Posted on March 25, 2009 - by Mark Zonda

WoodPigeon

This year – and last months of 2008, anyway – were particulary good in the discovery of cool bands. I mean, not just average m’key ones. I’m talking about bands whose songs you could actually fall in love with, coming right through your heart to brake it right in two ripping it up just from the inside out. I’m talking about F.E.E.L.I.N.G.S. and S.H.I.V.E.R.S.. Miracles are hold by the faith in human kindness, and I was lucky enough to have a little interview with one of these bands. They’re new for me, but they’re on the scene scince a bit. They come from Canada, and their name is Woodpigeon, apparantly because writing the name feels just like rising and falling from a roller-coaster.

Mark Zonda: It’s no secret. Your band is what I’m loving the most these days along with “Blind Terry”. Spellbound people with music makes you feel good? Is it part of a calculate plan or does this magic come right
from the heart?

Mark Hamilton: I don’t really think there’s much of a plan behind what we’re doing except to make music that thrills us. Hearing that other people also like it is a pretty heart-warming experience. I don’t believe you can spellbound anyone with a set plan. How would one go about doing that? Those sorts of things just usually seem to turn out incredibly manipulative and false.

Mark Zonda: Are bands with a violin better than the others? Show us at least three good bands with no string attached that can worth a listen…

Mark Hamilton: Man. I’m really big into the bands Women, Deerhunter, and Joy Division. I don’t think any of them have had much string placement in their work, have they?

Mark Zonda: Why, in your opinion, some many blokes from the new generations are looking back up to Ian Curtis band?

Mark Hamilton: I think that Joy Division still sounds new and exciting, and that no-one’s ever really been able to truly capture their sound and energy. I feel similarly about The Smiths. There’s a lot of people who try and hit the same notes and the same feeling, but very few have actually come close. I think that in both cases, The Smiths and Joy Divison are also the perfect kind of bands that you can listen to in your home AND jump around to on a night out. That’s an amazing balance to strike.

Mark Zonda: Why people – nowadays – feel the urge to compare your music to Arcade Fire and Thom Yorke while the intro from “The Hamilton Academical” reminds me of King Crimson, Elliott Smith and Wilco?

Mark Hamilton: King Crimson? That’s definitely the first time we’ve been compared to King Crimson. That’s interesting … I usually think that comparisons made by people when writing about music are typically just based on what’s easiest and most recognizable at any given point in time. That said, I’m happy to rest alongside all of those bands you’ve mentioned — and in fact, I’m always happy to see my music compared favourably to some other people whose music I quite enjoy. But as for why people pick those particular bands in terms of comparing us, I can’t exactly say. I know I’ve been quite influenced by Elliott Smith (and definitely even more so by his personal heroes The Kinks, who are also my favourite group), but some of your other comparisons are definitely making for an intriguing list.

Mark Zonda: What made The Kinks such a great band and which are your favourite Kinks songs?

Mark Hamilton: The Kinks were the perfect connection between four people who, if they didn’t particularly love playing music with one another all of the time, were somehow made to compliment one another perfectly.

There’s also no discounting the songs — I think the Kinks’ glory run in the 1960s was every bit as good as The Beatles’.

I actually just took a listen to the new 6-CD box set of The Kinks’ music, and you can definitely notice a progression from start to finish. It’s hard to make it all the way to the end (those boys have made some BAD music), but it’s still incredible just how long they were capable of making one perfect song after another.

Mark Zonda: Speaking of Collective Musical Projects, who would win between you and Elephant6?

Mark Hamilton: You mean in a fight? I would hope we’d just sit around and make music together instead.

Mark Zonda: Your favourite Elephan6 band? Can you introduce us a bit of Woodpigeon members side projects?

Mark Hamilton: I’ll always have a warm spot for Neutral Milk Hotel (and I’m definitely interested to see what their new stuff sounds like, if we ever get to hear it!). As for Woodpigeon side projects, there’s a few. I’m in a band called Spreepark that’s a lot of fun. We’ve recorded three albums so far, and released the first two for free on the internet via our website. We’re currently mixing the third one called ‘SLOW JAMZ’. I’m also starting a new project called Dorothy, and we’re going to drive out to an abandoned church in an Alberta ghost town to do some recording in April. Our drummer and keyboardist are in a band called The Brenda Vaqueros, and they just got their first album pressed up this past week. The girls in the band have also started a project called The Pigeonettes, which is all Motown covers-based. A lot of fun. They’re also doing some surf rock as a group called The May Pangs, and having their first show in April. Finally, our other keyboardist Annalea (who’s also in Spreepark, The May Pangs, and The Pigeonettes) has a new project with her husband called Scars & Scarves. A lot going on indeed!

Mark Zonda: “A Sad Country Ballad for a Tired Superhero” it’s the perfect balance between “Belle & Sebastian”, “Herman Dune” and “King Cresote”. What’s the story behind that song from “Songbook”? Did your last album
take advantage of a better production or you’re simply emproved your studio tecniques from that album?

Mark Hamilton: ‘Songbook’ was the first album we’d ever made, and we recorded a lot of it in a stairwell made out of marble, and filled with natural reverb and echo. As for the production of our second album, I think it’s been part of a growth both for us and our producer Arran Fisher. We’ve been working together from the start, and learning things as we go together. Thanks for mentioning Herman Dune, I definitely love them. The story behind the song was I guess due to dealing with the idea from a lot of people in my life
that I was destined to go somewhere and do something big, but no-one ever told me exactly where to go and what to do! I think one’s 20′s are a very confusing time, and sometimes even more confusing than our teenage years. I suppose I was tired of being a known over-achiever and just wanted to go away to a Fortress of Solitude when I wrote that song.

Mark Zonda: Natural echoes and reverbs so? Marvellous! Expecially in a time when all you have to do is just double-click a mouse! The runaway song then. Where would you like to run now?

Mark Hamilton: I’m dying to go and explore more of Eastern Europe. I’ve been to Lithuania and Croatia, but I have a few days off on this next upcoming tour and I’d like to get to Bulgaria and Estonia. The biggest dream of “running away” has always been The Trans-Siberian Express in Russia, from one end to the other. Someday soon, I hope.

Woodpigeon – “Now you like me how?”

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