We’re pleased to reveal Hello Sparrow

The band is pleased to reveal Hello Sparrow. From this point on, our new blog entries will live on at the band’s website. Thank you for following us this far, we invite you to continue with us on our journey, now as a band with a name!

hellosparrow.com

-Trav

Melt Your Face

So two things.  First,  I think I can safely say that we all hate Nazis and take particular glory in their demise (as seen above).   Second, our first show is Saturday night at 7pm.  Be there or be square.  Be there and have your face melted (it’s a cool thing, I promise).

LOCATION: 850 N. 19th Street, Philadelphia

DATE: Saturday, May 1st, 2010

TIME: 7:00pm – 11:00pm  ***we are playing FIRST!! if you actually want to see us, get there by 7!***

INFO: This is a fundraiser for a friend of mine.  the cost is $10 at the door for four bands…not bad really.  This cost also includes refreshments.  Beer/wine will be available.

Other bands: Katie Becker, listen @ http://www.myspace.com/katiebeckerbecker ; Lion Versus, listen @ http://www.myspace.com/lionversus ; and Jeremy Eshelman

-phil

Brushes, Palettes, and Colors

***this is not a advertisement, but if you want to sponsor us feel free, Korg, Boss, etc…***

Dismal Train Rides

so i haven’t blogged in awhile.  i apologize for my negligence and i’ll try to redeem myself.

i was riding the R5 from temple to jenkintown the other day, and although it was certainly not my first time, i observed the scenery as i hadn’t quite seen it before.  i guess the catalyst for me was this moment where i was staring out the window, looking at this  weird industrial yard we were passing, it was full of crushed stone and looked incredibly bleak, and then there was this hawk.  the hawk was flying right at eye level and at almost the exact speed the train was traveling, so i kinda just got to stare at it and really examine it.  it was weird because i realized that this bird looked almost exactly like the yard; its feathers were dirty, like they had soot all over them, and its wings seemed tattered and unkempt – the resemblance was haunting.

there isn’t really a conclusion or point to this story except that it inspired some lyrics.  here they are, and i hope you all enjoy them:

a hawks roost
a dirty coal yard
dark eyes
they’re black as tar

crushed rock
steel tracks
teal slate
glass cracked

green vines
choke back
broad leaves -
our oxygen mask

smoke stacks surround this place
crumbling homes are this city’s face

-phil

west coast time

So, as I mentioned, Phil and I have continued to write in the past few weeks (even as we’ve been preparing for other things).  I’ve felt a great deal of inspiration in recent days that culminated in another new song.  Kristi says this is her favorite song so far and she can’t wait for you to hear it. 

This may sound painfully obvious, but I find it easiest to write when I know what I’m writing about.  Like if I sit down to just “write a song” because I want to write something cool, things typically (at least initially) feel pretty plastic – and I end up basing lyrical concepts on the sounds that I’m creating.  The mood and the content progress together.  That doesn’t release me from the discipline of work as a writer.  It’s just evidence that you’re never inspired as often as you would like; and thus, if you consider yourself a writer, you must practice your trade even when you’re not in the groove.  When you write about something that is inspiring you, it becomes much easier to put words and concepts together that make sense – and the music typically ends up taking care of itself. 

Fortunately my writing took the inspiration route this week.  I’ve been thinking about how hard it can be to step out into the direction you know you’re supposed to go in life when that direction is a new path.  Even if we can see where we want to end up, the means by which we get there can seem confusing or impossible.

  so where do we land from a fall that could kill a man

  and how do we stand, with our legs we just second guess

  and maps dont tell us how we should devote our time

  and love won’t find us, we’re alone if we never try

 

-James

Turtle Island Quartet

Last week I had the chance to see another uniquely amazing live performance…this time by a Grammy award-winning string quartet.  Kristi and I saw the Turtle Island Quartet at a little venue called the Sellersville Theater.  (neat venue, though, unfortunately they don’t book a lot of good acts – as a result I make it there maybe once a year…maybe)

Amazingly, the tickets were $25 and the place was not half full: unconscionable for an artist of this caliber.  Again, I would probably blame that on Sellersville not properly promoting the show.  So while I felt bad for them, I was secretly glad when our seats were very close to the stage.

