Akron/Family experimenting with the music
A folk-influenced experimental rock band that uses instruments like the glockenspiel! Every musician wants to be in a family like this.
Akron/Family has had people talking since their self titled debut in 2005. However, the New York based band let their live performances do the talking, sustaining attention on themselves right up until this year's release Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free.
The group creates such a unique energy and presence on stage. The last time these guys were in town there were two drummers, a guitar, bass, multiple electronic devices, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and even a clarinet improvising simultaneously making for quite the psychedelic experience.
Bassist Miles Seaton says the three guys that form the core of the band are really starting to come together as, well, a family.
“We tend to all really love harmony in its literal and its metaphorical sense. We spend more time with each other than our real brothers in real life, our blood brothers, so there's a real love there and I feel that comes through in our music.”
Arriving on shelves back in May, Akron/Family's latest LP is their first as a threesome. Seaton believes “having one less cook around” has allowed the group to become closer. The album opens with the loud and excitedly accusing Everyone is Guilty.
“Everyone is Guilty started based around the opening rift and was one of the very first things we improvised as a three piece and we kind played and went through different incarnations,” explained Seaton. “We sort of put it through the Akron/Family song-writing lens and sort of turned it into a piece that had hooks and these different feelings.”
With the title Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free, each member didn't hesitate to let it all out in the studio this time around, continuously changing perspectives and making the album captivating for the ears the whole way through.
“There's some of my favourite lead vocal performances of all of us, it's really cool,” Seaton admits. “I mean everyone, I feel, has a song where their voice can really shine on the record.”
Seaton thanks Chris Colte and Mark Wassin, who both teamed as engineers on a lot of their recordings. The bassist thinks the two brought a thick, rich quality to the album, that offers a big powerful sound more so than their previous records.
“I feel like we recorded a lot of stuff and it was a real exploratory process for us and we learned a lot about playing together. It was a great time; crucial, sweet, lovely.”
“Sweet” and “lovely” are words you may think of when talking about other musical families like the Partridge Family or the Brady Bunch, but Akron/Family will create a range of emotions you didn't even know you had.
Set ‘em wild and set ‘em free.
Akron/Family has had people talking since their self titled debut in 2005. However, the New York based band let their live performances do the talking, sustaining attention on themselves right up until this year's release Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free.
The group creates such a unique energy and presence on stage. The last time these guys were in town there were two drummers, a guitar, bass, multiple electronic devices, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, and even a clarinet improvising simultaneously making for quite the psychedelic experience.
Bassist Miles Seaton says the three guys that form the core of the band are really starting to come together as, well, a family.
“We tend to all really love harmony in its literal and its metaphorical sense. We spend more time with each other than our real brothers in real life, our blood brothers, so there's a real love there and I feel that comes through in our music.”
Arriving on shelves back in May, Akron/Family's latest LP is their first as a threesome. Seaton believes “having one less cook around” has allowed the group to become closer. The album opens with the loud and excitedly accusing Everyone is Guilty.
“Everyone is Guilty started based around the opening rift and was one of the very first things we improvised as a three piece and we kind played and went through different incarnations,” explained Seaton. “We sort of put it through the Akron/Family song-writing lens and sort of turned it into a piece that had hooks and these different feelings.”
With the title Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free, each member didn't hesitate to let it all out in the studio this time around, continuously changing perspectives and making the album captivating for the ears the whole way through.
“There's some of my favourite lead vocal performances of all of us, it's really cool,” Seaton admits. “I mean everyone, I feel, has a song where their voice can really shine on the record.”
Seaton thanks Chris Colte and Mark Wassin, who both teamed as engineers on a lot of their recordings. The bassist thinks the two brought a thick, rich quality to the album, that offers a big powerful sound more so than their previous records.
“I feel like we recorded a lot of stuff and it was a real exploratory process for us and we learned a lot about playing together. It was a great time; crucial, sweet, lovely.”
“Sweet” and “lovely” are words you may think of when talking about other musical families like the Partridge Family or the Brady Bunch, but Akron/Family will create a range of emotions you didn't even know you had.
Set ‘em wild and set ‘em free.
