Me and My Arrow

They’re not quite Polyphonic Spree huge, but the Minneapolis 10-piece band Me & My Arrow are definitely going to strain the boundaries of the Grog’s generously large stage. The simultaneously rootsy and orchestral band’s name is nicked from a Harry Nillson song, and though their music is a bit darker, they’re still true to that influence: there are soaring vocals. There are string arrangements. And superb songcraft? Oh, god yeah. Their live set is very well-reviewed, and we’re looking forward to seeing how true the hype is. - Grogshop.gs - grogshop.gs

KILLSTRING'S PICK: 10/27 Me And My Arrow w/Craig Ramsey, Adam Barrow @ Grog Shop Doubtlessly, there are some fantastic options this week, most of which revolve around some manner of All Hallow's spookiness. So why is it that out of all these high-profile acts, I'm recommending some relatively unknown indie band from Minnesota? Frankly, because they're awesome. Take 10 people, throw them up onstage with a variety of instruments ranging from vintage synths to a cello, and watch them go nuts on some Kings-of-Leon-style epic, slightly rootsy rock? And then you're only going to charge me six bucks? Hell, I'd pay that just to see how they squeeze everybody on the Grog's stage. - http://www.csucauldron.com/ - www.csucauldron.com

With a name straight out of an early '70s children's cartoon and songs that carry a distinct air of whimsy and reckless abandon, there's a good chance that audience members at Me and My Arrow's show Saturday night will be left smiling and shaking their heads. The mammoth nine-piece band, including guitars, accordions, synths, and strings, will cram onto the tiny stage at the Entry to pummel the audience with their overwhelming, orchestral rock--think a slightly smaller, less cultish version of the Polyphonic Spree. - Andrea Swensson, City Pages Music Editor

Borrowing liberally from the bombastic Brit-rock playbook, then bathing it in luxurious string arrangements, local nine-piece Me And My Arrow commands attention whenever it takes the stage. Leading the epic charge is former Seldomseen frontman and current Ice Palace guitarist and Sound Gallery Studios co-owner Jacob Grun, whose theatrically inclined tenor is perfectly tailored to scale the mountainous sonic backdrops erected by his bevy of bandmates. It’s a larger-than-average group with a larger-than-average sound, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see it graduate to larger-than-average stages as well. - The Onion, Rob Van Alstyne

By Rob Van Alstyne April 24, 2009
Borrowing liberally from the bombastic Brit-rock playbook, then bathing it in luxurious string arrangements, local nine-piece Me And My Arrow commands attention whenever it takes the stage. Leading the epic charge is former Seldomseen frontman and current Ice Palace guitarist and Sound Gallery Studios co-owner Jacob Grun, whose theatrically inclined tenor is perfectly tailored to scale the mountainous sonic backdrops erected by his bevy of bandmates. Grun talked with Decider in advance of Me And My Arrow’s April 25 Turf Club release show for its debut EP.

