UTG EXCLUSIVE STREAM: The Horde and the Harem – “Robbery”

February 26th, 2014

Matthew Leimkuehler

Seattle’s own The Horde and the Harem have been crafting a unique brand of indie rock since 2009, when the band began to take the greater Northwest by storm. Their new record, Fairweather Friends, is due out April 12 and provides to be an expert blend of infectious indie-rock from a band not afraid to open up the track and deliver head-bobbing jams. Also, the record was tracked totally live and on analog, giving it one of the most natural sounds to be released in 2014.

We have teamed up with The Horde and the Harem to bring you the first single off of Fairweather Friends, titled “Robbery.” You’ll find “Robbery” showcases all of the positive elements you’d expect to find from a band ready to jump out of the local market and onto the national scene.

Click “Read More” to check out “Robbery” and to read an exclusive interview with a few members of the six-piece band, discussing the track, Fairweather Friends, and what fans are to expect from the band in 2014.

What’s up guys? Glad you could chat with us today. To open things up, tell me a bit about the new record and the creative process behind it.

Ryan Barber (lead vocals, guitar): This past summer I underwent vocal surgery for a node. While recovering and not talking for three months I started writing and making demos for the Fairweather Friends EP. Unlike our last record, which was recorded with a producer in professional studio, this EP was completely recorded in my basement and the band’s practice space. We had little gear, one great compressor, and a few solid microphones. We started tracking in early November and finished in late December. Most of the tracks were recorded live, sans metronome, in the basement, with little to no overdubs — excluding vocals. The album was mixed all analog to maintain the warmth that we felt from the songs when creating them.

Hanna: Our intent with Fairweather Friends is a more conceptually holistic work uniting the audio and visual elements. As we worked through the new songs, we gained a clearer vision of imagery and how lyrical content and sonic quality could translate into photos, videos, and graphics. These things had to be created hand-in-hand, and I think the struggles of recording music and creating art for the EP were absolutely necessary for pushing the band into its current state.

Tell me a bit more about the track we’re streaming today, “Robbery.”

Ryan: “Robbery” is based on some of my life experiences; including friends and past members. Also, our backyard chicken coop was raided by a raccoon this winter.

You guys seem to have found a rather unique sound, where does this come from?

Ryan: The sound comes from our time spent in the basement rehearsal space. Also, Sam, our guitarist and multi-instrumentalist really helped shape the record. It was his idea to track live together to really capture the essence of our band’s energy. We had total creative control and were not hindered by the financial and time pressures of the large studio experience.

Justin: I chalk a lot of this record’s sound up to Sam and Ryan. They were key players in pushing the sonic envelope and exploring these new sounds that we started experimenting with. The basement studio is also a pretty kooky place – we’re in tight quarters where everyone is feeding off of each other’s energy and the more time spent down there, the weirder things tend to get. That weirdness comes out in this record. It’s the full spectrum of emotions.

Hanna: Ryan is a phenomenal songwriter and leader, Sam brought a fiery production energy, and all six of us are pretty diverse musicians.

That’s great to hear. Fairweather Friends has a much different sound and feel than your last release, what was the inspiration for this new direction?

Ryan: Love and the loss of love.

Hanna: Aside from new songs that Ryan wrote from life experiences since our last release, A Long Midwinter, the lineup has changed a lot in two years. Different musicians bring different creative visions and stylistic backgrounds. We are also exploring our instruments and how they can be used both to realize ideas and also to inspire ideas. The band’s sound is perhaps a bit darker and more electronic and experimental.

Can you give me a look into the songwriting process?

Ryan: I usually create a solid demo for the band and then we spend a few weeks of rehearsal pushing and pulling the song apart before we are satisfied to play it live. I’m a real sucker for the timbre of a song and the simplicity of parts. There are a lot of layers throughout the record but they are all thought out and fought for. We are trying to capture the song both in structure and technique — but more importantly — the emotional impact it might have for both the player and listener.

What’s the rest of 2014 look like?

Ryan: Now that the recording is finished, we are rehearsing a lot more for our live shows. We’re working on a couple of music videos to accompany some of the tracks. The official release will be April 12th and then we hit the road in May for a West Coast tour. We’d like to do a longer, national tour in the fall and are working hard to make that happen.

By Matthew Leimkuehler (@callinghomematt)