We’re pleased to bring you the premiere of Tapebenders’ music video for their song “We are All Gone” (watch it below). The song is the title track from the band’s latest EP.
Tapebenders guitarist/vocalist Andrew Foys commented:
‘We Are All Gone’ actually presented itself pretty late in the recording process of the last EP & then came together quite quickly. While experimenting with various patches on a new synth one day we came across a great riff that left a lot of open space for other ideas while possessing a real cool kinda driving beat & vibe. When the rhythm section got a hold of it, it really took off & once David added his totally killer space guitar riff we really had something going.
The best part about the whole process was when lyrics were taking a bit of time to develop, Jeff/David & I basically went in a circle writing lines in my garage one afternoon until it was done and then we walked into the studio and recorded the vocal right away. Overall the whole process was pretty straight forward enjoyable and low key which was a nice change of pace.
About the band:
While Milwaukee’s Tapebenders’ name is a reference to analog recording, they actually take a thoroughly modern approach to their song construction, which is forged in equal parts by the engineering and production prowess of two of its members, and a love of classical and symphonic music with layers of beautiful soundscapes. While the name is a reference to recording to tape, they actually capture everything digitally, for more editing freedom and the flexibility to experiment with new technologies. The result is dreamy, reminiscent of the work of artists like Yo La Tengo and Built to Spill. We Are All Gone is their first EP, which follows two full lengths. “I am far from a purist,” remarked Andrew, “I just want to push the art form of engineering forward in whatever way I can. We do use a lot of vintage tape delays from my collection though. I feel that the EP is much more varied instrumentally than some of our earlier work – I am really proud of the overall sound.”
Tapebenders build their songs in the studio, often recording acoustic demos before they even rehearse them live as a band. This allows a collaborative approach to layering on melodic tracks and misty effects that give them an ethereal ethos and lyrics that are opaque and free associated, rarely telling a linear story, giving the listener the power of interpretation. “Lyrics are like an abstract painting to me, they can be whatever the person perceiving them wants them to be, and have different meanings for different people.”
“We Are All Gone” opens the EP, with soaring strings and a keyboard line that intertwines throughout with melodies that bring to mind the Postal Service. “Bleed” is a musically epic track that rose from Foy’s classical obsession and an ambition to make every song akin to a movement in a larger piece. “In another life, I was a classical guitarist, and I’ve always loved the layers of melody in a great symphonic work.” Lest that sound too ethereal, it grounds like a rock guitar solo that gives it heft. “Proximity Mine” recounts loss and acceptance, truth and lies and the effort to move past it. Understated drums begin but as the song progresses, crash cymbals signal the heights of the melody before a bridge that carries the intensity that it was building to all along. We Are All Gone feels right for fans of psyche-rock, prog and indie rocks like Built to Spill.
Tapebenders evolved from their previous band, Elusive Parallelograms, a band they toured nationally and were covered by publications like SPIN and Uncut Magazine. Its members reside in Milwaukee after growing up in the Chicago suburbs and various Wisconsin towns.
