Union Pulse

I ended my interview with Union Pulse with the same question I always ask.

"Are there any final thoughts you'd like to add?"

Immediately, lead singer James Redding says, "Yes" and walks away. It's an unorthodox way to end any meeting with someone, especially an interview.

Most bands would use this small window of opportunity to plug their latest release ("Angel on a Wire"), reiterate the band's ultimate purpose or even request certain things said not make the final interview.

That's not Union Pulse. In fact, anything that moves towards conventionalism sends them in the opposite direction.

Take for instance, Redding, whose disheveled rock star appearance mirrors Chris Robinson's (Black Crowes) with an English accent (by way of Boston with English parents). That alone makes him an anomaly. But the way he phrases his words leaves you hanging on � literally. He speaks like he writes: well thought-out, lyrical and, at times, filled with anecdotes and analogies to make his slightly, jumbled thoughts clearer, for him and his audience.

When he finally emerges, he has a borrowed guitar from the coffee shop that up until that moment served as our meeting spot.

As he tunes up, Karl Lerud (bass, vocals) and Thor Bremer (percussion, drum set and vocals) remain engrossed in their own conversation. Perhaps, they knew what the coffee shop waitress, passers-by and even I didn't know.

That the answer to my final question would be answered with song. To be exact, an acoustic version of their unreleased single "New Orleans."

Jed Hanson (guitar and vocals) leans in as this happens and adds, "He's really particular about tuning guitars."

That would be an understatement as the band is so meticulous about all things; they've even alphabetized their favorite artists on their MySpace page. That, too, would be the work of Redding.

Redding's voice awakens the coffee shop like magic, which at this point is only occupied by us, the waitress and another patron. Everything seems brighter and more alive.

Maybe it's the rhythmic stomping as Redding strums or the hand-pattering of Hanson and Lerud or the late-night patrons who stroll past, slowing to an almost complete stop to listen as Union Pulse sings the chorus

"Go back to New Orleans .. to New Orleans"

The beauty of the moment is only surpassed by the three-part harmony of Union Pulse, whose band name comes from the University Credit Union "Pulse" ATM machines.

This would be the first time the new lineup of Union Pulse would sit together for an interview, the latest member being Bremer.

"One of our former members decided he wanted to murder people," Hanson explains.

That's one way to look at it. In actuality, that member left to enlist in the armed forces.

Looking at them gives understanding as to how they work, there's camaraderie among the crew.

"We get together frequently. Sometimes, it's to do band work and errands. Other times, we hang out and watch movies," Redding says.

Just hours before, they amused themselves by answering questions to this interview with three responses.

"I think you know the answer to that", "I guess you could say that" and "What does that even mean?" -- the latter response keeps Redding and Hanson laughing before each artist would take a stab at rotating these quips.

"It started out as a joke with (former band member) Ryan, who thought it would be a great idea to do an interview using just those phrases. And we actually after a while started answering each other using those same phrases," Hanson says.

So, it's not surprising that the same thing happened during our interview.

Redding started the band in 2001 at UW-Milwaukee as a need to release music, but he found most artists weren't as serious about creating quality music. Eventually, Hanson joined the group serving alternating roles as guitarist and drummer, while Lerud played bass.

"For a while, we played as a trio until we added Thor. We like to joke that he's been with us for three albums but only one performance," Redding says.

Bremer adds, "I actually do music for a living. So, I worked with them, and then I did some other work and the opportunity opened for me to come back and be a part of the group."

Musically, Union Pulse is a medley of rock fusing...

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://community.mkeonline.com/blogs/blogparty/archive/2007/09/27/Show-preview_3A00_-Union-Pulse-_4000_-Shank-Hall.aspx - MKE Magazine

TODAY'S EDITION: Union Pulse

While I tend to plug a lot of local Chicago bands in this space, because I host local variety shows and end up hopelessly hitting on their groupies, Union Pulse should be on the East Coast as I pen this and, thus, National. Or half-national. Or something. See, they still visit and gig in Chicago, too.

Union Pulse has the whole "package." They sound great and are also entertaining to watch. (A lot of great sounding acts sorta just stand there on stage. The music, of course, is most important, but presence plays a huge part in live entertainment.) They shimmy around and joke with the audience--another huge plus for a live act in not taking themselves too seriously.

One of their songs is still floating around in my head--and it's been almost a month since I saw them. Not sure of the title, but the refrain is, "I was looking at her but I was thinking of you." So they have the insightful lyrics things going for 'em, too.

