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| Brother Rockers Ik Ben |
Ik Ben's "Instead" kicks off the Anywheresville compilation like a soaring comet.
Thanks to Scott and Brian for taking the time to do this exclusive interview.
If you have not heard Ik Ben's excellent new record Ocean Wayfare,
buy it here http://ikben.bandcamp.com/
Questions conducted by the Anonymous Collective.
When did Ik Ben form?
Brian : 1978, in the wake of Holland's unfortunate (rigged) loss to Argentina (in World Cup football) Scott adds: In all seriousness, the second part of the ik ben puzzle was conceived in Moscow or Tehran sometime late '77 but it wasn't until 2002, when we recorded "Kathleen" in Los Angeles with The Mother Hips producer Gideon Zaretsky, that we gave the project wings.
Was the original line-up just the Hylbert brothers?
Brian: jah. Scott: we used a drummer named Matt Muckle in Pittsburgh for a few shows. Can't recall who played bass. We were recording all the tracks ourselves so we didn't have a proper band lineup.
What were the first songs you wrote/recorded as Ik Ben?
Brian: Kathleen, a crap recording of Pageant Queen, still unreleased Graceland (not Paul Simon(on)). Scott: I had some ideas left over from my Buckeye records; songs and pieces of songs that didn't quite fit the country-rock format of Buckeye. Meanwhile Brian was in Portland cooking up some very interesting sounds on his four track recorder. Pageant Queen, Mid-Wyoming...lyrically rich, intellectually honest products of a university English degree and a somewhat isolated and sheltered suburban upbringing (Nick Drake anyone?) I think it inspired me to want to create music that had more intimacy and dynamics. Buckeye was a really fun mid-tempo Byrdsy act with a New Riders type formula. But now I was thinking more about sprawling album statements like Music from Big Pink and Exile. With that I suggested he come out to Pittsburgh where we could woodshed the concept and record in the studio-converted basement of a large, stately home where I was house-sitting for two years with my wife and two young kids. I fixed him up with a little rental cottage on the grounds of a major auto dealer family just down the street. It was a fairy tale set-up actually. We set up shop with an Aardvark 8 channel i/o going into an under-powered pc workstation using basic Cakewalk recording software; real rudimentary stuff, not protools or expensive outboard gear. A software programmer pal had given me all kinds of fancy software that we never ended up using. We got comfortable with Cakewalk and liked its simplicity. Sort of reminiscent of using a four track cassette. Pretty soon we were tripping over cables jumping from the record button to the drum stool. I don't think either of us have a clear idea of who did what on the songs that became the Red ep.
Who played on the Red Ep ?Brian: the ik ben. Scott: yep, we both played every instrument from guitars to drums and egg shaker. Not by design as much as by necessity. We didn't have anyone else around to contribute.
What kind of recording equipment was used for the first EP?Brian: Vintage Fender amps & Gibson guitars, Rode/Shure/AKG mics, Oaxacan tweed. Scott: 1963 Ludwig drum kit I bought from a local drum store. It was kept off the sales floor, down in the storage cellar. Our friend Matt who taught lessons there tipped me off to it. Great score. Still have it in all it's glory.
How did a song like "Cezanne" come about?Brian: being sequestered in a downtown Portland efficiency w/ only a turntable & a Tascam 4-track tends to make one sing about Impressionist Tupperware.
Are your songs mostly written before you go into the studio?Brian: mostly. Scott: we tend to have the basic melody, lyric and structure figured out and then allow the studio atmosphere to take care of the rest. This usually means someone will suggest some changes to the start or ending and occasionally add a bridge or something to shape the dramatic arc of the song. Kathleen is a rare example of structural and lyrical collaboration for ik ben. I wrote the song initially but Brian re-worked it with additional lyrics and a revamped chorus. But even this was all done by the time we started tracking.
Do you often write about real-life experiences?Brian: yes, often - and occasionally faked-death experiences. Scott: yes, but lately I am trying to incorporate new ways to frame the narrative, experiment with points of view, lay bear the devices. I am not convinced a stream of consciousness approach will characterize my next batch of album-worthy material. Basically just trying to become more pretentious!
With the new record, did you have a clear idea of what you wanted
going into the studio?Brian: in a vague sense, we clearly wanted it to sound like ik ben messing about in a multi-million dollar studio because nowhere better was available.
What was it like recording at a legendary studio like Ocean Way?Brian: posh. Scott: Boring. At brief times exhilarating, usually during takes. Russ Long brought us in as subjects for his recording class at Belmont University's Mike Curb School of Music Business. We spent hours raiding the kitchen and playing cutthroat in the billiards room. Did you see The Last Waltz? The opening scene. That was us 80% of the time at Ocean Way; lounging around, tuning guitars, nicking from the deli tray, behaving like smart alecs. But it sounded great during tracking and playback. Typically we would be quite rushed during actual recording just trying to get a good take before the session ended. It's great having a team of engineers pampering to your every whim, but it also takes you further away from the recording process, thus you have less control. Our next project will take us back towards the Red ep format I suspect.
"Pageant Queen" could have been written 100 years ago, do you agree?Brian: seems like it was... i believe i was 18 at the time. Scott: I think so...timeless, old west, Brian with a six shooter, galloping away from the parade as the Music Man sings "Seventy-six trombones.."
Did you come at this record from a different place than you had on the first two?Brian: different set of circumstances, but the ethos remains the same. Scott: yes and not really. The songwriting approach wasn't any different at all. We selected songs we felt fit the vision for a full-length LP. A few made the cutting room floor by virtue of not playing well with others. This was the first Nashville record for ik ben as far as it was tracked, mixed, pressed here. But musically or lyrically I don't think it strays too far from what came before. I almost feel like this caps the red-orange-green trilogy. What comes next I imagine will reflect more of a...departure, for lack of a better term. And by that I mean it will truly reflect us coming from a different place.
What were some of your favorite records to listen to while writing/recording Ocean Wayfare?Brian: Basement Tapes, Camper Van Beethoven (eponymous) , Land & Sea Chanteys (Tim Bluhm, of Motherhips), Mars Hotel (The Dead), ... Scott: you forgot The Clientele...(Brian harbors a softness for Scottish wuss-rock)
Favorite track from the new album and why.Brian: Signal - crushed it in-studio, 1st take... goosebumps and whatnot. Scott: Instead, not because I sing it, but because of all the interplay...everything in it is very vital and visceral...the two Vs. Of all the songs I feel like that one achieved its highest degree of potential.
What songs do you enjoy playing the most live?Brian: Instead & Sailing, from this record. Scott: Cezanne...pure rock, baby!
What is the current live configuration?Brian: five-piece instrument swap.
What is next on the horizon for the band?Brian: who knows... Johnny Carson? Scott: Finishing up our rehearsal studio, assemble a band for some late summer/early fall shows. Start considering what and how to record next batch of songs...Blue?
Some sibling bands are notorious for on-stage fights, are
the Ik Ben brothers better behaved?Brian: we're so passive-aggressive, our on-stage brawls go largely unnoticed.
Other "brother" rock bands you dig?Kinks, Stones (Glimmer Twins?), Beach Boys, Ramones (what?), Replacements, Smothers,...
Any bands from Tennesse you want to give a shout out to?Brian: Big Star. Scott: Bobby Keys has a new band he's rolling out, playing all those great Stones, Joe Cocker and similar era tunes he played sax on.
Favorite sports teams?Ajax F.C., The Boston Lobsters - World Team Tennis
