better transitions and come up with all his own parts and leads. Its increasingly rare that the two guitars ever play the same thing. When the guitar progressions are ready, Larry and Bryan get to hear the song, and make their own recommendations for how it will flow. A good metaphor for the process is stone cutting. You start with a raw piece of rock, and as each person works on it, you refine it. Its the same with us: One person conceptualizes the song, and the other three help creatively shape it.
Wow! These guys seem smart. Do audiences appreciate all this attention detail by actually paying attention to the band, or do they simply jump around moshing like idiots?
We sometimes get moshers, but its rare. Those are usually people who are drunk. Quite simply, the rhythms dont really lend themselves to moshing. We do get a few headbangers, of course. The fans I actually enjoy the most are those who air guitar or air drum some of them look like they memorized our riffs!!! Hahaha. Its really funny. But actually we get a lot of people who seem like they are in some sort of trance they just stand there, fixated and quiet. Were never sure whether they like it or hate it, but I guess if they stay there, theyre enjoying the performance.
So what types of shows is Pelican involved with?
Weve really tried to play with a variety of bands, from straight up heavy rock bands, to noisier acts, instrumental indie rock acts or more abstract bands. Any bill that can diversify our audience is worth getting on, so weve played with everyone from Denali to High on Fire and Dalek.
I truly believe that we are just a rock band. We have way too many influences and are so different as individuals. Being niched would be limiting. I, for one, think we could and do appeal to a variety of people. Id say we simply would like to belong to the scene that is the most open-minded, the scene that believes in growth and forward motion.
Hydra Head is quickly becoming a label known for its otherworldly and forward-thinking bands. Pelican can easily fit in with almost any band on the label, but a label the size of Hydra Head picking up an instrumental band is a little rare.
We played with Isis, and Aaron and those guys encouraged us sending a CD. They liked us, but not necessarily to do anything with it. They just wanted to hear what we had when it was recorded. I was quite pleasantly shocked when Aaron emailed us and said hed be interested in working with the band. They are creative, committed and very nice people.
Pelicans music is both complex and free of restriction. A band that pays such attention to detail typically has a purpose behind everything involved with the album. Whats the deal with the artwork for the album?
Well, Bryan took a trip to Australia and came back with some fantastic photos. We really wanted to use some of them for our record, and so we came up with a loose concept around the photos. The term Australasia is foreign to a lot of people outside of the region, I would think, and it encompasses the area surrounding Australia as well. Also, the cover art was manipulated to reveal a familiar and inviting but also strange and foreboding place these two concepts apply to our music as well: We play in a music arena where similar sounds have been heard before, but were trying to offer something different for our audience. Additionally, we meddle heavier riffs with more melody than similar bands normally offer. So the music has a warm and cozy vibe sometimes, and then it can turn quite monstrous.
What about the band's name . . . Pelican? Whats that all about?
Its about the fact that weve always enjoyed naming our bands after animals, which already have various characteristics associated with them. A pelican is a quiet, mysterious creature that flies very high, has a huge wingspan and towers over the sea it hunts in. That image is very attractive and we wanted it to lend qualities to our music, such as the idea that you can let yourself go in there and just roam free. Sounds cheesy, maybe, but its better than being called Blood Shits or something like that.
Where does Pelican go from here? What aspirations does the band have?
We have a U.S. and Euro tour planned for spring and summer 2004. We cant wait to hit the road and play cities weve never gone to before. Also, we are recording in the spring for two split records we are doing on Hydra Head, one will be with Growing and the other with Floor. Growing is ambient drone band, and Floor is just pummeling heavy goodness. Look out for those.
www.hydrahead.com
