Chatting Up The Builders and the Butchers
Special to Seattlest: Matt Whiting of the music blog Back Beat Seattle.
Catch The Builders and The Butchers at Neumos tonight. Loch Lomond and The Globes will open. (Tickets: $12 adv, 21+)
Vampire Lake from The Builders & The Butchers on Vimeo.
Winning fans with their raucous live performance and diverse instrumentation, Portland’s The Builders and The Butchers are quite likely not just the most talked about band in the Northwest, but the most talked about band from the Northwest. To call their sophomore album, Salvation Is A Deep Dark Well, which was released this week, "highly-anticipated" is not just an apt use of the industry cliché but might be deemed an understatement by the band’s rapidly growing legions of fans.
In advance of their headlining record release show at Neumos tonight, we were able to catch up with Builders frontman Ryan Sollee to talk about the ubiquitous Decemberists comparisons, the evolution of the band’s sound and performance spaces, and favorite Pacific NW artists and influences, among other topics.
You all have gotten a lot of attention from the press and music fans alike, and as a result, a lot of comparisons have been made about your sound. What is your reaction to everything from the ubiquitous Decemberists comparisons to the various other comparative sentiments?
I think the Decemberists are a great band, and I think there are some similarities: we are both folkish and use more varied instrumentation than most rock bands. I think that if you actually sit and listen to both bands, you'd see that they both are coming from very different places. The era of songs that drive and influence the majority of the Builders' material is early Depression-era blues, folk, and gospel, and weirder stuff like Tom Waits.
Can you talk a bit about your work with Chris Funk--how the relationship came about and his influence on the new record?
Chris approached me around the end of 2007, saying he was a fan of the band and was curious about any new material we had, and when he asked to produce the next record, of course we said yes. From then on he was very involved with the way the record took shape. Prior to going into the studio, Chris helped us workshop the songs to get the best out of each, and had a hand in the instrumentation of each. He scored a string arrangement for "The Wind Has Come," he coordinated a gospel and the community flash choir to sing on the record, he also brought in a bunch of local players to flesh out different parts. Chris also got us involved with Tucker Martine, who mixed the record and was also really amazing to work with.
How do you feel being a Portland band has helped to shape your sound and/or development as a band?
I feel like living in Portland has shaped our sound in pretty major ways. First off the winters are long and rainy, so you have a lot of time to sit inside, feel a bit depressed, and write. More than that though, there are so many amazing songwriters and musicians that live here, that you are constantly feeling inspired to work. Also most of the musicians here are really supportive and there’s not really a competitive feeling. I think it's the perfect place to have a band.
If forced to name your three favorite current artists from Portland and three favorite current artists from Seattle, who would make that list and why?
These are just some of my favorite bands and artists in the Pacific NW right now--we've played with most of them over the last couple of years.
From Portland: Run On Sentence, Thao Nguyen, Helio Sequence
From Seattle: Hey Marseilles, New Faces, Cave Singers
You’ve described the band’s musical inception in the past as being around creating "a funeral marching-type band" that played its first show on Halloween of 2005. Can you talk a bit about the type of music you all sought out to create and discuss how it is has evolved into what it is today?
Originally the only requirement for one of our songs is that it had to be "death-themed." I guess that holds true a little to today, but I think we've broadened the sound a bit. The main difference is that the first year of the band's life was spent playing on the street, and so we couldn't have dynamics with the songs--we just had to play as hard as we could at all times.
How did you all come up with your name?
I think a lot of bands do this where they can't decide on a name: they make a list and pick the one that nobody hates, that is basically how we did it. I do think the name fits though.
When it comes to subject matter, you all cover a lot of territory ranging from the Spanish Civil War to the cons of small town living. From where do you get your lyrical inspiration?
I basically sing about three or four different settings, the Spanish Civil War being one of them. I've found that it's actually easier to write when you limit your subject matter a bit. I get inspiration from stories, movies, and books. The vast majority of the songs are fictional and not personal. I definitely get a lot of lyrical inspiration from old gospel and blues music.
What are your favorite venue(s) to play in Seattle and why?
We've had great experiences at the Sunset Tavern, Neumos, and of course the Showbox and Moore Theater (opening for the Decemberists). I think my personal favorite show was the one we played at the new Crocodile in March--it was one of the best crowds we've ever played for. That being said, crowds in Seattle have consistently been amazing and it really feels like a second home.
Can you talk a bit about your "guerilla marketing"/busking/outdoor practicing past, and what of it (if anything) is part of what you all do today?
It's funny to use the words "guerilla marketing," because it's honestly how the band started and without a bit of luck would probably still be playing outdoors today. It's nice to have the ability to take things off of the stage and just play. Usually on a tour we end up playing on the street, in a club, or party totally unplugged, and it's always my favorite show. I think that playing unplugged will always be part of what we do.
What are some of the influences that have lead you to employ a vast range of instruments?
I guess it probably has a bit to do with the fact that, by their nature, acoustic instruments are kind of limiting. You can use a ton of effects on an electric guitar to give it different sounds, but an acoustic guitar pretty much just sounds like an acoustic guitar. So switching instruments a bunch seems kind of necessary to keep things interesting.
With Sasquatch 2009 behind you and a spot at Lollapalooza lined up in August, what are your thoughts on playing large festivals?
They are a whole different experience than playing a club show. The connection with the audience is not as much there, but the flipside is that you are playing for usually 50X the number of people, so it can be really fun to get that many people involved, it's just a little harder to do.
What’s next for 2009?
With the new record and our first headlining tour, we really have no idea. We are spending the majority of the last part of the year on the road, so I guess a lot of truck stops and time away from home.
