The psychedelic-folk group, Espers, have a lot to look forward to. Not only is their third full-length album coming out next month, they will also have a short tour through Pennsylvania and Buffalo before embarking to the U.K. for the mega-festival The United Sounds of All Tomorrow's Parties in May.
The Philadelphia-based group is currently embarking on a brief tour centered on their performance at the Henry Darger Exhibition at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh, but they'll also be dropping into Buffalo's Soundlab on Saturday.
Band member Greg Weeks talked to The Spectrum about the artistic climate in Philadelphia, their new album, and the significance of Western New York in their lives.
With Espers' new album "Espers II" slated for a May 16 release, Weeks compared it to the band's previous works.
"I would describe the new album as macabre and melancholic, with the same elements (as in previous albums), but the power behind it has increased," he said.
Weeks also cleared up a common misconception about the band concerning their being labeled as a folk-collective by some critics.
"We're not much of a collective," he said. "We started as a trio, and a number of friends play on the record, drawn from a pool of Philadelphia-based musicians."
The three members of Espers that make up the permanent lineup are Greg Weeks, Meg Baird and Brooke Sietinsons.
Espers' most recent release "The Weed Tree" was recorded live, but their upcoming release was created in studio. Weeks talked about how the band's new resources have given them the chance to venture into new territories from their previous albums.
"There certainly has been an evolution in recording, from an 8-track to a 24-track," he said. "With more channels, we have more options. It gives us the chance to experiment more with our music."
Weeks was enthusiastic to explain why he refers to The City of Brotherly Love as home.
"Philadelphia is in an interesting place in time. It's set apart from the rest of the country, largely because of real estate," joked Weeks.
Comparing Philadelphia to the current musical hot spot of New York City, Weeks is quick to point out the difficulties for artists that call New York home.
"What you have in New York is out of reach for a lot of artists. There are less and less venues, and less of an artistic climate," he said. "There is no bohemian style."
Weeks said that many artists who have since migrated to Philadelphia find it "supportive and welcoming."
"It certainly has not gentrified at the same pace as New York," he said. "There are a lot of areas where artists can enjoy that brief period between desolation and gentrification."
In choosing a location for a tour, Weeks talked about the significance of Western New York to himself and his band.
"Otto (Hauser) and I are from Rochester. Otto went to school in Toronto, so the Buffalo-Rochester-Toronto axis has been significant in our lives," Weeks said.
He also maintains that Espers' live recordings parallel their studio sound.
"The musicianship is equal to what (you) have heard on the record," he said. "Especially with the new record, you're going to hear a different way of approaching this music, with the way the sounds and instruments work. (At different venues) we deal with different acoustics, so we vary our approach based on that."
Espers will be playing new material off their soon-to-be-released album, so seeing them live will be the only chance to hear their newest songs before the album is released next month. They will be playing with supporting acts Tracy Morrow and The Magi Chippie at Soundlab Saturday at 9 p.m.
