ARTIST: Great Ants
TITLE: For Simply
LABEL: Self Released
GENRE: Rock
BITRATE: 159kbps avg
PLAYTIME: 0h 54m total
RELEASE DATE: 2007-04-21
RIP DATE: 2008-03-15
Track List
----------
1. Introduction 3:23
2. Calling 4:03
3. Finale 5:13
4. Attack! 4:28
5. Millions & Millions 4:44
6. These Days 2:56
7. Dusk 'til Dawn 5:21
8. Flowers 6:53
9. Wish Like A Fish 3:36
10. Satellite 6:13
11. Reasonable Pay 1:59
12. Phantoms In The Park 5:44
Release Notes:
The girls are broken up now it appears, but this shit was good, so here you go.
When asked what their band sounds like, each member of the local all-female trio
the Great Ants says something different -- Cannibal Corpse! La Bouche! The
Proclaimers! Black Sabbath by way of the Pixies! And though they're obviously
joking, it does illustrate one thing: These women don't take themselves or their
music too seriously, or at least not seriously enough to lose sight of the
collaborative pleasures of performing and writing songs together.
"All three of us, from the get-go, have taken everything very naturally," says
Laura Totten, the Great Ants' drummer. "We've never had a lead singer," she
adds. "We've never wanted one -- it's actually worked in our favor." Sometimes
Totten, guitarist Jody Perigo and bassist Leah Klein take turns singing the main
vocals; other times they all sing together. Each brings ideas to practice, where
the other two build on them and help shape them into complete songs.
"We have such different personalities too," says Klein. "We couldn't just let
one person be the lead man, because we're all lead women."
"Jody is extremely logical," says Totten. "She has to have all her parts set in
stone, and Leah is extremely emotional -- she's very much about how the song
feels, about the mood."
"And we tell [Laura] she has the 'T&A,'" adds Klein. "T&A," in this case, stands
for "transitions and abstract thoughts." Totten finds ways to connect two
seemingly incongruous parts.
Though the band members take a philosophically informal approach to their
project, it doesn't take away from the strength of their instrumental technique,
as evidenced on their debut album, For Simply. The result of this kind-of-casual
collaboration is an array of intricate arrangements that vary from aggressive
and catchy pop melodies to complicated, angular guitar and bass interaction,
with sweet-sounding, three-part vocal harmonies carrying everything through.
The album was recorded over several months at the Great Ants' practice space at
ABC Storage, in Allentown. Totten recorded the songs and sent them to renowned
techno producer John Tejada in Los Angeles for mastering. The finished product
is polished and tight, but they still intentionally left in a few mistakes,
giggles and belches for good measure.
"You want the album to sound good, but you don't it to sound like a completely
different band," says Perigo. "I'd rather it be rough around the edges. That's
how we are live, and that's how we are as a band."
But they weren't always so confident and comfortable with each other.
The Great Ants didn't have great expectations when they initially met through
fourth member Laura Dziuban and formed as Align Alike, in 2005. Dziuban hadn't
played in a band before, and Perigo, despite some previous experience performing
in her college band, had never sung. Klein hadn't touched a bass until she
joined the group. Totten had the most musical experience, having played in
various bands since she was a teen-ager, and made a living as a drum-and-bass DJ
until just a few years ago.
They grew more sure of themselves after their first shows. But when Dziuban left
the band within its first year, they needed to reaffirm their capabilities as
well as reinvent their sound. And they had one night to do it, before their next
show.
"I remember saying, 'I can't do it; I can't be the only guitar player,'" says
Perigo. "But Leah said to me, 'Well, I'm the only bass player, and Laura's the
only drummer,' and I thought, 'That's really true. Let's do this.'"
"That night, we got together, and I swear to God, we rewrote every single one of
our songs in one day," says Klein.
"It's made our music so much better," says Totten.
Soon after, the band formally expressed that new identity by adopting its new
name.
Part of that Great Ants identity and attitude is that they're often willing to
play shows that other bands might easily turn down, whether it be a benefit for
retired racing greyhounds or some guy's 50th birthday party. Or a stage
performance at the Phantoms in the Park Halloween attraction, with an audience
consisting mainly of a bunch of kids on a nearby playground.
"I'm not going to remember some drunk guy whistling at us at a pub," says
Perigo. "I am going to remember some little kid in a jungle gym."