As bass player Jon Jameson and the rest of California band Delta Spirit sat facing each other in the confines of Prairie Sun Studio C in Cotati, CA, instruments ready and minds contemplating the next notes to play, there likely were at least a few moments of feeling that they were journeying into sacred ground and adding some their touch to history.
They had good reason to: It was in this space, housed within a converted barn and sporting rustic features, that Tom Waits has frequently calls his stomping grounds since 1991, recording almost all his albums at that studio. The room also made an appearance in Jim Jarmusch's documentary "Coffee and Cigarettes," where the room was turned into a diner for a scene featuring Tom Waits. Now the room was to be used to record their second album "History from Below," released earlier this year, and "The Waits Room EP," released this week.
"The place had a good vibe and where we could be away from the distractions of every day life," says Jameson. "We set up the microphone in what is called the Waits Room where Tom Waits likes to do his vocals...so it definitely has some history and some kind of aura about it."
For Delta Spirit, the experience for the recording of their new recordings proved to be a natural progression of where they came (their first album "Ode to Sunshine" was created in a rustic cabin located in the mountains) and the mindset they were growing into. One thing that didn't change was the band's drive to not be thrown into one style or another.
Whether they do that through driving garage rock-like guitars and rock and roll or soulfully honest Americana melodies and lyrics that grasp life tightly, the band sets out to make their own small bit of history in spreading their music. The band also features the emotionally charged vocals of Matt Vasquez, as well as drummer Brandon Young and multi-instrumentalist Kelly Winrich.
Delta Spirit adds to their history this Friday when they return to Turner Hall Ballroom, with openers Darker My Love and The Fling.
Finding the melody
Delta Spirit's formation and finding their singer played like a movie script. One day Young spotted Vasquez singing his heart out on a bench by the train tracks and since they needed a singer asked him to join the band. From there the band wrote "Ode to Sunshine" in the following years and breaking into the national scene.
Following the release of their debut, the California natives spent several years of touring and in that time built up a stockpile of new songs. Within these songs (almost three album's worth of songs) was the blueprint for "History from Below, an album featuring a diverse mesh of sounds and lyrics magnifying life's intricacies and using the influences the band had taken in on the road. With this making-it-up as they go approach they don't always know what they'll get but they don't give up too easy.
"Sometimes that's scary when you're writing songs because you start writing a song and you're like 'I'm not sure if I'm going to like this. I don't know if this is anything I want to play,'" says bass player Jon Jameson. "But we have to give ourselves space to do things outside of our comfort zone, outside what we're personally interested in."
The group has incorporated unconventional instruments (such as trash cans lids and orchestral bass drums) and made use of the multi-instrumentalism of the members.
Their openness to try new things is one of the reasons Jameson thinks the band works well together.
"We give each other space and freedom to have our own opinions on music and to have our own likes and dislikes of music," says Jameson. "We don't conform to each other. We allow each other to have sometimes conflicting perspectives. Our perspectives and interests then come together."
This diversity began for the band as they were putting together "Ode to Sunshine." Vasquez, who shares main songwriting currently with Winrich, was writing folk songs, but the problem was that the band wasn't really a typical folk band.
"We're not a folk band so that's what made us interesting in that we took these songs and made them loud rock songs, something that had dynamic," says Jameson. "For the most part that's what brought on the diversity. It was a unique way of making a record – I don't think it's ever going to happen again at least not for the next one. But it was that specific situation that made the album that we ended up releasing."
Over six months the band put together the recordings to the album, which was produced by My Morning Jacket's keyboardist Bo Koster and Eli Thomson. With their help the band was able to create a very personal album full of introspective and opinionated songs.
"We're not telling stories like The Boss or something but for the most part they're mostly personal and came from personal experience," says Jameson. "It comes from stuff in our heads and in conversations at the time. Even if Matt's writing the song it's got all our perspective in the song."
Jameson says that while it's not always productive, there are days when great songs are born.
"Sometimes it ends up being frustrating and nothing happens at all," says Jameson. "And sometimes things come together mysteriously."
History of common folks and musicians
While "History from Below," isn't really a conceptual album, there's an underlying theme of history in relationship to the common person. The idea came partly from Vasquez reading and carrying around a copy of Howard Zinn's "The People's History of the United States."
For Jameson, the title is recognition that they're nothing particularly special as people as they aren't very rich or powerful. But there's a silver lining to viewing history from below.
"We don't make decisions that affect nations or huge industries," says Jameson. But at the same time we feel the history and stories of our lives are important. I hear a song and it effects me even though it's not directly about me. This is the history that we're telling and we're making our mark on history as small as it may be by making this record. But at the same point it's something we feel we believe in and is worth hearing."
While that is true, he's quick to point out that they don't come at it from any perspective of knowing it all and thinking everyone else is wrong.
"In all reality we're from completely different places from each other and we're all learning how to be ourselves and learning to be thankful for what we have and finding our true self," says Jameson. "It is as political and social as we get. It comes down to that we're working on our own salvation and it takes us going through fear and trembling to get to that."
Delta Spirit's salvation comes not from being a hip movement or looking cool but from the live show and strongly believing in the communal aspect of music.
"There's a power and dynamic in music that is unachievable in politics or even in words themselves," says Jameson. "If there's any reason people do drugs on tour, it's because it's really rough. You're doing crazy hours, you're driving for hours and hours to the next show, you load in you play you load out. You're not eating correctly you're not sleeping well. So the reason why we put up with that awkward and insane lifestyle is because there is something deep that we're part of."
Sometimes the music can make them feel small but as Jameson says, that's just part of being in a band.
"Every time we play and write songs there are moments of feeling inferior to the music ... if you push your way through that you come out the other side more accomplished and at the same time respecting the mystery of music," says Jameson.
Like the path of history, the band doesn't know exactly where they'll end up but want to keep making good music and providing audiences with a powerful show. The band is selling the "Waits Room EP" on vinyl only at their shows.
"We're just really excited to keep making music and keep pushing it and seeing what comes next," says Jameson. "I enjoy being in this band making music with my best friends and is something important as small as that might be. It's real and it's honest. So as long as we allow room for creativity and uniqueness I'm just excited to be part of what comes next."
