LITTLE ROCK — Lots of white-robed musicians come to mind when thinking of The Polyphonic Spree, although the band did veer away at one point, for military fatigues.
But the robes are back, says the Spree’s founder and leader, Tim DeLaughter .
The robes originally came to be part of the show, DeLaughter says, because he wanted a special group unity, plus he had a plan to “shoot projections onto the robes. I wanted to make it more about the sound and visuals and less about each player visually.”
DeLaughter had formerly led another Dallas-based band, Tripping Daisy, but that band broke up in 1999 after the drug overdose death of guitarist Wes Berggren. DeLaughter decided to form a group that covered a lot of musical bases, from traditional rock instrumentation to a choral approach, featuring male and female voices, and adding flute, cello, viola, violin, keyboards, piano, Theremin, trombone and trumpet.
For all this, he takes from 20 to 22 people on the road, which requires special travel planning and coordination.
“We used to use a hockey bus, but apparently a five piece band nearly destroyed it, so now they only allow up to 15 on it at one time, so we use two vans and a trailer,” DeLaughter says.“It’s a drag.”
Recording and touring have proceeded, like the group’s sound, at a somewhat dreamy pace, which DeLaughter says is all part of the plan: “It’s life, and we tear it down, inspect it, build it back up and re-create it.”
The band, as DeLaughter envisioned it, would create a sound that melds the good vibrations of The Beach Boys, The Fifth Dimension, The Association and Wings. The Spree released its debut album The Beginning Stages of … The Polyphonic Spree in 2002, following that with Together We’re Heavy in 2004and The Fragile Army in 2007 (on the tour for the latter, black army outfits were worn during shows, but the white robes came back on during encores).
One of DeLaughter’s side projects that has created excitement among music fans is his work with Jason Lytle, former lead singer of the band Grandaddy. The two are continuing to collaborate.
The Polyphonic Spree’s music has been used in movies and TV shows, at sporting events, fashion shows and in commercials. The group’s songs have been used in the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the TV series Scrubs and Weeds, and a commercial for the Volkswagen Beetle. DeLaughter says that aspect of the band’s work continues apace.
“Our song ‘Light and Day’ is part of The Lorax film coming out in March,” he says. “I’m always working on a little something here and there and we’re in the thick of recording some vocals for something in Japan.”
There have been Spree appearances on the TV shows hosted by Conan O’Brien and Jimmy Kimmel, along with the band’s famed home-state music series Austin City Limits, plus DVDs of the group’s performances in Austin and at South by Southwest and at the Coachella festival in California.
This year’s touring is just under way, with the Little Rock show the third stop.
“We’re just getting started,” DeLaughter says. “This will be a busy year, going around the USA through the spring and working towards a holiday extravaganza in December, along with a Polyphonic Spree Christmas album.”
Opening act New Fumes is a project of Daniel Huffman, a former Polyphonic Spree guitarist, who has also toured and collaborated with The Flaming Lips.
Polyphonic Spree
Opening act:
New Fumes
8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Revolution Room, 300 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock
Admission:
$16 advance; $20 day of show
(501) 823-0090 revroom.com
Style, Pages 29 on 02/07/2012