Hey hey, we’re the … Blue Skies For Black Hearts?
Somehow that doesn’t have the same flow as The Monkees’ infamous tune. However, this Portland band does have a sound that shares the allure of its classic hooks.
In a recent interview, lead singer and songwriter Pat Kearns revealed several interesting parallels between his band and The Monkees (don’t worry, Blue Skies For Black Hearts actually play their own instruments).
The influence of classic pop acts such as The Monkees, The Beatles and The Kinks comes through stronger than ever on the group’s fourth release, Serenades and Hand Grenades, due out on May 20.
According to Kearns, the group modeled the production process of Serenades and Hand Grenades on the style of the famous Brill Building.
For most of us, that doesn’t ring a bell, so here’s a little history lesson: The Brill Building is an office building in New York that became famous for its vertically integrated approach to creating music.
Songwriters, artists, managers and producers worked in the building creating music, going from one floor to the next until the product was complete. It was their job, just like any other nine to five, and it produced some impressive bands, including The Monkees.
“I don’t think you can always work this way in every situation with every group of people. But the group of people we have now, it works very well,” Kearns said.
Serenades and Hand Grenades is fun, but not empty pop music. Of the songs, Kearns said, “a lot are written in third person, because I like Ray Davies’ songs, and he does that a lot.”
The result is what seems like a series of interesting and oddly meaningful song-vignettes.
“Siouxsie Please Come Home,” the first track on Serenades and Hand Grenades, is a perfect example. It sounds as if it could be a modernized version of the angst-filled summer love ballads of the ’60s. The lyrics save the song from being just a catchy re-creation. “Siouxsie” isn’t the sweet summer lover; she’s a female soldier sent overseas. The contrast of sound and story as well as the subversion of traditional roles is great, even more so because the song isn’t overly serious or heavy.
“Everybody else is pouring their soul out, and I mean, I’m sure there’s some of our soul in it, but I’m not writing confessions,” Kearns said.
Neither is he writing politically charged jabs. The songs are about interesting relationships and ideas ranging from women at war to divorce and the music industry. Serenades and Hand Grenades represents more than interesting song premises married to quality music. It’s also a step forward for the band.
“We didn’t do any of the previous albums like this. It’s the most group oriented,” said Kearns, who handled a majority of the production for the band’s first release. Kearns said the band’s second album was more democratic but didn’t function well. Their third record was made when the band was going through a tumultuous period, and as a result, he handled most of the production again.
“This time, even our drummer was there the whole time,” Kearns said. “I have no idea if we’ll continue to work this way, but it’s really a lot of fun.”
Fun seems to be the key with Blue Skies For Black Hearts.
“Sometimes people miss the point,” Kearns said. “We’d like people to dance and have a good time.”
With a show that promises to be lively, including a lot of different arrangements and four-part harmonies reminiscent of another era, fun doesn’t seem like too much to ask.
“We don’t even know what to expect,” Kearns said. “Sometimes strange things happen. We’re good at flying by the seat of our pants, though, so it’s OK.”
Blue Skies in May:
Friday, May 16:
Live on the radio, 5 p.m. on KPSU
Dante’s at 9 p.m., $10, 21-plus
Friday, May 30:
Holocene at 9 p.m., $5, 21-plus
Record release show with local favorites Boy Eats Drum Machine and The Skinnyz