Photo by Chris Huegel
Elephonic at Chill on The Hill
Elephonic at Chill on The Hill
Back in June, Elephonic founder Mike Jarvis sat down for an extended interview with Sonic Rendezvous (shepherdexpress.com/podcasts/sonicrendezvous/mike-jarvis), the Shepherd Express podcast that chronicles the history of Milwaukee music.
Elephonic has another outdoor show coming up Thursday at the Black Cat Rising concert series (visitmilwaukee.org/event/black-cat-rising%3A-concert-series/1169) where the group will perform as a quartet.
The full band—Jarvis (guitar and vocals), Jason Klagstad (guitars), Aaron Heffernan (keyboards), Thea Vorass (cello), Steve Vorass (drums) and Mark Becker (bass)—has found ways to bring an orchestrated element with acoustic strings into a rock setting. That the group has played outdoor shows which can be challenging for a sound mix is a feather in their cap.
We asked the members to chime in regarding their roles.
In Their Own Words
In his career, Jason Klagstad has seen a lot. Some of it twice.
In a group with this many musical elements, how do you go about coming up with parts that complement the songs?
Spending 20 years sorting through Semi-Twang’s lineup (three guitars, keys/sax/accordion, bass, drums and five vocalists) more than adequately prepared me for complex arrangements. To paraphrase the old saw, music is more about the notes you don’t play and spaces between them than the ones you do.
Mike and I started out on this particular journey of musical discovery sometime in 2017 when he walked up to me at a local music shop and asked I’d play Lennon night (linnemans.com/event/may-28-2023) with him, of course I said yes.
I quickly learned that he meant our partnership to be that of equals, of peers, and mistakes (and beautiful noises) were mine to make. He was the first person to truly set me loose in a complex band format to come up with melodic underpinnings and song parts/arrangements that complemented his song structures. I think the Elephonic album clearly illustrates that.
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The slow addition of keys and cellos to Elephonic’s ranks allowed us to take our time to shape the addition of players to the band’s sound without substantially altering the basic sound and structures.
Cellist Thea Vorass takes an instrument normally found in acoustic non-rock settings and adapts it to Elephonic’s needs playing an electric cello.
Are there challenges in playing a cello in the context of a band like Elephonic?
The fun part of working with a band is finding where cello can best complement a song—sometimes the melody line, harmony to the bass line, rhythmic elements, or harmonies in the vocal or guitar line range. To me it’s most important to play what a song needs. Elephonic has so many strong accomplished players—what is so amazing about this group is we all take turns adding our own nuances to the song, not overplaying, which leaves the listener with catchy earworms, tasty solos and full vocal harmonies.
Is volume ever a concern?
Yes. There are always sound concerns when playing a traditional acoustic instrument in a band setting. I’ve learned along the way that when playing in a group with a drum set, the electric cello always works best. Using in-ears (monitors) has also been key for me. Volume control is so important when playing an instrument without frets otherwise an accomplished musician can sound like a beginner.
Has playing outdoor shows been any different in that regard?
Outdoor shows are no problem with an electric instrument, it's just like plugging in an electric guitar. My acoustic cello does not always get along with the outdoor elements—direct sun and extreme heat/cold can drastically affect tuning. Although I love the tone of the acoustic cello best, I leave that for the recording studio or acoustic type shows.
Hopefully keyboardist Aaron Heffernan realizes his good fortune. It wasn’t that long ago that the sounds he can generate form his keyboard would have required lugging around a piano, Hammond organ and Mellotron from gig to gig.
How do you go coming up with ideas like counter melodies and what sounds do you find work best with Elephonic’s material?
The melodies in Mike’s songs are so unique and catchy, the counter-melodies and vocal harmonies practically write themselves.
As for vintage keys for the songs—most of the keyboard parts on this album are classic piano and vintage Wurlitzer sounds mixed with B3 and Vox organs that just fit with the interesting Beatles-y changes that Mike writes.
I’m a big fan of Gregory Hawkes of the Cars, so the synth parts on the first track of our debut album Until the Sound are a precursor to what I hope will be more classic analogue synth sounds on the next album.
Drummer Steve Vorass has toured and played with I’m Not a Pilot, OAMI, Trapper Schoepp and the Shades, Rocket Cat, Mixtape, The Zach Pietrini Band and, recently NEWSKI.
What is the difference in playing with Elephonic and NEWSKI?
I definitely use more dynamics in the NEWSKI trio. When you only have three people on stage, dynamics make a huge difference in sections of the song.
In Elephonic, there’s so much sound coming out that my job is more to blend in and serve as a steady base for everyone to build from. I’m more of the scaffolding that holds everything in place while they create beautiful architecture around me. If I’m not steady, everything falls apart.
I do like to know the lyrics of a song before I write a drum part. There are subtle cues I like to accentuate in order to give the lyrics a sonic nod.
For instance, if a song is about the passing of time, I like to use an eighth note rim knock that represents the tick of a clock or using 16th notes on the hi-hats to signify the wheels of a train chugging down the tracks, that kind of stuff.
I think the main job of a drummer is to be support for the band and to try to make the songs feel good while staying out of the way. That’s what I try to do anyway.
Back to Klagstad to tie things up: Where does Elephonic fit into the range of bands you have played with?
I’ve played in many groups ranging across different styles. I’d have to say that this is the first pop/power-pop band I’ve ever played in, but I’ve loved the style since it emerged on the scene.
For me at least, Elephonic combines the precision arranging of Semi-Twang and the pop melodic sensibility of some of Arroyo’s later songwriting—lots of room for creative expression and the unexpected fusion of styles.
I grew up with a very young, very talented Howie Epstein (who will be recognized at Shank Hall with September 10 tribute concert: shankhall.com ), spending nearly 10 years and a half dozen different bands making pop music in the very early to late ‘70s. In many ways, Howie had the same raw pop sensibility drive that Mike has. Maybe that’s why we hit it off so well.
The Black Cat Rising concert series concludes Sept. 14 with Social Cig, Chapped Lips, and CalicoLoco: visitmilwaukee.org/event/black-cat-rising%3A-concert-series/1169.