And if THAT's not enough, they're great guys, to boot. Jumped aboard a last-minute show for us. So:
http://www.unionpulseonline.com

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.dailylimerick.net/vault/07vault/07augarchive.htm - Daily Limerick, Chicago IL

The brief kazoo intro to Union Pulse�s �Eine Kleine Rockmusik� is baffling, yet funny. The light-hearted beginning quickly gives way to more serious themes as several tracks focus on missed opportunities or failed relationships. Union Pulse�s sound conjures up memories of Live, circa �Throwing Copper.� Lead singer James Redding has a deeper voice than Live�s Ed Kowalczyk and that gives him a certain authority on the album. This is important because the overarching sense of dread and desperation has the potential to become too depressing. However, Redding effectively comes off as one who speaks from experience. For instance, on �Time for Love,� Redding sings, �She left before sunrise, I woke to find / a half-mug of coffee, black and cold / the sheets are all crumpled, the pillows warm / and I�m half dead beneath the fold.� The last track of the album, �Last Goodbye,� continues the lovelorn theme: �I�ve been beat and I�ve been broken / I�ve won bets and I�ve lost friends / but from all the words you�ve spoken / I just hope this ain�t the end.� The album as a whole is an effective exercise in finding ways to let go of the past. I would be hesitant to recommend �Eine Kleine Rockmusik� to couples just embarking on a relationship. However, if your relationships tend to come crashing down, this is a good CD to have around. Find out more about Union Pulse at www.union-pulse.com.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.riverwestcurrents.org/2004/February/001384.html - Riverwest Currents, Milwaukee WI

James Redding of the alternative folk rock band Union Pulse takes life's moments and weaves them into song.

For the last six years this Milwaukee-based band has hit the grueling road while creating three studio albums: "Eine Kleine Rockmusik," "I hate you. You always do this" and "Angel on a Wire."

The group will make a stop at north Cheyenne's Synergy Caf� on Jan. 17 during its 15-city, 16-state 2008 tour.

"We sound like a lot of the '90s bands that got big: the Goo Goo Dolls, Tonic, Gin Blossoms and Soul Asylum," Redding said. "I don't hear it, but a lot of people say we sound like The Wallflowers.

"I like them and I'm not insulted by that. It's just not something that came to my mind when I hear our albums. Our music has a '70s and '80s twist, influences of James Taylor's stuff and (Bruce) Springsteen."

Redding performs the vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica and kazoo with Union Pulse. You can hear their music on all the Internet marketing monsters: iTunes, CD Baby, MySpace, PureVolume and Sonicbids.

Liz Bunya, co-owner of Synergy Caf�, said, "We're really proud to have our traveling bands coming through. It's a big honor to get bands that are building careers."

About Union Pulse's music, she said, "I heard their clips on the Internet and I liked them. I like the tempo and their eclectic style."

An example of Redding's life-turned-song is track on the group's latest album, "Angel on a Wire." It is called "By the Way."

"It's a sweet song," Redding said. "A lot of people think it's about a romantic relationship. It's not.

"When I used to be a summer camp counselor, there was one kid who didn't trust adults, especially adult males. I figured, OK, I wouldn't trust people that much bigger than myself either.

"One day she saw me playing harmonica at the playground of the summer camp, and she walked up and listened to me. Just then a deer walked out of the woods and onto the playground and listened to the harmonica."

Redding ended up giving her a harmonica and taught her how to play it.

"She was a brilliant kid and could speak six languages," he said. "But she had been through some serious stuff through her family."

"Angel On A Wire" is the title track of the album, and Redding said it's one of the band's favorites. It is about a girl he met when he was going to college.

"She was a guitar player, but she wouldn't play for me," he said. "I heard around that she was a really good finger-style guitar player.

"That song was about a couple of times when she and I would get together and talk over coffee. One time we got together and she brought her guitar and played for me. It changed my perception of who she was."

He said the band is stopping in Cheyenne because Redding has always liked Wyoming's scenery.

"We played in Idaho and South Dakota in 2005," he said. "It was so beautiful. I remember seeing in Wyoming a dust tornado or something. It was awesome, beautiful to see that.

"We were in the pick-up truck with three or four guys going across the country on a wing and a prayer. That tour wasn't booked as carefully as this one was. We were driving 800 or 900 miles in a day. It was ridiculous and almost unacceptable.

"But we have been together six years now, and we're still going strong."

