Nardwuar Vs. The Polyphonic Spree

Nardwuar: Who are you?
Tim DeLaughter: My name is Tim DeLaughter from The Polyphonic Spree.

And Tim, who else is in The Polyphonic Spree?
Good grief, that's a loaded question. I have 24 other people in this band.

Are you able to name them?
Uh, yeah. It'll take me a bit of time, but I can name them.

I would love to hear their names.
Alright, here we go. We have Mark Pirro. We have Rick Nelson…

Actually, I hate to interrupt, Tim, but where do you start when it comes to naming your band? Do you look at the instrumentation first? Do you do it stage left or right? How do you remember who's in your band? Maybe that's my question. How do you remember who's in your band?
Well, what I started with this time was I was actually looking at Mark Pirro, the back of his head. And I knew Buffi [J, cello] was next door, in the room next door, so I thought I would choose her next…

photo by David Leyes

Now, speaking of Mark, is Mark afraid of Gordon Lightfoot, Canadian, Gordon Lightfoot?
Is Mark afraid of Gordon Lightfoot? No, he loves Gordon Lightfoot.

Have you integrated Gordon Lightfoot into any Polyphonic Spree songs at all?
Well, we did have a history lesson for a lot of people in Milwaukee about Gordon Lightfoot. Mark went on to tell the whole story of what went on with the Edmund Fitzgerald and it sparked a whole list of opportunities for fans to bring things related to Gordon Lightfoot and the Edmund Fitzgerald. And it was quite an interesting evening that night.

Y'know what's interesting about Gordon Lightfoot? Y'know the song "Sundown"?
Yes! [starts singing] "Sundown, I think…"

Do you know what that song is about, Tim of The Polyphonic Spree?
No.

That is a song warning people to stay away from Cathy Evelyn Smith.
Really.

And do you know who Cathy Evelyn Smith is?
No.

The woman that injected John Belushi.
You're kidding me?

No, Gordon Lightfoot's ex-girlfriend was the same person that injected John Belushi in Los Angeles. So some historians have speculated that if John Belushi had listened to Gordon Lightfoot, he might still be alive.
The song was written prior to that?

Yes!
Oh my gosh.

Just an interesting connection. Now, going back to the other 23 members
of The Polyphonic Spree, Tim.
There is 24 of us.

And we've done 22.
What do you mean?

We've named two so far.
We've named two.

Are there any more to go? We've got Mark…
Are you ready?

Yes.
OK, Audrey Easley, Bryan Wakeland, Evan Hisey, Ryan Fitzgerald, Daniel Huffman, Jay Jennings, Jennie Kelley, Jennifer Jobe, Jessica Jordan, Julie Doyle. Keith Hendrix, Kelly Repka, Kristin Harden, Matt Bricker, Nick Groesch, Nicholas Wlodarczyk, Apotsala Wilson, Ricky Rasura… uh, Rick Nelson, Stephanie Dolph, Tamara Cauble and myself.

What about Brian Teasley?
Brian's not with us on this run.

So would he make it, like, 25 or 26 people? Because he's almost like
two people.
Yeah, he is. When he's on fire he's like that. Yeah, he would account for at least two people.

Tim, you're playing tonight at the Commodore Ballroom in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Another member associated with your band is playing Vancouver, coming up. St. Vincent is being billed as "featuring members of The Polyphonic Spree." How many bands are billed as "featuring members of The Polyphonic Spree"? There must be quite a few.
There've been quite a few bands who've come from this group. We've been together for about seven years, so we've planted some seeds of bands around this country from people who have been in the group.

What are the rules for being in The Polyphonic Spree, Tim?
The only rule I would say is you have to be able to improvise on your instrument thoroughly.

What about the guest list? You're a member of The Polyphonic Spree, what kind of guest list are you allowed because you have so many people in the band? How many guest list spots? Because I imagine the guest list must get pretty huge. What is the biggest guest list you've had from The Polyphonic Spree, just from the members?
Oh, 100.

What do the promoters think of that when they see 100 names on the guest list?
Well, it depends. If it's a sellout, they don't really mind it. And if it's not, they usually start screaming.

What's the smallest club that you've played that you've had a 100-person guest list?
Oh gosh.

Like, Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey?
You know what, this band has never played Maxwell's. Tripping Daisy played Maxwell's. But this group hasn't. Wait… we did play Maxwell's. Yeah, that's right. Golly, we did play Maxwell's. But that was back in 2001.

So would there have been 100 people on the guest list for that night?
No, not for that night.

