Banshee, the fifth album from Seattle’s Cave Singers might wrap you in with its rhythmic folk quite submissively. Front-man Peter Quirk rambles off rhythmic vocals that sound like a free-styling troubadour, atop lo-fi instruments that keep things natural and earthy in the most foreboding ways possible. Featuring former members of Murder City Devils and Pretty Girls Make Graves, Cave Singers released their first two records on Matador, then jumped over to Jagjaguwar for their next two LPs , including 2013’s Naomi. On Banshee, the band decided to self release their newest work and the result is its most cohesive statement to date.
Banshee brings The Cave Singers back to their original three piece of vocalist / songwriter Peter Quirk, guitarist Derek Fudesco and drummer Marty Lunda. The album was recorded live in July of 2015 over 6 days with producer Randall Dunn. The record is warmly anchored in the members’ creative familiarity with one another. Yet there is a new thirst to Banshee, one that can be attributed to the combination of the band taking a year off to work on other projects Pete Quirk’s solo album and the Kodiak Deathbeds debut record and their return to songwriting from distanced correspondence. Prior to the band kicking off a tour in support of one of their finest achievements and a bet for year end best of lists, we spoke with Quirk via email….
Banshee is The Cave Singers’ fifth album in ten years, so you’ve been able to release a new full length pretty much every other year. Is releasing new music regularly something you consciously aim for?
It was a pretty natural progression. Usually we’re writing songs all the time, a lot of the time overlapping, so as one album was finishing another one was getting started. For Banshee we intentionally took some time off after our last album, Naomi. We worked on other projects, played lots of shows and began writing in a real laid back way when the time was right.
You’ve mentioned in the past that “recording is great but there’s something that really happens when we play live, which is kind of what keeps the band going in a lot of ways.” How do you continually captivate that raw energy you deliver live onto record? Most bands can’t close that gap…
I really love playing live. There’s an authenticity to it because it isn’t being recorded and it’s just that time, that moment. It’s precious because it will never happen again. I like to get lost in that. I think trying to get that down on record is tough, but we are experimenting with that and having fun with it. I think our aim was to capture the emotional impact of the live shows, rather than the actual live sound this time around.
Cave Singers were on Matador then Jagjaguwar and now Banshee is self released. Was this a creative decision for you to self-release Banshee and what did you gain or take away from the process by doing this?
It was both a creative and business decision. Ultimately, we work so much on the band that we wanted to take on full control of it’s future. From the early stages of Banshee, self releasing was something we wanted to look at. As we moved ahead we wanted to be free of outside influence and let the record actualize itself without any interference.
As a vocalist you have a very unique and engaging way of communicating your lyrics – it’s very rhythmic and has some hip hop nuances. How have you developed your vocal style and do you see yourself as a lead singer in the traditional sense of the term as fronting a band and being the main person visually and vocally?
I’ve been singing, making noise, writing songs for awhile now. It’s something that I kind of fell into out of a love for language and poetry and hanging out with friends. Trial and error have been my biggest teachers. I think I have, over the years, just gotten used to my own “real” voice and tried to explore that and get more comfortable with it.
Lyrically, can you kind of let us know if there was any one particular theme you went for on the songs on Banshee? Where do you find the most inspiration in your lyrics?
There isn’t one particular theme that sticks out to me. But I will say that the lyrics are derived from personal experience, so the themes that pop up are things that I was going through at the time.
Cave Singers’ songs are built around a very bouncy guitar line and a bit of tribal rhythms and something other people have described as “brushfire folk” – can you talk about the guitar playing on your songs? They certainly add a lot of color and direction…
The core component to our songs is a riff/jam that Derek comes up with, that I will sing over and Marty will join in, adding the percussion. Derek’s guitar playing almost immediately conjures up imagery, vocal ideas and lyrics in my mind. It’s pretty magical actually. We’re a good team.
How do you feel the press in the past might have mislabeled or twisted musically what The Cave Singers are about?
I don’t know, I think they were trying to do their best.
Looking back are your five records can you give us one word to describe each one?
Invitation Songs – (2007) Discovery
Welcome Joy – (2009) Blossom
No Witch -2011) Ritual
Naomi – (2013) Awake
Banshee (2016) Horizon
Cave Singers current and past players have been involved in many other Seattle area bands (Blood Brothers, Fleet Foxes, Pretty Girls Make Graves) – do you feel all those past experiences have given the band a more unique and versed sound?
I think through all our exploration and experimentation with collaborators, producers, musicians, we have gotten closer to who we are and who we aren’t as a band. I’m grateful and honored to have been able to work and create alongside such rad people.
How has the Pacific Northwest helped Cave Singers become a more “grounded and creatively functioning” band? What venues, radio stations and local musicians have been of most assistance?
From early on KEXP here in Seattle has given us tremendous support and we have a great relationship with them. We have been really supported by the community here in Seattle. It’s a wonderful place to call home.
You’ve toured all over- can you share some of your more memorable performances over the past ten years and where do you find fans most responsive to your music?
We have had so many amazing experiences, Greenman Festival was one that comes to mind, playing in front of thousands, a roaring crowd, literally. It was crazy. I’m also thinking of our first show at The Sunset in Seattle where we had no idea what we were doing, but the small crowd rooted us on and we smiled and had a blast.
What other artists and LPS are you most excited about in 2016 and beyond?
I’d be really excited to hear another Fleet Foxes album. I love their music. And William Tyler, his music helped me get through some tough times.
Catch the Cave Singers on tour starting April 3rd in Tucson, AZ. Head on over here to see the band’s full spring tour dates.