These guys are truly mind-blowing.  For starters, they all rule at their instruments.  So that helps – but additionally, their creativity makes it extremely easy to appreciate and connect with their music.  They are known for reinterpreting jazz music, and in many ways bridging the chasm between classical and popular music for people who wouldn’t naturally make the jump on their own.  They won the Grammy for a project that reinvented the music of John Coltrane (the jazz superhero).  On this current tour, they are showcasing some Hendrix – so yeah, just really, really cool stuff.  My understanding is that they arrange a lot of their music and do a fair amount of writing to boot.  Needless to say, they were well-received by their small crowd on Thursday night.

Check them out if you get a chance: your mind will be blown and you won’t regret it.

-James

Questions

So loyal readers, we wanted to take the opportunity to ask you if there is anything specific you wanted to ask us about our music or our pursuit as a band.  Do you have random questions (music related or not) that you are just dying to ask?  Is there something you’re hoping we will blog about?  If so, we want to hear it!  Post your questions and comments below… we will answer you, so ask away.

Boston

Hope you all had a nice Easter weekend.  On the East coast we had insanely good weather, which made it easy to celebrate.  Kristi and I went to Boston (one of our favorite cities) for the weekend.  My parents came along to check it out for the first time.  I’m always amazed at how clean the city is up there, and what a good mix of art and culture they have.  Despite the crowds, walking around the city and spending time relaxing on the Boston Common was fantastic.  Additionally we took the opportunity to see a few live shows (including the Blue Man Group) – which was pretty cool.   My favorite performance was a jazz trio my dad and I saw Saturday night.  This particular club overlooks the entire city from the top floor of the Prudential Center.  Quite a venue.

Concerning our music:

Despite the energy we’ve devoted to practicing for the upcoming show, Phil and I have both been writing again in recent weeks.  We’ll be sure to post more as the songs progress.

James

Interview with Travis Lehman

Because you will be seeing more and more of Travis, we thought we’d take this opportunity for a formal introduction.  If we were a hip media magazine, we’d say it like this: “We recently caught up with Travis at (insert local indie eatery) to ask him more about his recent joining of the yet unnamed (awesome) project by Phil Marsalona and James Chester.”

 

Interviewer: So Travis, you’ve recently joined this project with Phil and James, what can you tell us about the direction?  Is it rock?  electronica?  zydeco-infused?

 

Travis: Hints of electronica & post rock seep through cracks of a solid melodic indie rock base. I’ll go with the cliché and insist that it’s like nothing you’ve heard before. We’re excited for the direction it’s been going, but we’re not against our sound wavering to explore some yet undiscovered sounds in future tracks.

 

Interviewer: That’s interesting, and how does it differ from the other projects you’ve been a part of?

 

Travis: It differs primarily in that I’m playing drums.  But for the past few years, I’ve been producing a handful of my own tracks, from drums to guitar to vocals… so playing the role of the drummer isn’t completely foreign to me.  It also differs in its pace.  The guys and I are really pushing to hit the ground running and get this project off the ground.

 

Interviewer: Who would you say are your influences?  Who inspires you as an artist?

 

Travis: My primary influence as a drummer has always been Kevin Ratterman from Elliot.  His drum parts are so tight and creative… Everything he does is tasteful.  Recently another huge influence has been Darren King of Mutemath.  That guy is a stud.  Assaf Seewi is also a crazy awesome drummer. Inspiration as a musician and artist in general for me is much more broad. I love the act of creating.  I love watching preliminary ideas transform from something miniscule into something complete.

 

Interviewer: What other instruments do you play?

 

Travis: I play guitar and tinker with everything from piano to banjo and lap steel.  I like recording and programming too.

 

Interviewer: Any plans for a release?  What will the next few months look like for you guys?

 

Travis: If I knew, I would tell you.  The next few months the guys and I will be very busy discovering what the future of this project entails.  We’re all profoundly excited about it and are committed to putting a good bit of old-fashioned elbow grease into it.  Time will tell what comes of it.

 

So there you have it.  As we’ve said, we’re certainly excited to have Travis on board.  We can’t wait to post some things for your ears once some of it is ready.  In the mean time, we may be playing other shows here and there – we’ll be sure to let you know as details emerge.

Living Room Practice & Sneak Preview

So today I was working through some material on my own and decided to give you a glimpse of a song I’ve been working on…..IN VIDEO FORMAT!!!  It’s OK, just calm down – everything is gonna be alright.  Bear with me on the quality, it’s another iPhone video.

-James