Building, B-Sides and the School of Seven Bells

CINCINNATI – It has been quite a trip for Brooklyn’s School of Seven Bells.  Following the September, 2010, departure of keyboardist Claudia, twin sister of lead vocalist Alejandra (Alley) Deheza, the now-duo this year released their third, and arguably strongest, effort to date – Ghostory.  I caught up with Alley and guitarist Benjamin Curtis following School of Seven Bells’ MidPoint Summer Series performance last Friday on Cincinnati’s Fountain Square.

The new album is a pop Janus:  written around a unifying theme, but laden with potential singles.  The underlying story revolves around a girl named Lafaye; a lifetime of unpleasant memories, disappointments, regrets are ghosts which surround her.  One wonders where Lafaye’s sense of loss ends and the band’s begins; somehow, the group has taken a loss and used it as a springboard.   By their own account, things are better this way.

“I think it’s the way that people perceive us – in my mind anyway,” said Deheza.  “The records before [Ghostory] were mainly Ben and I anyways.  We were always the main songwriters, so we were fortunate.  We were already in that habit, instead of having to completely reconfigure what we were doing.  I think it was more having to present it in a different way to the fans and people who had gotten used to seeing . . . “  She paused, looked down at the table, then looked back up – resolved.

Alejandra “Alley” Deheza

“You know there’s something really charming and romantic about siblings in a band, and I totally understand that.  I mean, I’m smitten by it, too,” Deheza smiled.  “So I think for us, it was more presenting it in a way that wouldn’t be as shocking as it probably was to a lot of people.  But as far as creatively, I think the energy in a band is really important.  When everybody’s there that wants to be there, it’s the best thing that could happen to anybody.  Everyone’s happy now, so it’s better than ever.”

I turned to Curtis.  Did he feel there was tension prior to Claudia leaving?

“Obviously,” he said with a wry smile.  “She quit.”  Deheza looked at him and they laughed, maybe a little nervously.  They have clearly moved on from whatever unseen drama came before.

“We’re so happy making music right now,” Curtis said, with Deheza nodding her agreement.  “I think we’ve never really been inspired more to make this thing work and last.  We’ve never had more energy for it than we do right now.  We were writing so much – we’re just trying to find a way to do everything that we can do whenever we want to do it.”

I asked Deheza what that meant.

“Put out music whenever we want, you know, not have to wait for any schedule or anything like that.  I think that’s what we’re trying to figure out, is a way for us to be able to do that ourselves and not have to ask anybody, you know?”

School of Seven Bells’ late efforts have been noticeably engaging.  In the course of producing my radio show and sourcing new tracks, I inevitably share impressions with peers.  A DJ acquaintance, Matt Barker (host of “Totally Wired” on Juice 107.2 FM in Brighton, UK), and I find ourselves largely in agreement:  many of School of Seven Bells’ recent B-side releases have been strong in their own right.  I was flabbergasted that “Love from a Stone,” backing their “Lafaye” single, wasn’t included on the album.  The same might be said of “When She Was Me,” the alternate track on their Record Store Day 2012 Siouxsie and the Banshees cover, “Kiss Them for Me.”  I asked Curtis and Deheza who decides which tracks are released how.

“It’s funny, because we never have songs that we think are going to be a B-side or anything,” intimated Deheza.  “We’re excited to write another one.”

Benjamin Curtis

Curtis half-shrugged and smiled.  “The way we feel about it, in this digital age, every mp3 is just as available as any [other], and they exist forever.  It’s not like a limited pressing.  I feel like every song’s gonna have its day between now and infinity, so we don’t really stress [about] what side of the record it’s going to be on.

“It’s more a function of time,” he said.  “I think the real quality that we have is we really don’t have the energy to finish something we don’t like or something we don’t think is great.”

“Yes.”  Deheza nodded.  “Yes.”

Curtis continued.

“I don’t know how people write songs that they know are not as good as the last song they write.  Our favorite song that we’ve written is always the last song we’ve written, and it’s been that way since we started writing together.”

So their latest favorite song is . . . ?  Deheza and Curtis shared a tentative grin.

“Well, we have a new . . . ,” she trailed.  I have them on the spot.

“There’s a song called ‘Ablaze’ that no one’s heard yet.  We have a bit of a backlog.  It’s gonna be a B-side.”  Curtis looked at Deheza; they giggled.  “It’s headed in that direction.  Lots more B-sides.  It’s gonna be all B-sides from here on out.”

Help for algernon Fund Their Next Album . . . and Get a Song Written Just for You

Earlier this month, Jason Wells (for algernon; GRAINS) was in a serious car accident.  Though he sustained only minor injuries, he lost a few instruments.  An added kick in the pants:  his lousy car insurance provider denied coverage and left him holding a (large) bill.

