Tuesday, November 23

tuesday tune-up {local edition}: discourse.

let me introduce you to a really amazing {utah} local band.
discourse.
comprised of chase & jordan dawes, as well as mr. michael henderson.

{L to R: chase, mike & jordan}

they will be releasing their 1st full length album, sparks with our hands, this december.
mike dropped by a copy of the album for me...
and i can’t stop listening.

nearly every song on the album is chilling…
haunting, really.
every note streaming from my headphones was full of life.
love.
you know they put everything they had into this.
from the twinkling guitar to the falsetto notes, it’s perfect.
if it weren’t for the grounding bass line, you might float away in your daydreams.
and just when you think you’ve heard it all,
they stop your heart with an acoustic
“great escape vol. II”.
i can genuinely say that this is one of my favorite albums of 2010.
huge pat on the back to discourse for a seamless album.

just listen to these:
song: giving up


song: steady hands
{both songs available on sparks with our hands}


sometimes you listen to a new band and think to yourself...
"they sound like/remind me of {name a band}".
i don't think that about discourse.
and that's what i love most about them.
the original sound.

 and not only are they kind to your ears,they're action packed too...
chase on the bass.
jordan on the guitar.
mike on drums, keys & vocals.

i recently had a little Q & A with mike.
and it went something like this:

How did Discourse come to be?
Discourse originally formed back in 2003, with Chase and Jordan Dawes leading the band through multiple members and genres until eventually stumbling upon a mutual friend who introduced the brothers to me {Mike Henderson}. The band has consisted of the three of us for about 4 years now.
Wow. I didn't think it has been that long.

Drums, Keys AND Vocals? How Mike? How?
It's a pre-ordained gift from the gods, innate if you will. Hahaha! Anyone can do it if they just practice a bit.
It's mostly parlor tricks, smoke and mirrors.

What's your song writing process like?
I speak for myself here, but to me music is a lot like falling in love, and as the word itself implies you "fall" there's this overwhelming sense of surrender. When I think about a good song, I don't analytically try and break it down into it's components, as a whole it moves me, and I can't explain it with words. So, when I try and write a song with Chase and Jordan, I let our dreams and music move us through the motions instead of the other way around.

What was the inspiration behind Sparks with Our Hands?
The inspiration for the name came from the constant pursuit of our passions and dreams the only way we know how, through our music.
So we make sparks with our hands...and hopefully that is enough.

Jordan's guitar always sounds so awesome. What's his secret?
Besides his amazing skill, that is.
Actually, true story. Once during practice, Jordan whammy barred into the future creating a twin paradox where he met his older, wiser self and he divulged the secrets of rock. He emerged a supreme being with the knowledge of space and time....true story. Hahahaha!

What's your favorite song on Sparks with Our Hands and why?
Oh that's a rough one. Can I pass? I think that every musician thinks that while creating an album, every new song you write supersedes the last, but after time passes by and we progress with our sound and song writing their effect seems to decay a bit. I'd have to say that Great Escape Vol II is my favorite pick from the album and we're glad that it turned out so well.
song: great escape vol. II

As a band, what has been your biggest challenge?
Definitely finishing this album. This is our first full length album and we've invested so much time, energy and money into it. Sometimes it's hard not to get caught up in the locomotion and lose focus on what's really important about being a musician, and that's to write music. Now that the dust is settling we are already beginning to push our sound to the next level and we are excited to see what happens.

Who are your biggest musical influences?
OH! There are too many to name but here are a few:
Sigur Ros, Dredg, Saxon Shore, Max Richter, Boards of Canada,
Dosh, Lymbyc Systym, Bombay Bicycle Club.

Anything else you'd like to add?
Come out to our CD release show on December 16th at Kilby Court in Salt Lake City!
We will be performing our favorites off the new album and physical copies of
"Sparks With Our Hands" will be available for purchase!
We luh you!


to purchase their new album or learn more about discourse,
visit their site at:

4 comments:

vintch said...

OK I am officially in LOVE with this band! Thank you for introducing them to us, and giving us a little background! This line is especially poignant:

"Sometimes it's hard not to get caught up in the locomotion and lose focus on what's really important about being a musician, and that's to write music."

There are quite a few "musicians" out there who could really benefit from reading that:)

Your blog is super lovely and I'm an excited new follower. Thanks for the blog (and button) love, new friend!

vintch said...

...oh and I grabbed yours too. Sooo pretty.

elisabeth said...

so glad you like them!

xo

Fashion Schlub said...

ooh, loved the sample songs and can't wait to be able to hear more!