It is with a tinge of sadness that I write this post today…
Phonofield is now three.
Both Dan (drums) and Usman (keys/piano) have decided to part ways with us.
With the rigors of writing new material, pushing ourselves constantly in the creative process to break out of our comfortable molds, we have created a beast of a project which, as a result, requires pretty much total commitment. Add on top of that the fact that we haven’t played a show since March, this has made things even harder and, sometimes, less enjoyable.
During rehearsals, often times we’ve come across difficult musical issues. We’ve found ourselves wondering if it would be too easy to throw in a particular chord here, a smooth riff there, or an atmospheric, delayed/reverbed guitar trip-out line to top it all off. Can something that sounds good really be wrong? Our answer was a definite, “Yes.”
From the beginning, I have always wanted our band to be in touch with the roots we have as musicians, to not forget the accessible, hooky, simple music that shaped our sounds and styles, but at the same time, to stretch towards what is yet to be cliche, that which challenges us to takes risks and explore, in order for us to find a way to be in the moment, here and now. To not innovate and evolve in music to me meant death. The status quo is death.
With the departure of two of our five members, Brian, Nick, and I are forced now to step up our game.
Lots of questions: What will a trio sound like? Will we be able to hang without a full-time drummer? Will we use a laptop in every song? Will we just press play and jam along to a track we’ve composed? Which songs from our catalog still apply to this new context?
But with as many questions, many realizations come into play as well: We can practice ANYWHERE (no studio required!), we are more FREE in terms of how to structure our sound, we are more naked (sort of a good thing!), we can take some chances we never would have taken before with regard to experimentation, we can play shows in smaller venues, our sound setup can be simpler, we can coordinate schedules easier, we’ll have an easier time communicating…
Perhaps a new chapter is a good thing for everyone.
As before, our goal was never just to play nice songs. It was to find a form of expression that was raw, delicate, dynamic, devastating, and uplifting. Visceral and cerebral; acoustic and electric and electronic; some strange hybrid of old and new, familiar and strange. Always sincere, always honest, always intense.
Dan, a longtime friend (of Nick’s) and an extremely talented drummer, has been known to have his hand in a few things at once, so we wish him the best in everything. We still see him as a resource, and wouldn’t be surprised to see him appear as a guest drummer in one of our future performances…
Usman, a brave soul who took a dive by responding to my crazy, ranting Craigslist post, stared right in the face of uncertainty, and stuck it through for nearly a year before we knew the slightest bit about what we were doing. When it was clear, he committed all the more, and brought the humor, the reliable work ethic, and willing spirit that makes any project easier to work on.
We will miss you. God, this sounds like a breakup.
In the meantime, stay tuned. The status quo has been destroyed. Things have been shaken.
