by Katy Beem
Reed Two Bulls, vocals & keys Douglas Two Bulls, guitar Dan Carroll, bass Micheal Two Bulls, drums According to founding member Micheal Two Bulls, The Wake Singers emerged in 2009 in Tewa territory (aka Santa Fe), metamorphosizing from Micheal and Douglas Two Bulls’ previous band called Chocolate Helicopter. Micheal says many iterations of the group have existed but he and Douglas have endured. Their younger cousin Reed Two Bulls has sung lead vocals for the past five years. Reed’s voice at the center of their Tiny Desk Contest entry “Mirrors over Skies” is notable – refreshingly lowpitched, unaffected, and somewhat reminiscent of 1980s/90s Concrete Blonde lead vocalist Johnette Napolitano. Reed’s throat-rich vocals, Douglas’s raw-toned guitar and the tune’s unrushed rhythm make for a pleasingly grainy texture: it’s atmospheric and broody in the “hurts so good” vein of the best basement rock love songs. To create “Mirrors over Skies,” the band says they packed up everything and spent a week writing and recording, intensely and intentionally, in Red Shirt Table. “It started out as a letter to someone I used to know,” says Douglas. “The last time I saw her I was taking her to the airport seven years ago. She wanted love; I wanted all tomorrow’s parties. It took me a long time to see what she meant.” That original letter gets delivered. The wistful music and lyrics encourage the listener toward play, pine, repeat. Each 18 18
Learn. Dream. Grow. Learn. Dream. Grow.
member brings song sketches to the table that the group develops collaboratively. Douglas, long passionate about writing and poetry, often contributes lyrical content. Douglas says he gets his inspiration from Red Shirt Table. When not writing and recording there, the band members call Mni Luzahan Otunwahe (aka Rapid City) home. Reed was born in New York City, and lived in Los Angeles and Minneapolis before moving onto homelands. “I’m not separate
from my homelands,” says Micheal. “My homelands ground me and are present in everything I do and create.” Reed concurs: “Music and homelands will always be tied as one for me. The Wake Singers are blood. Family is Red Shirt Table, music is family.” Bassist Dan Carroll says he first fell in love with music as a passive and active participant in South Dakota. “As far as how it’s expressed? Probably me saying ‘ope’ a lot.” The band name sounds like what it is. Douglas and Micheal