So there would be rules. "You cannot put that many people on the guest list."
Yeah, you can't do that. You might get one apiece. It really matters where we're at, what city we're in, the venue, the sale of tickets, that kind of thing.

Have you ever been confused with Nine Inch Nails at all? What's the difference between The Polyphonic Spree and Nine Inch Nails?
Uh, about nine inches, really. Nine Inch Nails and The Polyphonic Spree? We don't have any nails in our group.

There are some similarities. You're both on TVT Records, or associated with TVT Records. And they had The Fragile and you have The Fragile…
We are The Fragile Army.

Yeah! So there are some similarities. That's what I was wondering. There are similarities. What are the differences?
Yeah, they're not on TVT anymore. But his first record was on TVT and then I think he split from there.

Looking at the stage set-up of The Polyphonic Spree there, Tim of The Polyphonic Spree, I think I saw some plexiglass in a photo. What's plexiglass doing onstage for a The Polyphonic Spree gig?
Well, that helps separate the sound for the choir from the cymbals and the drums so their sound doesn't bleed into their microphones.

What have The Polyphonic Spree been criticized for?
Criticized for? I think we've been criticized for being too optimistic, at times.
I heard you were criticized because you "had a confetti show."

Had a confetti show?
Yes, they criticized The Polyphonic Spree because you had a confetti show.

Somebody didn't like confetti shows. Is that the pettiest thing you've been criticized for? A confetti show. Is there a confetti show with The Polyphonic Spree?
Yes, there is. And, quite frankly, I love the confetti show.

[Nardwuar takes a phone caller]

Caller, are you there?
Caller #1: Hi Nardwuar.
Go ahead to Tim of The Polyphonic Spree.
Caller #1: Hey Tim, how ya doin'? Hello?
Tim: Hey there.

Caller #1: Hey Tim, lookin' forward to the show tonight. I wanted to know why Brian Teasley isn't touring with you guys right now?
Tim: Brian is working on getting his real estate license. Believe it or not, he's back in school and he's taking a break from the rock 'n' roll world.
Caller #1: OK, thank you very much.

Caller, I understand you wanted to do an interview with Brian. Now this caller got confused because there were a couple Brians in the band.
Tim: Yeah, well there's a Brian Wakeland in the band and a Brian Teasley, but he's off at school right now. And then we have a Ryan in the band.
Caller #1: That must be confusing, eh?
Tim: Oh yeah.

Well, thanks so much caller, and doot doola doot doo…
Caller #1: Doot doo.

We're speaking here to Tim of The Polyphonic Spree, who are playing here tonight in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada at the Commodore Ballroom. Tim,  people say, "Well, the Arcade Fire did stuff with David Bowie." Well, you were the first to do stuff with David Bowie, weren't you? The Polyphonic Spree were the first to do something with David Bowie. Or you beat the Arcade Fire to David Bowie, didn't you?
I guess so. He's just been supportive from day one of our band. He was responsible for bringing us to the U.K., for taking us outside of Texas for the first time. And then we went on tour with him in his North American tour, so he's pretty supportive of the group.

But I just think it's important to note that The Polyphonic Spree were first of getting support from David Bowie. They were before the Arcade Fire. It's great that he helped the Arcade Fire, but first was The Polyphonic Spree. First. You beat the Arcade Fire to David Bowie. You did win that race, didn't you Tim of The Polyphonic Spree?
Yes, we did. Thank you for clarifying that.

I have a little quote here. I interviewed a metal groupie a few years ago and she was a big fan of Tripping Daisy and stuff. Did Tripping Daisy tour Canada with Def Leppard?
Yes, we did.

And this is what she said about that. I was asking her about stuff and I said, "How does it compare to being a groupie on the scene with metal bands to the new brand of alternative bands?" How does it compare? She used to be a groupie to metal bands like Def Leppard. And then she went on a tour with you guys and she got converted to alternative bands because of Tripping Daisy.
Good grief! Alright.

This is what she says though, Tim. And I'm not sure she's addressing you: "I personally think the alternative bands are a lot more disgusting. The guitar player from Tripping Daisy doesn't bathe at all on the road. So I guess the metal guys were a little more concerned with their appearance. And hygienically, that was preferable. Also, the metal guys are a little ruder, like, ‘We're cool, we're famous, we can be assholes.'" Do you remember not bathing on the road at all in Tripping Daisy on tour in Canada?
Well, that would be Wes [Berggren]. He didn't… yeah, he didn't bathe very much. I can't believe that that finally made it out there, but that was a true fact.

