SPURGE: Tonal Grunts
Atlanta, Georgia progressive post-rock act Spurge, managed by bassist Jen Hodges, is a band that has the full potential of being held dear by radical Frank Zappa. On the group’s most recent release, a 2017’s EP ‘Four More Songs,’ Hodges and the band certainly deviate from the form, making for the progress to be possible.
Sharing the same vision as Zappa decades earlier, Spurge are all about unconventional — in every musical aspect — on ‘Four More Songs.’
Formed in 2012, Spurge went on the release three EP records since then, including 2014’s ‘The Untitled,’ 2015’s ‘The Titled,’ and finally this year’s ‘Four More Songs,’ each being in a league of their own, but it is the 2017 release that goes the most far in exploring different vibes.
In a new interview for Prog Sphere, Hodges tells us about the creative process that informed ‘Four More Songs,’ technology, and more.
Define the mission of Spurge.
Spurge started after I took a brief hiatus from music. I had been in bands all my life, and the last band I was in left a bad taste in my mouth from an industry and artist perspective. I got back to what I enjoyed about music and just started writing. It was a year later when I realized I had seven good songs I had written. I missed playing and recording, so I decided I’d try the dreaded solo project idea. I found 3 amazing musicians who were fun and easy to work with, and we went in the studio. That experience was so rad we tried our hand at live shows. So, in the beginning, Spurge was about going back to what I loved about music and the experience of playing music. It was creating something enjoyable for myself, the band, and the audience. It is still very much about spreading joy, only now it doesn’t feel like “my” band anymore. It is our band and I’m lucky enough to have found a group of people who weened me off the fear of the dark side of music. I trust these guys musically and as people. That’s why we went from “JenHodges and Spurge” to just Spurge. So, I’d say our mission is to make the best music we possibly can and be a positive force for our listeners and the industry.
Tell me about the creative process that informed your recent EP Four More Songs and the themes it captures.
Writing albums is my favorite thing in the world. Some of these riffs (the verse in “Om,” for example) I wrote when I was in high school. I remember sitting there at band practice noodling around and coming up with it. It’s been with me ever since, some riffs are like that. They show up when you need them most. Other riffs I wrote in my twenties, it was just the right place and time for them to fit together like they did. The riffs I wrote that year (“David Bowie,” the fast part of “Om,” everything but the chorus on “Rain,” all of “Amphibian”) all came to me during different times of the day. I remember writing the middle of Rain while I was on break at work. The fun thing about creativity is you can’t turn it off or on. You never know when it’s going to hit you, you just have to be ready. Once the form for the songs were tracked (usually the skeleton is just a bassline or just a guitar line through the whole song) I start “coloring in the lines” I’ll write solos, invite other musicians in, just have fun with it. I remember during the verse in “Om” we held a box fan up to my vocalist and he sang through it. I give myself a very loose deadline, usually a couple months, to have everything ready for mixing. The theme for this EP as well my other EP’s are all beauty spiked with ugliness. I want the listener to feel good (for the most part) while hearing these songs. But who doesn’t love a good breakdown and a little dissonance from time to time?
What is the message you are trying to give with the EP?
I wouldn’t say there’s any real message. At the end of “David Bowie,” D’Angelo reads a quote from Bowie that resonates with me. “I am not very articulate, but my music speaks for me.” I get that 100%. Often I’ll have trouble telling people how I feel or what is on my mind. But this music just flows out of me so easily. If you want to know how I’m feeling, I’d rather communicate to you in tonal grunts or with a bass guitar. The words will just get jumbled and you might extrapolate some meaning I’m not intending to get across. I often find myself apologizing to people when I meant no harm. It would be very frustrating, but I’ve learned how to avoid emotions linguistically for the most part and have them be represented in my music instead.
How did you document the music while it was being formulated?
I have a notebook full of notation paper where I madly scribble, in actual notation, what I come up with. It’s probably not 100% accurate but it’s close enough to where I can read it. Notation makes sense to me, because tabs can get confusing, and you don’t always have recording capabilities. I know you can record on the phone somehow, but I feel like even that would come out muddy and it wouldn’t be as thorough as notation.
Is the dynamic flow of the pieces carefully architected?
Yes! Thank you for noticing! I spend a ridiculous amount of time figuring out the order of the songs and how the parts in each song should be sequenced. For the song order, it made sense to put “Om” first. I feel the intro parts suck the listener in, and then you get that wtf feeling during the fast part. “Rain” made sense at the end, because can’t you see confetti flying all over the place during the chorus? Like it’s the finally at a fireworks display. The transitions within the songs themselves for the most part presented themselves to me. I’m big in to build ups and draw inspiration from Brahams and EDM artists on how to approach a transition in terms of chord structure and texture. If I could go back in time I’d introduce classical composers to EDM to hear what they have to say about it.
