Tulsa, Oklahoma
is a music town. No seriously. It is. The history of Tulsa music is riddled
with names of people and bands that seem; well, familiar: Leon Russell,
The Gap Band, J.J. Cale, and Roy Clark. But as TulsaMusic.com states,
“[T]he true grit that is the Tulsa Sound is found in the session
players and backing musicians of present and past.” Don’t
recognize Jim Keltner, Carl Radle, Chuck Blackwell, or Jim Karstein? Session
musicians: the cornerstone of building a music town.
In recent years, Oklahoma’s other “big town” has exported
sugar-sweet music from bands, not just session musicians. How could anyone
forget those blond-hair sweetie pies Hanson? Or the pop/dance friendly
teenie bopper evangelists RAZE and 5minute Walk recording artists, Philmore.
What does all of this mean to the readers of HM? Well, it provides myself
the journalist, an opportunity for juxtaposition. Enter Ester Drang a
band comprised of five young men, and they are from, yes, Tulsa, OK.
In the midst of Tulsa’s classic rock history and bubblegum present
comes a band with a penchant for a wall of sound and a corner of introspection.
This band can send you to la-la land, and in one swift stomp on a distortion
pedal bring you to your feet startled and confused. This is a band making
innovative music in Oklahoma.
“We never really thought we were that strange of a band, and Oklahoma
just happened to be where we all ended up. We just started playing things
that we liked, and up to now it has all been really unplanned,”
says keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist James McAlister. He continues,
“We never had this ‘Let’s buck the Oklahoma system’
outlook, you know?”
It is attitude, the desire to play what swells up inside of them that
makes Ester Drang unique. In 1999 the Drang’s independent debut,
That’s When He Turns Us Golden, was released. The record
was full of layers, and quick comparisons were made to the atmospheric
sounds of early Starflyer59 (one critic went so far to call them “Oklahoma’s
answer to Starflyer59”). McAlister resondss, “There was stuff
before that [That’s When…] that was a lot more in the Starflyer
side of things, but that record is more just an immature Ester Drang than
an answer to anybody.”
Ester Drang was soon playing more shows and made two stellar appearances
at the Cornerstone Festival in Bushnell, IL. These performances introduced
a nation of rock and roll fans to the band. Critics raved, fans peppered
Internet message boards with their experiences at Drang shows. This all
caught the attention of up-and-coming Philadelphia indie label, Burnt
Toast Vinyl.
BTV honcho Scott Hatch explains, “I saw them play in 1999 at the
new band showcase and was really impressed. I heard their new recordings
this past spring and it really captured their live sound. I debated [signing
them], but I was won over by their love or good looks or something [laughs].
And they're good friends with Matt Ralph (editor of the indie pub Tangzine),
so they earn high marks just for that.”
What is Ester Drang? It is about creativity, it is about sounds, it is
about feeling, and most of all, it is rock music. Some may call it “post-rock”,
but labels fall short. The Drang can be quiet and arty, but they can also
rock out. Hatch notes, “These boys have guitars that they are not
afraid to use.” The Drang has the ability to utilize many of the
ideas in independent music and bring them together in a unique and melodic
way. Hatch says, “I find myself humming the songs over and over
again.”
Synths/minidisc manipulator David Motter says, “Songs are the most
important part of this band; in the last two years we've grown up quite
a bit. We're using our influences better, and learning from those influences
instead of just copying them.” They cite Radiohead, Mogwai, Roadside
Monument, even Phillip Glass as influences. McAlister adds, “Although,
I'd say Ester Drang's biggest influence is Bryce Chambers.”
Chambers (vocals/guitar) is fascinating, even though our communication
has been limited to e-mail. He chooses which questions to answer, and
which to ignore. He is the sound of the Drang. Motter says, “Bryce
has to be into it [the songwriting process], or it will never work. He's
still the crux of our music. He'll never admit it...to anyone but himself.”
Chambers has a serious perspective of his responsibility as a musician:
“When God created music, I don't think he placed it in a box and
meant it to keep going around in circles. But on the other hand, I don't
really think we are even close to creating something new.” He adds,
“I should think that what is going on in heaven right now would
make every thing here pretty laughable. Sorry if I sound like a loon,
it's kind of late.”
The Drang’s BTV debut, Goldenwest, was recently released
(which was produced by Chris Colbert – Elf Power, Morella’s
Forest, Fluffy). They have been working on a song with Trent Bell of the
Chainsaw Kittens. Be on the lookout for a brand new song on a BTV compilation,
along with a tour.
Even though the Drang was recently nominated for two Spot Awards (Tulsa’s
version of the Grammy), they aren’t in the midst of a major label
bidding war. No, Wesley Willis hasn’t written a song about an Ester
Drang show at Chicago’s Empty Bottle. No, they aren’t the
next Billboard sensation out of Tulsa. They are simply a band that will
continue to challenge themselves, and the listener. |