Voyager One - If You Go Into Space, You Want to Make Sure You Can Come Back
Being the best live band in Seattle doesn't necessarily mean nationwide
noteriety. Voyager One was given that honor, and from the band's description of their variety of sets,
you can tell they are worthy of the accolade. That honor is backed up solidly by
their great debut album From the New Nation of Long Shadows. Yet despite that,
the band is relatively unknown outside the northwest, as they have yet to put together
a nationwide tour. The band's sound
is a mixture of the past 25 years of British rock, stewed together, creating
a very accessible space rock sound. Hopefully with their upcoming performance
at Terrastock and west coast tour, many people can be turned on to this
very nice (both personally and musically) band.
Related links:
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| Your sound is very British, from the accent on
the vocals to the
guitar sounds and effects. What are the reasons
behind the anglo bent
of your sound? Are you out to sound British, or is
it just a natural
consequence of the bands who are immediate
forbearers to Voyager One?
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 | | Photo by Justin Renney. |
The first time we really connected to music, or a
specific genre, it was a time when shoegazing was king
in the UK, and it somehow found us. That kind of
music really resonated in some of us, and we were, and
are, compelled to pay attention to it.
As far as consciously trying to sound any one way,
that just doesn't happen for us. Whatever the net
result is in the songwriting process, it is the
product of a natural progression of ideas and motives
from within the band, not a reaction to something or
someone else, or an attempt to ape our influences.
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| I don't want to assume anything. Who are the
immediate forbearers
to Voyager One, British or otherwise?
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So many different bands really. Mostly British but not
necessarily just shoegazey bands either. Anything
from
the Beatles to Zeppelin to Bowie to early Motown.
Obviously, there are appreciative nods to such greats
as My Bloody Valentine, early Verve, and Ride, to name
a few. Our influences continue to surface, however.
We didn't stop listening to other bands after the mid
90's. This week it is Grandaddy, Sigur Ros, Tristeza,
Clinic, Aspera Ad Astra, Lilys, and, of course, the new
Radiohead record.
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| Is the name Voyager One taken directly from the
spacecraft? How'd
you decide on the name?
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| The name is a referrence to the first, and legendary,
Verve bootleg, recorded in the US and London in 1992.
It is a seminal record for us, because it really
captures so much of what that band was capable of.
Both raw and refined, psychedelic and accessible.
Also, finding a name is a pain in the ass, and it was
the first one we came up with that worked.
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| Most of the overdubs on the album were
improvised in the studio.
Does that carry over into your live preformances?
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| Absolutely. We have endings to songs, or middles, or
even intros that we do not write, just leave up to the
moment. The studio versions of songs have to be
nailed down a bit more, obviously, but we think it is
a waste of the medium to go and see shows where the
band replicates the album for you. We have done dub
versions of songs, faster, heavier versions,
ghostlier, whatever. It also makes it more fun for
us, not having to play the same song the same way
every time.
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| I saw you have been declared the best live band
in Seattle, beating
better known bands like Death Cab for Cutie, etc.
What can a Voyager
One virgin expect at the show?
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In addition to the musical variety mentioned above, we
can, and have done ambient improv sets, quiet smoky
jazz club type sets, and all out for the kids big
rock.
We also have a projectionist named Projectorhead who
shows films and homemade slides on us while we play.
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How does Projectorhead come up with his work? Is it
prepared with your
music in mind? Would you give examples of images
he's used, perhaps
matched to songs off the album, so we can get an
idea of what to expect?
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 | | Photo by Justin Renney. |
He is a one man visual something. Two or three film
projectors, two or three slide machines, from one of
them to all of them running at once. He makes his
own slides by combining photographs and special
effects onto a screen, and them photographing that.
His films are all bizarre or pop culture, 70's and
80's stuff. I think there is some Scooby Doo in
there, some NASA films, and lots in between.
He hates the MTV short attention span crap, and tends
to have the images develop in complexity over the
course of the set/song.
He definitely has images that are specifically
tailored to our set. He starts most of the sets with
a Lift Off image from a 70's NASA film on top of us,
with a couple of other images behind that.
We are lucky to have him accompany us on tour starting
in November. We will be on the
left coast, November 4-18. Seattle to San Diego, and many
points in between.
There is also much talk of us doing a soundtrack to
his work. He spends most of his time reacting to us,
matching his images and ideas to our music. It is
only fair that we do the same, make music that match
his images. We will certainly add this to the list of
things we would love to do, and will do, when we find
the time. If you know of anyone who wants to pay us
to make music, so that we may quit our jobs, then, by
all means, let me know.
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| Any plans for touring the rest of the
country? |
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We are thinking that we want to make another record
pretty soon, and being as how we all have to work for
our supper, it might be late spring before we get to a
national or even non-west coast tour. Donations or
sponsorships will be gladly accepted.
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| What is your song writing process? Do each of
you bring ideas into
the studio, do you come up with ideas together, how
does improvisation
play into this, etc.?
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| We are an incredibly democratic band in regards to
songwriting, production, and decisions. This has its
pluses and minuses. It is great to have everyone
invested and involved, but sometimes it takes a long
time to get things to work out so that everyone is
happy. Sometimes songs evolve from fragments that one
or another of the band members will bring into
practice, and other times songs stem from jams or
pieces that we all write together. There's not really
one set way that we write, we are open to many
approaches and methods
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| All of the band members are given vocal credits.
How is it decided
who will sing on what songs? Do all members write
lyrics as well?
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Live Peter takes on lead vocals, with Hollis and
Jeramy taking up the backing stuff. With minor
exceptions, Peter writes most of the lyrics, since he
has to sing them. Jeramy has also written a couple.
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| You'll be playing Terrastock this year in
Seattle. Is that
something you would have loved to do regardless of
where it was held?
How do you feel about playing there? What artists
are you looking
forward to seeing there? |
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We are very excited about Terrastock. When we first
heard we were invited, we were under the incorrect
impression that it was going to be held in the UK. And
we certainly would have gone.
There are not enough nods to the contemporary
psychedelic movement in this country and others, it is
about time that a festival with integrity and
imagination gets the bands and noteriety it deserves.
Also, we feel an affinity for this type of music
regardless of the angle at which people approach it.
Our record collections include a lot of the bands that
are playing, specifically Bardo Pond, Bevis Frond,
Windy and Carl, Tarentel, and of course, the beautiful
Kinski.
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| What do you think of that new reality TV game
show where the winner
goes to MIR? How scary would that be? They aren't
sending me to MIR!
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Doesn't seem like much of a prize. If you go into
space, you want to make sure you can come back, thats
what my grandpa used to always tell me.
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| Thanks so much. Hope you have a great
time at Terrastock and on tour. |
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