Describe the approach to recording the EP.
I had my Nashville musicians over for a 3 hour rehearsal the day before we recorded to learn all the tunes. “Om” took a good hour to learn. Thomas even wrote the guitar part in that rehearsal. The rest were pretty cut and dry. We went in to the studio the next day and pounded them all out in a span of 8 hours. We got “Om” on the 3rd try! We used a click until the fast part, then just kinda winged it. It came out well because at that point we had been playing together as a group for about a year. Once we laid the framework (drums, guitar, bass) I had my horn players and vocalists come in. I told my horn players “to be weird with it.” They dug it. I remember Elijah, who played trumpet, made some sort of horse neighing noise. We all went bonkers. It was the coolest sound and added a lot to the track. My vocalists all had a perfect take on what energy I wanted portrayed. I think the only direction I gave was to Miles at the end of “Amphibian.” I told him to “take it to church.” He has such an incredible voice, and I wanted him to flaunt it. After an 8 hour day, everyone left and I spent all night recording my solos. I was exhausted after that week, but ultimately pleased with the results. There’s no better feeling than hearing for dry stems and knowing you got to tape exactly what you had in your head.
How long Four More Songs was in the making?
Some parts had been in my head for well over a decade. The album was mostly written and recorded in 1 year though. That was the time span I gave myself for each EP. Originally, I wanted to release one single a month. I found that became increasingly difficult to do when work started picking up, so I decided on top quality EP’s once a year. Many of the parts had already been written. It was simply a matter of arrangement. Sort of like a puzzle. I have all these parts that make you feel some type of way, now how am I going to string them together and in what order will I string them together? That’s the bulk of the work. For the most part, it comes with trial and error. Sometimes the answer is obvious and intuitive, sometimes not so much.
Which bands or artists influenced your work on the release?
I’m trying to create something truly original, but, there are some obvious influences. On “David Bowie,” I didn’t try and write a song that sounded like something he’d write, but I tried to write a song that he would like. Like making a sacrifice to a god. I wrote it the day I found out he had passed. He was such a big influence on me musically and as a person. He wasn’t afraid to do anything it seemed, and I admired that. David Bowie was brave. I hope the song I wrote invokes themes of bravery. I’d say Converge and my exposure to late 90′s-early 2000′s metal and hardcore in North Carolina influenced the fast part in “Om.” Now that I think of it, I remember imagining Pearl Jam playing the first part to “Amphibian.” I thought it would make a great Pearl Jam song. I believe I even mentioned that to the vocalist, Lara. “Sing it like Eddie Vedder.“
What is your view on technology in music?
Technology is great! It makes everything easier! I know there’s this whole debate about how drum machines suck the soul out of music and this and that. I’d say that’s true in some cases, but false in others. Look how many kids show up to raves. You think they aren’t feeling that music in their soul? I prefer no machines in a solo meant to sound like an organic instrument, however. If you want a bass solo, use an actual bass. I think a marriage between organic and synthetic instrumentation best suits my needs. We obviously use a lot of effects. That’s where technology comes in to play for us. It helps us create our unique sound. I think if musicians use technology as an instrument instead of a mask, it can be quite useful. I remember reading about how Pink Floyd embraced the Moog controller when it first came out when all other musicians were shunning it. Look what happened to them. Didn’t they have the longest number one record streak of all time? They learned how to align technology with their specific sound. Nothing had to be surrendered.
Do you see your music as serving a purpose beyond music?
That’s an interesting question. What purpose does music serve, first off? I like to think my music takes the listener on an escape from whatever is happening in the world. I remember considering that when I wrote the lyrics to “Amphibian.” The beginning is a little political. It does tell a story though, and it doesn’t explicitly spell out my thoughts on the issue, so I decided to keep it. If my music can help people forget about their troubles for a half hour, that’s my ideal musical utility.
What are your plans for the future?
I’m writing again. I have the skeleton for two songs so far. I’m really trying to break from this “loop” mentality. I’m trying to make each chord change a transition in it’s own right. Sometimes I’ll argue with myself on this though. It’s not a loop! It’s an ostonoto! We’ll see what comes out. I think the simple fact I am making an effort to break free of loops is going to be reflected in some way. I can say it’s got a tasty breakdown and a really beautiful intro to the record so far. As far as the band, I’d love to play more shows. Maybe a few festivals. I’m also trying to get my music in to some films/TV/video games. People always tell me my music is very theatrical.
Four More Songs is out now and is available on Bandcamp. Follow Spurge on Facebook.
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