Decider: Was it your intention to forming such a big band?
Jacob Grun: Surprisingly, I always had a lot of players in mind when I was writing these songs, even though I was alone while writing. They were definitely written for a big sound. I knew I wanted a string section, and multiple keyboards. At the time, it was a few winters ago, and I was living at The Sound Gallery, which is sort of this big barren warehouse and recording studio. There would be long stretches of time where no one was around and all I could hear were muffled city noises. It was just this big empty space meant to be used for music creation, so I really wanted to fill it up as much as possible.
D: How did you track down all the players?
JG: Well, a number of the people I had played in groups with before. Brian [McDonough, guitarist] is someone I met in the last couple of years and knew I wanted to start a project with. He’s a key contributor who is co-writing a lot of the songs now. There were a few random folks that came into the fold because we just needed a certain player, but it was all pretty natural. It’s actually not too hard coordinating schedules. Everyone feels like they play an important role and are equally invested in the songs. They want to show up and give it their all, and I think, if anything, because there are more of us, no one wants to be the individual that lets others down.
D: Do you all manage to fit in one van? Starting a nine-piece band and going on tour, as Me And My Arrow has done twice, would appear to be a logistical nightmare for an independent band just starting out.
JG: For the trip we just did down to Austin for SXSW, it was the whole band in one van plus a sound guy and merch girl. We had an attached trailer for our gear. We spent multiple nights with 11 of us sleeping at a truck stop too. I was a little worried about how it would affect band morale, but everybody was great.
D: What’s the hardest part about leading the group if it’s not logistics?
JG: Just teaching the band the songs. Once that part is down, it’s all pretty easy. People in the band are really great about making suggestions and tweaking their parts. We’ve figured out a way to share space musically that comes naturally. It’s always changing, and that’s part of the fun. I do have to facilitate a bit, but I’m definitely not the dictator telling people what to play. Most of the time, I can sit there and have a few beers and chill while people figure out their parts.
D: You’ve set yourself apart locally by working on so many different fronts: studio owner, musician, and live sound engineer. Do you ever feel like you risk burnout by constantly tackling so many different projects?
JG: I thrive on helping people create music in whatever way I can identify. It just feels like it’s my natural place to help—whether that’s writing songs with someone or engineering their record or making sure they're comfortable performing onstage while I’m doing sound. I’m always working, so there is that burnout risk, but I don’t really have a choice because if I’m going to attempt making music for a living, I have to say "yes" to every situation. Every "no" is just a missed opportunity. Eventually if you say "yes" enough times, there are enough good opportunities coming your way that you get to pick and choose more, and I feel like I’m starting to get to that place.
D: Your MySpace page calls Me And My Arrow a “collective,” and it sounds like the long-term vision for the project extends beyond just supporting your own songs.
JG: Definitely. Ideally, Me And My arrow will become a machine that can back anybody’s songs. We have a couple of things in the works with people like Astronautalis and other songwriters. I honestly wouldn’t mind if there were moments where it existed and toured and I wasn’t even there. I think that adds a sense of mystery. We’re just kind of getting our feet wet now, but my ultimate goal is to get a lot of people involved and create a "Broken Social Scene Presents" sort of situation.

http://twincities.decider.com/articles/interview-jacob-grun-of-me-and-my-arrow,27052/
- The Onion, Rob Van Alstyne

Me and My Arrow, the best (admittedly perhaps only) 9-piece rock ‘n’ roll band on the local circuit have been making waves on area stages and multiple national tours for nearly a year without any permanent audio document to their name—a problem remedied after tonight’s EP release show. At four songs the EP’s the ultimate tease—just long enough to let you know their anglophile string drenched dramatics are for real, but far too short to leave one fully sated.

http://twincities.metromix.com/music/indie/me-and-my-arrow-midway/1099518/content
- Twin Cities Metromix

Fresh off a recent East Coast tour, locals Me and My Arrow (featuring former Seldomseen front man Jacob Grun) continue to impress in live performance as they put the finishing touches on their debut album. The group’s sound is as dramatically sweeping as its gargantuan numbers would suggest – they’re possibly the only nine piece band currently rocking tiny local stages. Two demos of their string and keyboard abetted grandeur are currently spinning over at their MySpace and should more than suffice to whet your appetite for their gig... - Rob Van Alstyne - Metromix

This is an amazing large group with much potential, using big soaring vocals, heavy strings and layers of guitar and percussion that may bring to mind other large groups like Arcade Fire (in scale, and big sound) yet darker, more psychedelic remniscent of: Pink Floyd, maybe Sonic Youth, a little bit Velvet Underground.

http://cyncollins.blogspot.com/2008/02/valentines-theatrical-shows-ice-puppets.html
- Cyn Collins, February 16, 2008

There's been a lot of talk about the size of local band Me & My Arrow, but it's warranted, since there are only a small handful of Minneapolis stages that can accommodate them comfortably. They've recently trimmed down from nine members to a relatively lean seven, but in order to pull off the anthemic, heavily layered sound that's become the band's stock-in-trade, the largeness is a necessity rather than overkill. Just the coordination involved in this mini-orchestra should tell you that M&MA are ambitious enough to stand on equal footing with more established projects, and with the release of their debut LP they'll take a major stab at attracting the kind of attention that could transform the band into the nationally recognized indie darlings they deserve to be. That the band's tour concludes with this hometown show at the not-long-for-this-world Uptown Bar could prove to be fitting, as the decline of one Minneapolis mainstay could signal the rise of another. - City Pages, Ian Traas