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2008/01/11/entertainment/06ent_01-11-08.txt - Wyoming Tribune-Eagle

A couple of years ago I was in a club on the east side watching a band called Union Pulse. They had the disadvantage of having the last spot on a three band bill on a Thursday night. I was one of five people there and was getting ready to leave� but I couldn't. Not only was the music really good, but the guy fronting the band was playing as though it were a packed house on a Saturday night at The Whisky in L.A. James Redding is not only a consummate performer, but one of the best live guitarists I have seen locally. Wielding a Strat, Redding banters from Hendrix-type licks to Dylan-like strumming with fluidity and ease. The band's 2003 debut effort Eine Kleine Rockmusik and it's 2005 follow up I Hate You You Always Do This showed the aforementioned styles with songs that showed their diversity while maintaining good continuity. Their recent release, Angel On A Wire, is a bit more streamlined with a focus on heartfelt songs that read like stories ripped from a private diary. Produced by studio guru Mike Hoffman, the record has an Americana feel featuring Redding at his best with clean chording and solid rhythm provided by drummer Jed Hanson and bassist Ryan Eckert. Stand out tracks such as �Where I Came From� are radio ready with the ability to cross over. The acoustic diddy �Diecast Aeroplane� is a delightful, autobiographical confessional that shows good humor and a definite mastery of lyrical prowess. While many UP fans might lament the lack of the SRV influence that was somewhat more dominant on the previous records, a few good listens will no doubt give grounds for a new acceptance for this slight deviation in direction. Check out Union Pulse back in Brew Town April 26 at UWM.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.maximumink.com/articles.php?articleId=1125 - Maximum Ink, Madison WI

Cheaper than booze. Younger than Dylan. Funnier than a funeral. It's a bird -- it's a plane -- it's Union Pulse. The energy at Union Pulse's live performances is more important than the notes on the recordings. Whether it's a dingy bar or a county fair, these boys are good company.

Since 2001, with contributions from over twenty band members ranging from Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Illinois Union Pulse has grown from one man's desire to create good music into a musical force worth reckoning with. Despite (or because of) all this eclectic input over the years Union Pulse has stayed true to exploring founding member James Redding's passion for music and performance. Currently made up of James Redding (vocals, guitar), Ryan Eckert (bass, vocals), and Jed Hanson (drums), Union Pulse is a band that projects the undeniable energy of true musicians... see for yourselves at one of their many performances throughout the midwest.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://www.minneapolismusic.com/union-pulse.htm - Minneapolis Music dot com

The landscape of rock music today is so convoluted you need an ethnomusicologist's degree to navigate it - unless you're describing Union Pulse.

Though they cite early '90s alternative rock bands like the Gin Blossoms, Soul Asylum and Live as primary influences, Union Pulse's straight-ahead rock has a timeless quality to it that prevents it from fitting neatly into one of rock's many subgenres. Lead singer, guitarist and songwriter James Redding says he doesn't think about what style of music he plays when he writes songs. Instead, he lets the music serve the song, which is why his trio is adept at performing acoustic folk-rock as well as balls-to-the-wall electric shows.

"The important thing is to get the message out," he says. "I thought about being a teacher or even going into the priesthood, but I think the best way is being a musician."

The 23-year-old Redding, however, says sharing his message is becoming more difficult to do in the band's hometown of Milwaukee, Wis., where he says audiences don't embrace original rock music liked they used to do. He says cover bands and touring groups have hijacked the city's live music scene, forcing local original bands like his to hit the road in search of appreciative venues and fans.

"Milwaukee doesn't like original music so we try to take our wares elsewhere," says Redding, noting the group plays about 60 shows a year. "They look for the import, something foreign and fancy. I don't think they think it through this much, but I prefer someone who has a real story to tell."

Since its first Java Joes Coffeehouse show in June of 2004, Redding says Union Pulse has found a musical home and a following at the downtown Des Moines venue. The trio, which includes Redding, bassist Ryan Eckert and drummer Nick Bromley, returns to Java Joes on Saturday for a free show at 9:30 p.m.

"They've been kind enough to have us and we've fallen in love with the place," Redding says. "Everyone's been real open to hear our stories. We get people who connect with us."

Earlier this year, Union Pulse hosted a CD release show there to promote its new album, "I Hate You, You Always Do This." The record's predominant theme focuses on Redding's tales of love - lost and won.

"Girls are my downfall," he says. "I have a heart that doesn't know what it wants. And I get a lot of people who tell me they feel the same way at the shows."

Finding true love might be a work in progress for Redding, but he is determined to make a living playing his own music. In May, he graduated with a bachelor's degree in psychology from UM-Milwaukee, but he works as a part-time maintenance man to help pay the bills. He says he earned a college degree to appease his parents, and that Union Pulse, which he formed four years ago, is his true calling. It's a choice, Redding says, that allows him to make the most of abilities and satisfies his yearning to help people.

"I want people to know that they're not alone through my songs," he says. "And I want to make them think. It's all about the stories."

ORIGINAL ARTICLE:
http://unionpulseonline.com/cityview.shtml - Des Moines CityView