Vancouver's Parlour Steps is dedicated to the art of the single, trafficking in three-minute chunks of intelli-pop bliss that have landed the band on radio rotations and iTunes playlists all over North America.
The quintet—Caleb Stull on voice and guitar; Julie Bavalis on bass and voice; Rees Haynes on guitar; Alison Maira on keyboards and voice; and drummer Robert Linton—is currently on an abbreviated swing through New England in support of their fifth full-length, The Hidden Names (Nine Mile Records).
Stull took time out to answer a few questions in advance of his troupe's appearance with labelmates and Valley favorites Spouse at Northampton's Basement this Saturday evening.
Advocate: There is a long tradition of thoughtful, well-constructed pop; who do you feel are some of Parlour Steps' antecedents in that chain?
Stull: Well, Pink Floyd and the Beatles saved me from bad music. From there, in an extremely abridged list, were Pixies, the Shins, Radiohead, Stars, Arcade Fire.
You guys have been in existence for the better part of a decade. How do you think you've grown or changed as a band, and is this evolution evident on The Hidden Names?
We don't get drunk at all of our shows anymore. Seriously, I think we've simplified as we've aged. We are less intent on constructing abstract and challenging prog-pop masterpieces and instead are content to carve tighter, more understated songs. We get to the good stuff faster, think it through less, go more with a visceral and intuitive sense of structure and melody. You could say we've dumbed down.
What is your hometown music scene like? How does playing a show at home differ from being out on the road?
Our hometown music scene is excellent, if a bit transitory and fractured. There is immense talent here, but the scene can hardly support more than a few indie darlings at a time, so the most successful Vancouver bands are never here—they're on the road all the time. The road is a constantly changing and growing beast that challenges us, elates us, and sometimes spanks us.
Are you ready for the Vancouver Olympics? Or are you renting out your apartments to make some extra cash?
I don't think anyone here has any idea what congested madness awaits our young city. I'm scheduled to work my day job—I'm an audio engineer—the entire month of February, working on the Olympics. I imagine myself walking everywhere, in sheer awe of our tax dollars burning away in a fiery blaze of spectacle. We haven't rented out our apartments. We are open to offers, though. I'd do it for a sandwich. Pastrami."
For Parlour Steps songs and dates, visit www.parloursteps.com.
