The Bodies of Water were once a quartet (made up of two men (David & Kyle) and two women (Jessie & Meredith) and now a quintet of recent from Los Angeles, CA.
They are playling at the Cat Backstage SUNDAY (with the equally amazing Port O’Brien)
They play loud, intricate songs and sing very emphatically, usually all at once.
They are kind of like a starker, crazier Arcade Fire and a less mockable Polyphonic Spree.
But backstage (big sound, small space, all awe)
They draw from a number of disparate traditions, combining the metaphysical intensity of gospel, the primitive gusto of punk rock, the earnest idiosyncracy of american folk, the sonic inclusiveness of tropicalia, the planned jamming of prog, and the sincere melodrama of musical theatre.
Their interests include: dogs, swimming, games, caftans, karaoke and wine bars.
They are loved by living, breathing humans and blogs alike.
They also have a new record out (”A certain feeling”) on Secretly Canadian (home of Jens et al) and I think it is pretty terrific. Their previous record was equally wonderful.

Me and David had a heart to heart before their show to see how things are going and WHERE are they going.

David! How is it everything?
Everything is good, thank you. How is DC?

What are you up to right now? I hear ANIMALS!
We just came in from practice and the dogs are being really excited.

(pictured: phyllis the dog, off their myspace)

As they can be.
Yeah, you know dogs, you can leave them for 10 minutes and they are still happy to see you come back. How is DC?

DC is great. Awaiting you and all. So, lets start at the beginning and see where we end up. You and Meredith were first married and then in a band together. How did you two meet?
Well, she was dating one of my best friends….

OOOOOH. Aaaaaaaaah….
Haha, welll, it wasn’t anything scandalous, I promise. I met Meredith when I was not in LA yet, and she was dating this friend of mine and I was dating someone else and we would all just hang out. And then I moved there and by then they were already broken up, and she was one of the only people I knew in the city, and….it all happened really fast.

And the rest…is history.
Yes.

So, lore has it it all started out in your closet.
Yes, we were both making music and just recording it on our computer at home, and it was a very small home, so our studio was in the closet. And then we realized we had something on our hands and we figured it would be cool to maybe start a band. So Kyle joined in, and Meredith was friends with Jessie and…we had a band.

You self released the first album but the second album is out on Secretly Canadian. Was that a change in terms of freedom for you?
Well, Secretly Canadian distributed the first record, and part of our deal with them was to keep the first one on our personal label, and then we recorded the second one. But they are really a terrific label, and I never felt an ounce of freedom was lost in the process. Its been just a great story.

Speaking of freedom, every time I listen to Bodies of Water, my head is about to explode, in a good way. I feel every song has enough ideas in it for 5 songs, and you just released 2 albums in one year, PLUS toured like crazy…explain this prolificness to me?
Well, the year thing is sort of deceptive, because we wrote and recorded most of “Ear will pop and Eyes will Blink” ( the first record) in 2006, so there has been some time for us to work on the new material between then and now.

And has the writing process changed at all? How much of a spontaneous, in the studio effort is it? Or do you show up with very clear ideas and take it from there?
Well, the first album Meredith and I mostly self-recorded so there was not much room for that level of spontaneity, with this record we, at least I think, were able to build on it more in the studio, and come closer to the sound you hear when you see us live.

And this David, is a perfect segue into my next question…so I have never seen you live before (slap on the wrist for that) but I have seen youtube clips (David laughs) and all of them seem to be from when you play in LA, and then you seem to have this ARMY of people with you. And it sounds amazing. Are you able to do that on tour with just four people….
Well, we are actually five people now, because Jessie is no longer touring with us…

I read about this on your Wikipedia page. I was going to ask about it!
Yes, she just got married and she just never really enjoyed touring.

I guess this happens to bands relatively often now, Ruby Suns are now just a twosome because one of the girls could not deal with the touring…
Yeah, I mean, it is really a question of personality. Some people thrive on it, and some people really, really don’t. Jessie is a terrific musician though…

Yeah, I mean, it took you 2 people to replace her 1
Well, you know, there aren’t very many lady drummers out there who also can sing amazingly.

So true.
But yes, I think we are not dissappointing when you see us live even though we don’t have our brass section with us.

I am sure you are not. Let talk, for the sake of talking, a little about influences…what have you been listening to while recording this…
I listened to a bunch of Ennio Morricone, whom I never listened to before but who people kept telling us we sounded exactly like…

Yes, the whole “spaghetti western soundtrack” sentence that shows up in everything ever written about you guys
I think it is mainly that “Doves circle the sky” song

Which I love and am going to play it for our readers now, ok?

It has such a great climactic build up to it
I actually think this is why we get all those movie music references. Because building up to something in a song is something we’ve always strived for, somehwo.

…and then of course, there are all the gospel and …
Arcade fire and Polyphonic spree references?

Yes
I think people just need to compare things to something they know. Polyphonic spree is another band I’ve listened to a bunch because people told me we sounded like them, and I think they are great but I don’t think we are that much alike.

I really don’t either. I think it is just the whole choral thing
I think so.

Well, whatever it is that you are doing, you should keep doing it. Tell me, which song do you think we should stream for the readers from the new album?
Hmmmmm

Its a tough decision. Probably the toughest one you’ve made all day
Yes.

How about Under the Pines?
Yes, or “Water here”

So while they are listening to this, tell us what you’ve been listening to and reading and loving lately?
Ok. This is actually pretty good since the whole band is here so we can ask them….Hey you guys, what have you been reading lately? …..(voices abound in the background
Ok, well, I’ve been reading the “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes”, and Meredith has been reading “The Denial” and Jamie is doing a bunch of reading for his thesis “The Logic of Every Day Practice” and the like….

What is his thesis in?
Theology

You all are keeping busy, I see
I try to read more but time is…

Hard to find? How about some music recommendations? I really like to ask LA musicians about their favorite LA bands because all LA bands seem to have these little enclaves of their really good friends and they all play together and support each other and….
Yeah, I guess all my favorite bands in LA, at least, do involve people I really personally like. Like our friends No little Kindness who are wonderful people and great musicians or our friend Tommy, who goes by Tommy Santee Claws who does this crazy recordings of himself where he has a recorder and does all the parts of the songs himself, but stops the recorder and re-gears and …. its super weird and somehow the most amazing thing you’ve heard in a while. Sorry I am getting a little obscure here.

Oh, getting obscure is the whole point of that question. So people can discover new things
True

Well, I will let you get back to your weekend now, but see you on Sunday
Yes, see you on Sunday.

Want more:
Bodies of Water on myspace
and on your backstage this Sunday (with Port O’Brien)

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