Polyphonic Spree - interview

But if DeLaughter has proven anything since Tripping Daisy, he’s a survivor. He penned and performed the theme for Toni Collette’s award-winning TV series United States Of Tara and last year embarked on a project where he wrote a song a day, posting the demos online for all to see. That resulted in enough material to fill multiple albums, and he’s mulling a solo record as well. 

Talking from his home in Dallas, DeLaughter updated The Vine on the state of the band as well as its pervasive influence and newfound knack for cover songs. He was unpretentious and completely sincere, even when lamenting that only a “downsized” 18-piece version of the Polyphonic Spree could be procured for next month’s Australian tour.

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First of all, I was curious if the new album is finished.

Yeah, well, I’m curious about that too. I’m kind of in a conundrum here. I’ve got enough songs for a couple of records, but we’ve taken a break. Everybody in the band has gone off and done their own thing. We’ve been taking care of ourselves by taking a break and exercising some musical exploration that everybody needed to do. Some bands have been formed outside of the group, and I’m teetering on a solo record. I’m also doing a record with my wife and working on the Polyphonic Spree record. I’m just trying to figure out what to do with this material that’s been written. 

I’ve actually been writing a song a day and posting it on a blog to let people hear the process of the songwriting. My idea was to give people an inside view. I’d never done that before. They’re crude demos; I’m fucking up as I’m literally writing and recording it for the first time. I would get it done wherever I was at, just on my laptop. It gave me an opportunity to step back and reflect on songs in a way I’d never done. There was a bit of intimacy there that was interesting to me. It made me start thinking about other ways to start doing music instead of just Polyphonic Spree. Not that the Polyphonic Spree is ending or even coming close; I’m gonna do it forever. There’s a responsibility there I must adhere to. But I’m not gonna release a record unless it’s completely different from the last record and I feel really, really great about it. It may take some time, or it may not take much at all. Like I said, we’ve got plenty of songs that are done; it’s just not with everybody on it yet.

Those demos are especially interesting since the final product involves so many people.

Yeah, it was fascinating. And I had no idea the response it was going to get. I’m not really known for interacting that much with people on the website. I just decided one day to start blogging and put these songs up. I’d never, ever shared my demos with anybody, especially in that capacity, but it’s amazing how they just flew out. I heard people raving about these songs that were so crude, in my opinion. They’re just one take. There’s one where I screw up in the middle and my wife [is saying] “Keep going, keep going.” They’re charming in a way because they’re so vulnerable. I’m glad I did it, because it opened up a whole can of worms. Which is good, because the last thing you want to do is become mundane and get comfortable. I think you need a little bit of chaos to get where you need to go sometimes.

Given that the basic premise of the band is this huge amount of people, I imagine that can paint you into a corner.

It can and it can’t. I found that being on a label, you felt the pressures of that. You gotta make a record when maybe you’re not really ready yet. You have to pay your bills and you want to get your songs out, but there’s something to be said for not having that pressure, like at the beginning of the group. There was no pressure. I saw it in this vision, put it together rather quickly, made the record in three days, and boom, it was out. It started this whole thing that today, in my opinion, is responsible for a whole sound that exists with a number of groups who have been far more successful than we have with our own sound.

One band in particular, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, is doing something really similar. Who are some others you’ve noticed?

Man, I don’t wanna sit here and rattle ’em off, but there’s plenty. Just look back at when we came out in 2000 and what was going on musically. And then what we were doing and what’s going on now. I mean, c’mon. There’s tons of groups that have embraced it. Of course, they haven’t had as many people in the group, but they’ve taken the sonic idea and applied it. And I’m glad, because for me that’s what was missing in music in the first place. It was there in the ’70s, but it just wasn’t happening. I’m glad it is, and I love a lot of those groups. But it’s so weird. It’s like the band’s name is so huge in pop culture, way more than the actual band is. So it’s been an interesting journey.

How did you come to do the theme for United States Of Tara?

Well, my agent called me and said Showtime was doing this kind of cattle call for composers. There were maybe 60 composers they were calling to submit songs for the opening of this show. She described the show to me and it just immediately hit me like a ton of bricks. I went over to the piano and wrote that song in five minutes. I played all the instruments and had my wife and kids sing back-up. I submitted it and got it. It was awesome because it was such a weird time in our own family’s life, and the subject matter hit me hard. I guess with the turmoil and mental state of our family, it was destined to happen.

Have you gotten to watch the show?

Oh hell yeah. We love the show.

It’s like an HBO-style drama, but in half an hour and more comedic.

Yeah, it’s a trip. Toni Collette is just flat-out amazing. You guys should be proud of her. She won a Golden Globe last night. That was pretty cool, hearing my song being played by an orchestra [when she won].

What will the live show be like when you play here?

I guarantee it’s going to be spirited. That’s just something that naturally happens with us, and thank god it does. As far as the aesthetics of it, I’m working on it right now. We’re gonna play some covers. We’ve been doing that quite a bit lately, because there’s so many great songs that we want to pay homage to. I’d never done covers with Tripping Daisy. This band did a few [previously], like [Nirvana’s] ‘Lithium’ and Tripping Daisy’s ‘Sonic Bloom’. Then we did Paul McCartney’s ‘Live And Let Die’. It was just fun. So we’ll pull some rabbits out of the hat. Maybe some new songs. I’m not quite sure yet. But it will definitely be a spectacle and we’ll give you a good show, I promise you that.

How many people will be in the band?

There’ll be 18 of us there.

That’s pretty insane, in terms of flying you all here.

Tell me about it. We’re really a 22-piece, but unfortunately we’re having to cut back a little bit in order to make this thing work. But sonically, it’s not the main instruments that will be missing. It’s just downsized a little bit in order to pull this off. It’s so tough for us, economically, to tour these days. But the show hasn’t faltered and will never falter. I guarantee you a fantastic show.

POLYPHONIC SPREE - AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2010

Friday 19th February - Brisbane Powerhouse - Brisbane QLD
Doors open 7.00pm
119 Lamington St New Farm
Tickets $39 + BF
(07) 3358 8600 www.brisbanepowerhouse.org

Wednesday 24th February - Thebarton Theatre - Adelaide SA
Doors open 7.00pm
112 Henley Beach Rd Torrensville
Tickets $39 + BF
www.venuetix.com.au (08) 8225 8888.

Friday 26th February - Fremantle Arts Centre - Fremantle WA
Doors open 6.00pm
1 Finnerty St Fremantle
Tickets $ 39 + BF
www.heatseeker.com.au

Saturday 27th February - The Forum Theatre - Melbourne VIC
Doors open 8.00pm
154 Flinders St Melbourne
Tickets $ 39 + BF
www.ticketek.com.au