Gee muses

Who would have believed that out of the ruins of US indie psych popsters, Tripping Daisy, a band born of a different time and place and respirited in the ‘90s, would come the all singing, all dancing, quite remarkable entity that is the currently 23-strong The Polyphonic Spree?

And who would have thought a stage full of, initially, people in robes looking a bit like a mass breakout from some nearby cathedral or church, now dressed in black army fatigues and looking like they mean business, would be both viable in the economically challenged early 21st century and last longer than it took for the initial novelty to wear off?

Well, brothers and sisters, happily there have been us believers around the place since the beginning. Now, we could get all religious here but let’s not. There are no Tom Cruises in this story. Eight years after the Spree first formed and five since its first album, The Beginning Stages Of, it is now established as one of the world’s finest live acts and is buoyed by a cult following that is strong enough to keep this massive ark afloat.

Founder, lead singer, composer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Tim DeLaughter, is baking in hometown Dallas, Texas, where the temperature is well over the old 100F (38C). “We’re frying, like little hot tomatoes. It’s a cliché but you really could fry an egg on the concrete out there,” he says.

DeLaughter is one of the smarter people I’ve come across in this business. A veteran of nearly two decades as a musician, he’s nudging into his mid-40s but his enthusiasm isn’t diminishing with age. With Tim, it’s matter of how much conversation you can fit in the time limit rather than trying to find enough conversation to get to the finishing line.

He and his wife – Julie Doyle, who is also a backing singer in The Polyphonic Spree – have four kids and own a record store, Good Records, in Dallas.

The secret to Good Records’ success is the enormous number of in-store performances it has. Tim says it’s become Dallas’ place to go for indie music and to see bands play for free. “The staff are in love with they do and that translates into the way we want the store to go. Vinyl sales are greater than CD sales on some days. Vinyl is totally ticking with the kids and, of course, the older fans.

“You can’t get a vinyl record as a download. There’s something romantic about a record and that’s part of its attraction as is the physical thing, the idea of holding it, the artwork and the sound. A vinyl record sounds better than anything - MP3s, CDs, whatever. We also sell turntables and have a friend who sells guitars and stuff at Guitar Store which a major US chain store. He was telling me that they are selling more and more turntables - they can’t get enough - and not just to DJs. Whenever they get a shipment in they sell out straight away. With CDs on the way out and everybody downloading, if you really love music go and buy a turntable and play some vinyl.”

And, perhaps, in some strange way it also explains a little of the magic of The Polyphonic Spree. There is a romance about this band. It too is rooted, sonically, in the past - it could easily have been a ’70s prog or psych band - and the show is big and bold in a way that also harks back to a different era. It really is the ultimate extension of Tripping Daisy - bigger, bolder, more universal. It’s almost possible to flash peace signs and feel cool again.

“I’d like to think the connection the band makes with its audience is due to a sensitivity to the musical journey we put out there,” DeLaughter says. “There’s a real love of the craft we do. There’s enormous amount of energy behind the band, in keeping the band going, in keeping the music interesting, and in keeping us up to scratch.”

And the live experience? “I think we’re one of the best live bands in the world. I’ve been watching live bands forever and I know I’m tooting my own horn but it’s like taking people for a journey, then on a ride, then back to where they were before. That’s something we can do.”

How on earth this vast production actually stays afloat is also anybody’s guess. On paper it looks like the Titanic in a sea full of icebergs just queueing up to take it out. “It takes a hell of a lot of juggling,” he says. “It takes some big high profile gigs, money from record companies, and having people who love to play the music and want to stay part of it.

“I know a lot of people doubted we would last this long - but my wife and I didn’t. The only thing that’s difficult is getting everything from A to B when we’re on the road. To be honest though, I had more trouble with Tripping Daisy.”

Another key to its continued existence is the use by UK supermarket, Sainsbury’s, of Light For Day/Reach For The Sun for its advertising. “That is a huge help for us,” DeLaughter says. “Money generated from that and other avenues keeps the band moving and supports myself and my family. This is our sole source of income. All our money goes back into the record store.”

And if that isn’t all enough to maintain cred The Polyphonic Spree also plays its part in keeping the nation – and the world – aware of the state of the US as it claws its way to the US Presidential election and the end, one way or another, of the Bush era. On recent tours, the band has forsaken its traditional smocks for black army fatigues. “It’s kind of resonating with the times,” De Laughter says. “It’s been pretty dark times here in the US. It couldn’t help but draw an expression from the Polyphonic Spree. It’s The Fragile Army which is where we are now.”

Let’s hope it’s marching to victory.