Tripping Daisy, Def Leppard, across Canada. Do you remember those gigs? And how do they compare to tonight's gig at the Commodore Ballroom? The Polyphonic Spree at the Commodore Ballroom versus Tripping Daisy opening up for Def Leppard. Differences?
Good grief. My gosh. Well, the food was a lot better with Def Leppard than it is right now. We had a bus with five people on it and a couple crew guys back then. Now I have a bus with 27 people on it. It smells horrible in the morning on the new bus. But the show here the last time in Vancouver, that show was off the hook. And I think that was in ‘04, the last time we were here.

It might have been 2003. And that was at Richard's On Richards.
Yes, that's right.

And that has gone down in Vancouver punk rock gig history — and I say the word punk rock there because there's nothing more punk rock than beating the Arcade Fire to David Bowie. And we're speaking here to Tim from The Polyphonic Spree, live on the Nardwuar The Human Serviette radio show  and  winding up here what can you tell me about KEOM Dallas? KEOM Dallas? It's a high school radio station? You like listening to high school radio, Tim?
Oh man, you do your homework. Yes, I love that station. I love it because they play all ‘70s music, all of it. But they play the deep cuts there. There's no commercials there. And they talk about how to make a guacamole salad and then they'll talk about The Big Dipper. And then in one segment they'll talk about the White Tailed Deer. It's just a really refreshing radio station. And it's kids in high school, so they stumble on their words and they give the metro traffic and I don't know, I like it. It's a great, charming station.

A high school radio station. This sounds amazing. This is in Dallas, where you're from. Do you do any firsthand JFK assassination research at all, being in Dallas and stuff? Have you seen any stuff? Have you been to the site of the Tippett murders? Are you fascinated by it? Have you been to the grassy knoll? Has any of that been incorporated into The Polyphonic Spree on the brand new album?
No, but I did do a meditation on the grassy knoll with a producer one time. I was trying to do one of my records back in the Tripping Daisy days. He took us down there and he wanted to do a meditation, so we did that. But yeah, there's a lot of interesting conspiracy theories down there. There's a lot of people down there selling their magazines and handing out their pamphlets of their idea of what went down with JFK. But as far as being inspired with songs of JFK, no it hasn't happened.

OK, we're going to play a track now from the brand new The Polyphonic Spree The Fragile Army CD. Which is the closest track on this CD to a JFK-inspired lyric? What is the closest song to a JFK/Dallas assassination theme that we should play?
I would say play "The Fragile Army," the self-titled track.

And how does that relate to JFK?
Because that's an ode-to-Bush song. I wish someone would just get his ass.

And lastly here, Tim of The Polyphonic Spree, playing tonight at the Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, what advice do you have for bands playing corporate gigs? Because you've played some corporate gigs, you've done some ads for, like, Volkswagen Beetles and stuff. What's your advice for doing a Beetle ad or an iPod ad or playing a phone company after-party after the Sasquatch Music Festival? What's your advice to bands? What's it like doing the corporate sort of thing?
Well, the money's really great. And when you've got a band like myself that's got 27 mouths to feed and keep this band on the road, we take it how we can get it and we use that money to do other great things like make a record, The Fragile Army. So that's how I justify it.

How about the reaction of the people you're playing to. Do you have any hints for bands playing corporate gigs? What sort of songs do the corporate bigwigs want to hear? What sort of corporate gigs have you played? Do you gear your set to those people? What sort of reactions have there been?
I've never really played a corporate party per se. I've done some commercials, but I've never really played a corporate party. I dunno, you just do what you usually do until they come up to you and tap you on the shoulder and tell you that you need to turn it down. I don't know.

Well, thanks so much Tim. Why should people care about The Polyphonic Spree?
Because we're bringing a message of hope in this dismal world. At least how it is in my country. Here [in Canada] it seems rather charming and beautiful and you're an awfully upbeat guy, but in my country it's tough right now and my band brings a sense of hope to people when we come through. It's a very spirited event when you come to a Polyphonic Spree show.

And that's tonight at the Commodore Ballroom. What's the longest encore that you've played?
Probably about an hour-and-a-half. We've played for about three hours before.

So you did an hour-and-a-half encore?
Yeah.

So the encore is as long as the actual gig?
Yeah.

That's great. Thanks so much, Tim. Keep on rockin' in the free world and, anything else you want to add to the people out there at all?
Just support The Fragile Army because we're giving it everything we've got and tonight this house is going to blow up with Polyphonic Spree. It's going to be an awesome show.

Well, thanks so much Tim. Keep on rockin' in the free world and doot doola doot doo…
Doot doo!

The following interview appeared in the October 2007 issue of Chart Magazine.