Jason is, for my part, one of the best singer / songwriters working in the Midwest today.  At the time of the wreck, he was in the process of writing and recording new projects, but the loss of his instruments and daunting financial responsibilities threaten to sideline the work.  Luckily, we live in an age of altruism at the click of a mouse.

Jason launched a Kickstarter campaign yesterday to attempt to regroup and continue recording the new album.  Among the many perks, contributors can receive anything from a thank you in the liner notes and a free song download ($5 level), an exclusive Kickstarter release mp3 download ($25), signed record ($50) to the opportunity to have for algernon write and record a song about a topic, and in a genre, of your choosing ($100+ level).

Personally, I will be asking them to rap about a man with a disturbingly intense love of old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons.  Or maybe a calypso song about a casaba melon who comes to life, earns a doctorate in immunology and invents a vaccine for herpes?  We’ll see.  Either way, I’m going to make them work for it.

Every year, around Christmas time, for algernon puts together a Christmas showcase — a who’s ho ho ho, if you will, of Cincinnati musicians.  It’s a great show — and Jason has told me that it’s his favorite show to play.  I recall George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life — someone who is a quality individual, upstanding and wants others to be happy, who finds himself in a financial pickle.  And I recall, too,  the ending scene, when George Bailey’s friends each give back a little something.  Maybe Christmas can come a little early this year for    Mr. Wells?  He certainly deserves some goodwill.

Jason will be our in-studio guest on Salina Underground on Monday, Aug 13 (7 – 9 pm EDT on wvqc.org / 95.7 FM-LP in Cincinnati) to talk about the campaign and play some live cuts.  We sincerely hope   you’ll join us in supporting him.

If you can’t donate, please share the link with others.  He has 24 days to raise $6,000 . . . and the clock is ticking.

Over the Rhine Brings Love for Over-the-Rhine

CINCINNATI — After months of construction and some controversy, 3CDC last Sunday unveiled the rejuvenated Washington Park in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine district.  The renovation includes a new dancing fountain, underground parking garage, children’s play area and, perhaps most importantly for the Midwest music scene, a brand new stage.  To christen it, one of Cincinnati’s most well-known musical exports (and neighborhood namesake), Over the Rhine, performed to a packed-in crowd numbering in the thousands.

Karin Bergquist, of Over the Rhine.

“It was a no-brainer to play [here],” siren Karin Bergquist advised.    ”Please enjoy the park.  It’s for you.”

While their career was still somewhat nascent, Bergquist and her songwriting partner (now husband), Linford Detweiler, lived on Main Street and they took the name of the neighborhood for their project.

Putting Faces to Names and Weekend Update

Good morning, people!  TGIF!  Some news and info for you all:

If you’ve been wondering who the people behind The Lonely House are, we’ve put up a new bio page where you can see our b-e-a-u-tiful faces and learn a little bit more about us: (not)Lonely People.

There’s a lot going on this weekend and into Monday, so here’s a quick rundown:

• Tomorrow (Sat. Feb 25) is another BFD at Galaxy in Hamilton.  It’s A Night of Art and Music with 3 local artists displaying their artwork and 3 bands playing.  Just $5 to get in and join the party.  Full details available here.
• If you’re from a more northerly direction, I (Alicia) will be heading to South Park Tavern in Dayton tomorrow night to hang out at Dayton band Oh Condor‘s EP Release party.  I’ll be snagging interviews with those guys and Roley Yuma, so stay tuned for that later next week.
• On Sunday, the guys from Shoot The Glass Podcast will be broadcasting live from Galaxy at 6PM.  These guys are hilarious and it’s going to be a good time, so come hang!  Afterwards, head over to Wings on Brookwood for the best wings in Hamilton and some cold beer (or soda, if that’s more your thing).
• On Monday, we’ve got another awesome show lined up at Galaxy.  Honah Lee will be stopping by from Trenton, NJ as well as Emily & The Complexes from Columbus, Mad Anthony from Cincinnati, and Hamilton’s own Yankee Go Home.  This is one you don’t want to miss.  Full details here.
• Also on Monday, I (Alicia again) will be a guest on the Salina Underground radio show, playing some tunes I’m into, talking about The Lonely House and music in Southwest Ohio.  The new General Manager of Bogart’s will be there as well, and I’m excited to meet her and find out what they’re cooking up with all the renovations the venue’s undergone.  Show starts at 7, and you can tune in online here.  If you’re going to be at the Galaxy show or otherwise occupied during that time, it will also be available as a podcast later on.

So that’s what’s going down.  We hope to see you sometime in the next few days!  And as always, hit us up if you want to chat about anything!