Shapes of Future Frames

Interview: Shapes of Future Frames

This entry was posted by chris maroulakos on Monday, February 22nd, 2010 at 9:36 am.

Shapes of Future Frames may be a new band, but their faces are familiar. Featuring members of local powerhouses Scarlet Symphony and the Old In Out, the band’s epic arrangements and space-age guitar effects have already earned them a reputation as one of San Diego’s most exciting and innovative live acts.

The group recently finished recording their debut EP, The Minds of Tomorrow, Gone Today, and we caught up with band members Jamie Pawloski and Gary Hankins to talk about the record, the importance of brevity, and what an acoustic Shapes might sound like.

Owl&Bear: How did Shapes of Future Frames come to be?

Jamie Pawloski: Shapes were birthed from an eggless womb. A space baby. A fellow named Andrew Rhymer originally played drums with Jamie in a eight-by-ten kitchen nook, and later I asked Gary to play bass. We originally just played noise with a little bit of melody, mostly goofing around. Eventually we realized we had something good going so we started taking the jams/freakouts and turning them into songs. After we got a few songs under our belts, Andrew had plans to move to Seattle, so we asked Chris [Carrol, of the Old In Out] along for the ride. I had played with him in another band prior so I knew that we’d all get along from our past experience.

Owl&Bear: How is your music different now from the way it sounded on day one?

JP: We’re a lot noisier now. [Laughs] There was a lot of atmosphere. We were experimenting with a lot of different things, but we’re more focused now. In the beginning, we would just play for twenty-five minutes straight.

Owl&Bear: What would happen when you would try to recreate a twenty-five minute song the next time around?

Gary Hankins: It would get shorter. [Laughs]

Owl&Bear: By necessity, I assume?

GH: Yeah, it’s nice to have those long songs and express yourself, or subconsciously express yourself, but as far as playing out goes, no one’s going to want to listen to you play one song for an hour straight. So we made the decision that the songs could still sound out there, but still focus it in the format of a song.

Owl&Bear: To make them bite-sized?

GH: Exactly. You can only eat one piece of pizza at a time, otherwise you get sick.

Owl&Bear: You recently finished recording your first EP. Can you tell me about it?

GH: Chris Grundy, who used to play drums in Thin Man, he has a place called House of Plenty and we recorded there. We did basically all analog, which is pretty cool. He’s recorded a lot of bands: he just recorded the Widows. We recorded five songs. Four of them are original, and one of them is a Yardbirds song [“Evil Hearted You”]. But basically it was just: get in the studio, bang it out, and have something to show.

JP: We only had a little bit of money, and we wanted to get something done quickly, so we recorded five songs. And we just kind of busted it out, recording a live track and we just went over it a couple of times with our vocals and whatnot. It sounds pretty good, actually.

Owl&Bear: Is that most of the material you have so far, or do you have more songs ready for a full-length?

GH: We’ve got plenty of material that we’re working on, but it’ll probably take us another few months to really finalize it. But there’s definitely enough for a full album, and hopefully we’ll be ready to record that in the near future.

JP: We’ve got, like any band, probably, I don’t know, twenty songs boiling around. We have to cook them, have to focus. That’s kind of the downside of the band and our kind of writing process. It’s really easy for us to make music, but the focusing of taking the songs that are 15 minutes long and whittling them down to the three to five minute range can be hard.

Owl&Bear: How does the writing process work in the band? Do the band members generally contribute equally, or does one person pitch a song to the others?

JP: The one thing that’s really fun about being in the band is that we kind of blur the line of who writes the music. It’s not Gary, being from Scarlet, who’s always the one writing the lyrics, or for me playing guitar, I’m not just writing guitar stuff. We all sit down, we write a song that’s fifteen to twenty minutes long and have fun with it. Then it’s like, okay, let’s write the lyrics, so we sit down and throw ideas around. There tends to be a lot of space and a lot of random weirdness, but we’ll throw things out there until one of us finalizes it, but we’re all equal in that process.

Owl&Bear: What are some bands you’re listening to right now?

GH: I’ve been listening to David Bowie, Scott Walker, Huddie Ledbetter, the Veils, Hawkwind, Talking Heads and Patti Smith.

JP: I tend to get obsessed with records more than I do with the bands themselves, but if I’d pick anyone it ranges from Brian Eno, Radiohead, Faust, David Bowie, Kraftwerk, Oneida, Miles Davis. Anything with old analog synthesizers pretty much.

Owl&Bear: One of the big draws of seeing you play is the wide range of crazy guitar effects you use. What would an acoustic Shapes of Future Frames sound like?

