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ARTIST: The Cave Singers
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SONG: Seeds of Night
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With Pete Quirk on vocals, along with guitar and harmonica, his distinctive voice gives the band’s sound a certain edge, warm yet melancholy. The other band members are Derek Fudesco on guitar and bass pedals, previously playing with Pretty Girls Make Graves and the Murder City Devils, and Marty Lund, from band Cobra High, on drums and guitar. Quirk previously played with band Hint Hint.
With the three coming together from various Seattle rock and punk bands, The Cave Singers formed a sound influenced in many ways by its members’ respective music and experience.
“I really think its kind of a combination of all of us being older and experiencing lots of different things musically and just throughout our lives,” Quirk said. “And also just be-ing kind of relaxed and not having any intentions to play any type of music.”
The band doesn’t listen to much folk aside from major folk musicians like Bob Dylan, Quirk said.
“We don’t consider ourselves a folk band,” Quirk said. “We might have folk aspects, but also have rock aspects and punk aspects. We don’t really even think about it.”
How The Cave Singers came to be is a simple story. Quirk needed a place to live, so he moved in with friend Fudesco. Both were working on recording in their respective bedroomswhen Fudesco left a tape for Quirk to check out and work on vocals for. After listening to the final product, it seemed worthwhile to pursue a partnership, Quirk said.
“It seemed like something I should further explore,” Quirk said. “It was the direction we were both moving into, but we didn’t really know it yet. I wouldn’t have done this music without Derek and same with him.”
The two needed someone to play drums, so they asked Lund to start playing with them. And there you have it. Now everyone works equally on writing the music, Quirk said.
The band has since been signed to Matador Records, as of summer 2007.
The three, all in their early 30s, appear to get along, with Fudesco and Quirk still room-mates and Lund living half a block away in Seattle. The proximity makes it easy to prac-tice and write new material, Quirk said.
“We’re like best friends,” Quirk said. “We have a really good time traveling around, and it’s always usually pretty hilarious.”
“Invitation Songs” was recorded in Vancouver, B.C., in three weeks spread out over four months. The band is already planning to start recording a full-length album in late spring or early summer. The trio, opening for Band of Horses, is heading out in February for several months on a European tour. Quirk said he is excited to venture over to Europe and have the experience of playing music for people in other countries.
As for the name, Fudesco and Quirk were recording in one of their bedrooms, and Quirk jotted down the phrase “the cave singers” in lyrics for a song. He then thought it would be a good band name.
“It’s a good image,” Quirk said. “We started singing in dark bedrooms in the middle of the Northwest in wintertime.”
The Cave Singers will play at Western Washington University’s Underground Coffee-house Jan. 30. Local band All Creatures of Good Heart is opening the show, which is free, all-ages and starts at 8 p.m.
Check out The Cave Singers’ video “Dancing on Our Graves” at www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssN2_B7351U. For more on the band, visit www.myspace.com/thecavesingers or www.matadorrecords.com/the_cave_singers/.
