![]() ![]() It is great to see the notion of psychedelica still alive and well in the modern day and true champions of this aged genre are Texan choral rock outfit The Polyphonic Spree. ![]() Honestly, you’ve never heard the words “The sun!!!” sung with quite such vigour than when they’re bellowed out en mass by these guys – it’s got an anti-depressive effect that’s worth the price of admission alone. Leading a band of musicians and singers (so, so many singers) all dressed in white and constantly jumping as high in the air as the venue’s ceilings will allow, he cuts a figure of a man who is having a better time than anyone else on the planet. Formed in part as a reaction to the death of a Tripping Daisy band mate, DeLaughter seemingly channelled the grief in to a joyous wall of sound that still grins from ear to ear to this day. Formed fourteen years ago in Dallas, Texas, live shows have been increasingly rare of late – perhaps promoters are a little bit wary about the financial logistics of taking two dozen people on the road at once, who knows – but are simply not to be missed when they do appear on a calendar. For that, they come highly recommended.įrom his early days as frontman of psychedelic rockers Tripping Daisy (think The Flaming Lips on a tighter budget), Tim DeLaughter has always be a man of grand ambitions – and they hardly come much grander than twenty four piece rock and roll choir The Polyphonic Spree. We live in an age where many artists are scared to stand out from the crowd, and in response, The Polyphonic Spree do everything can to do just that. Ever since then, the band has remained one of the most idiosyncratic and beloved cult rock bands of their time, with a further four records to their name and the kind of live shows that truly have to be seen to be believed. This was capped off by a stint appearing as Bowie's opening act on his Reality Tour, and in 2004, the band signed their second record deal with Hollywood Records. However, 20 would still go on to be banner years for the band, with their song “Light And Day/Reach For The Sun” raising their profile dramatically by appearing in several commercials, TV shows, films and radio. However, the record didn't sell nearly enough to sustain the band, and they were dropped at the start of 2003. The album was hugely acclaimed and even attracted the attention of David Bowie himself, who in 2002 tapped the band to support The Divine Comedy at London's Royal Festival Hall while he was curating that year's Meltdown Festival. The demo tape got them signed to 679 Records, who opted to release the tape itself as the band's first album “The Beginning Stages Of. ![]() The reaction to their sets was so positive that DeLaughter recruited further twelve musicians (making the band a 25-piece ensemble), and set about recording their set as a demo tape. Once he realised that the songs he was crafting were good enough to be shared with the world, he recruited twelve other musicians to realize them live and within two weeks they'd put together a half hour set, supporting the likes of Grandaddy and Bright Eyes. As a direct response to losing his friend, DeLaughter lost himself back in the lush, orchestral pop music of his childhood, writing songs indebted to The Beatles, The Electric Light Orchestra and The Beach Boys. The band's frontman Tim DeLaughter originally fronted the psychadelic rock band Tripping Daisy from 1990 until 1999, when the band split because Wes Berggren, their guitarist, tragically died of a drug overdose. It's strangely fitting that a band as profoundly life affirming as The Polyphonic Spree would have their roots in genuine tragedy. ![]()
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