7 minute read
People In General
friends
Kevin Johnston
BandWagon Magazine
People in General are making the leap. Since their first release Piglet in 2019, the trio has grown into a full 8 piece band with horns, extra vocalists and more. The sounds on the new EP friends are more mature, with bigger, fuller arrangements. But the shift isn’t only because the band is suddenly bigger or all grown up. Like it or not, the vocalist is the most identifying element of any band, and People in General have changed that up too.
The EP’s rousing opener “Parade” has tasty pizzicato guitar licks and a lush, bright chorus of “I just wanna be happy with you – not happy for you” – one of the EP’s strongest tunes - but the real head-turner is the usurping of lead vocal duties by guitarist / songwriter Ben Eberle.
Particularly noticeable on the new version of the previously released single “ICICIC,” Eberle commands the tunes with a more breathy confidence compared to former member and band founder Abe Dashnaw's pointed vocal delivery.
Remarkably, Eberle fills the shoes, or rather, replaces the shoes with cunning. You might not notice the switch amongst the slightly rearranged horn and synth lines, fresh mix, or harmonies by Annalee Knies & Geneva Hein. Further, the climactic gang vocals feel as if fans who’ve heard the tune a thousand times got to join in on the recording. The group certainly outshines the individual.
A band is an evolving thing. If it's well maintained, it’s also a safe space. For People in General, that safe space is somewhere between math jazz and indie rock - not a huge community, but they manage to transcend those borders.
“Friends 1” jumps that fence by climaxing to the frenzy of classic rock legends Focus with lyrics like “If I’m losing you then I want that too - did I lose you all the same?” amidst a frantic romp.
The second single “Buster,” is a night-time cruiser building to a Broken Social Scene swirl; in the vein of Silver & Gold or The Collection, with the EMO refrain “I love you so much I could die … I don’t wanna die but I don’t wanna be here anymore."
The acoustic, narrative-driven closer “Friends 2,” departs from the math rock, focusing on the power of storytelling. No tricks, no twists, just the most resonant musical tactic there is: honesty.
It’s hard to imagine the writing on friends as uninfluenced by the change in the band’s lineup, but it, as all music, is left up to the interpretation of the listener. Regardless of the backstory, People in General have their momentum going and like friendships, the ups and downs are worth it.
BandWagon Presents People in General July 30 at the Aggie Theater - the friends EP release party and tour kick off! Visit linktr.ee/peopleingeneralband for more.
always strikes the right notes
Music lovers will find plenty of chances to tap their toes in Greeley this summer, beginning with the Friday Fests, every Friday now through September 16. The party kicks into another gear with the Greeley Stampede’s concert lineup. Classical lovers can look forward to a new season from the Greeley Philharmonic Orchestra. And local venues like the Moxi Theater have a full calendar of acts to get out and see. No matter your musical sensibilities, Greeley has every reason for you to keep tuning in throughout the summer and beyond.
Stay Tuned to MyGreeley.com for what’s coming soon.
Featured ARTIST
OF THE MONTH
BY KEVIN JOHNSTON
Bevin Luna calls Colorado her home but the Memphis shoreline of the Mississippi River runs through her veins, "shining like a national guitar," if you will, in her music.
Born to a military family in Hawaii, Luna moved around a lot, but spent her formative years in Memphis, TN. Arguably American music’s most sacred place, the city remains a huge influence. Luna herself calls it “the birth land of rock and roll,” but the Delta shoreline is winding and more diverse than just that. So, in fact, is Luna’s history, and subsequently the genres in her musical catalog.
“Being a multiracial person with roots in Dominican Republic and Memphis, my influences vary significantly from garage rock to bachata, blues to country, industrial to rap and grunge to pop,” Luna tells BandWagon. And you can hear that diversity in her releases. From the fullband rock aggression of 2015’s Attack Of The Killer Redheads to the lo-fi, solo porch twang of 2021’s Buchanan, Luna is always fishing for new sounds and inspirations.
On Madison & Angelus, the EP she released late last month, Luna says she recorded songs that represented Colorado, but also took influence from the places of her past, as she claims she will always do. The contents of the songs come from “all of the other places that I’ve lived being a military brat,” Luna says, pinpointing the record’s genre as garage rock this time, due once again to influence of location.
“Madison & Angelus is a garage rock EP because it’s rock and roll. And it was
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BEVIN LUNA
literally recorded in a garage in LaPorte, Colorado,” she says.
True to the garage band ethos, the 5 tracks mesh originals, covers and cowrites with big, fuzzy guitars, overdriven vocals and bashing drums. But the garage has a heart and some depth behind its door. Much of the writing discusses the turmoil of being a musician in the digital age, and as Luna puts it: “In the middle of a pandemic sandwich: never knowing where to begin or if it’s ever going to end – constantly trying to reassure ourselves that everything was gonna be OK.”
The raucous collection of tunes on Madison & Angelus include covers of the former, beloved Colorado band Matson Jones, a co-write with Justin Maul of A.M. Pleasure Assassins and The Great Aerodrome, and “Mary Lou” written by the 1950’s blues/jazz musician Young Jessie, famously covered by Frank Zappa and several others.
“The last track is a collaboration with the Music District in Fort Collins,” Luna says. “Through a program called Song Lotto, we were paired with local songwriter Jeff Finlin. He signed up to write a song for us. We met with him to discuss his writing process and our writing process. The end result was a super cool retro-pop-rock tune titled ‘Summer’ - just in time for the season!”
“Summer,” and the EP on the whole, is a representation of Luna’s process. It reflects a confluence; a meshing of elements. It also celebrates the simple joy of rocking out, processing your feelings and making collaborative music. It’s a process which reflects her life. It flows, embracing versatility and diversity, and ultimately, simply seeking to connect.
For Luna, the best place for that confluence of rock n roll is Colorado. She says she’s had wonderful opportunities here over the years, the Music District collaboration to name just one. “I love the natural beauty of Colorado,” she says, “and I’ve been fortunate enough to find a very supportive music community.”
But a river doesn’t stay in one place. It stems from a source, carrying pieces of the places it passes along the way.
photo by chromatic alchemy
LISTEN TO BEVIN LUNA ON 105.5 THE COLORADO SOUND! SEE HER LIVE IN FORT COLLINS AT BLACK FRET COLORADO AUGUST 6 IN OLD TOWN SQUARE AND AT THE EP RELEASE SHOW FOR MADISON & ANGELUS, AUGUST 12 AT THE LYRIC CINEMA WITH WEST SIDE JOE AND THE MEN OF SOUL. MORE AT BEVINLUNA.COM
REASONS TO LISTEN TO THE COLORADO SOUND • MORE COLORADO ARTISTS • KNOWLEDGEABLE DJS WHO LIVE HERE • NO COMMERCIALS • • UNIQUE PROGRAMMING YOU DON’T GET ANYWHERE ELSE FROM BEASTIE BOYS TO BILLIE HOLIDAY • 105.5FM & ONLINE AT COLORADOSOUND.ORG