JP: An acoustic Shapes sound? [laughs] I would say that Shapes Acoustic would sound like psychedelic folk. [To Gary] Does that sound right?

GH: Not at all.

JP: Gary says not at all.

GH: It would sound like a spliff grinder. - owl&bear

Shapes of Future Frames
Jamie Pawloski, guitar; Gary Hankins, bass;
Chris Carroll, drums
myspace.com/shapesoffutureframes

Shapes of Future Frames took flight as an extended jam session, evolving into an equally inventive lifeform, albeit more tailored and succinct. The cosmic collage of pedal-driven textures is an extraterrestrial soundscape — space rock candy for the starry-eyed.

Experimental, somewhat psychedelic tendencies are harnessed by uncanny pop sensibility (or at least flexibility). The hooks are just as catchy as Scarlet Symphony, but the point from A to B is considerably more vast and celestial. Shades of everything from early Floyd and Krautrock to Hawkwind and Eno, it’s like a nuclear experiment conducted in a dingy basement. Watch out for their debut EP, Minds of Tomorrow Gone Today, dropping like a meteoroid later this month. Their release show will take place on Saturday, July 10 at Tin Can Ale House in Bankers Hill.

944: How has the national spotlight influenced the local scene?
GARY HANKINS: It’s making everyone pick up an instrument. It seems like a crack in the door to those who’ve been making music for years. The average lifespan of a band these days is an album. The attention is nice, but there’s always been great things happening here.

944: Coming from New York, what’s your perspective on the local music community?
CHRIS CARROLL: Over there no one gives a shit who you are, but the nice thing about San Diego is that the media gives a shot to up-and-coming acts. I also play in The Old In Out, and we’ve gotten a lot of support, too. People like Tim Pyles offer a great opportunity to experience that exposure … I’ve never seen it anywhere else.

944: How is it playing an instrument and singing at the same time?
GH: I get to do something I haven’t really done since I was 15. Playing bass is a little bit of an anchor, but I’m getting a lot more comfortable and loosening up. I try to keep it simple and serve the song.

944: How much of what you do is impromptu?
CC: It might sound like improvising, but it’s actually very thought-out and layered. There’s a little pop on top, but the timing and construction is unique.
GH: It’s a really open forum … total abandon. We try to hone in on a feel, create a character and give it a voice.

944: It seems that Jamie likes to explore, and judging by his space ship of a pedal board, he knows how to get out there.
JAMIE PAWLOSKI: I’m interested in creating a wall of sound to add depth and dynamic. These guys really hold down the fort, and I love ambiance, so it works out. I have a lot of fun in this band. - 944 Magazine

Don't let the name fool you -- Shapes of Future Frames are a band whose time is now.

Combining glam-rock vocals with guitar-pedal wizardry, the Brian Eno-inspired group sounds like a sci-fi jam session beamed in from another dimension. Their buzz has been steadily growing, thanks to a recent wave of local interest. Shapes of Future Frames were named a San Diego Band on the Brink by 944 Magazine, and they've also been interviewed by various other prestigious websites.

Interest in Shapes of Future Frames should only grow after the group throws its release party at the Tin Can Ale House on Saturday.

The release in question is the band's debut 7-inch, which consists of two songs, "Gallows" on the A-side and "Owls" on the B. The tracks were recorded earlier this year at Thin Man drummer Chris Grundy's House of Plenty recording studio and werer mastered by Jordan Andreen. Each copy of the limited edition record will be made from unique, mixed color vinyl and individually numbered. Because the earth has a shape -- round, FYI -- and needs a future, the eco-friendly packaging for the record is printed on recycled paper.

Two supporting bands will be on hand to help Shapes of Future Frames celebrate their initiation into manhood. The spell check-adverse Whqles (pronounced "Whales") will get the evening off to an ethereal start, and the Google-proof New Mexico -- who, until recently, played under the more distinctive Apes of Wrath name -- will warm up the crowd with their explosive anthems.

The first 15people in the door will be treated to a free copy of Shapes of Future Frames' 7-inch, so be sure to show up early if you're the thrifty type. Latecomers can still get their grubby hands on the record for a measly $5 or just win it from the friendly folks at Owl and Bear, like so:

Owl and Bear has three copies of the record to give away. For your chance to win, send an e-mail to contest@owlandbear.com with your name and mailing address. The winners will be selected at random on Aug. 1.

Chris Maroulakos is a writer and editor for the San Diego music blog Owl and Bear.
BY Chris Maroulakos // Thursday, Jul 8, 2010 at 06:28 PDT


Source: Exciting Band Taking Shape | NBC San Diego - NBC San Diego