Where Astronauts Go to Hide

Another great interview, this time with Joshua Pederson of Minneapolis/Chicago based band Where Astronauts Go to Hide.

-Where Astronauts Go to Hide, very creative name. Made me wonder...where do they actually go to hide? Where did you come up with your band name and is there some meaning behind it?

The name has very little meaning, actually. I thought of it while dining at a small pizza place in Minneapolis that’s outer-space themed. Their delivery drivers dress in spandex suits, and wear a helmet and a cape, while transporting your pizza in a small, electric pod-car. The phrase “Where Astronauts Go To Hide,” just popped in my head. The name serves no role, and does not influence my songwriting whatsoever. We actually aim to ignore it – we’ll never intentionally have space-themed merchandise or song titles, etc.

- Who are some of your musical influences?

My greatest musical influences are my close friends in the music industry, regardless of the style. We share ideas and provide constructive criticism. So, my greatest musical influences and friends are Brett Saxon (a singer/songwriter from Brooklyn), Down with the Ship (a great folk-rock group from Omaha), and Flashbulb Fires (phenomenal, talented dudes from Denver). Then there are the obvious influences that you may or may not hear in our music: Wilco, Springsteen, and Dylan the leaders amongst them.

- Do you have a certain theme or feel for your current album?

Well, our most recent effort, “Amongst Friends,” is supposed to convey a sense of comfort in chaos, I guess. The songs on the album were written during an interesting time in my life where I didn’t know what I wanted or where I wanted to be. I’d discontinued my college experience and really decided to orient my energy toward music. Despite the chaos and change surrounding me, I did everything I could to maintain a positive outlook on life. In my struggles I realized that a house is a place to keep your stuff and “home” is where you are happy. Where you are comfortable. For me, “home” is amongst my beautiful friends.

- Describe your sound/genre.

Simple: Fun-loving folk-rock.

- Who are the members of your band and their roles?

Well, I’m Joshua Pederson, and I write the songs. Of course, the whole band plays a role in the creative process once I come to the table with the skeleton. I sing lead vocals, and play acoustic guitar and mandolin. Rachel Kahn plays violin mandolin, trumpet and piano. My brother, Andrew Pederson, plays electric guitar. Another pair of brothers are in the band, Matt Krumm on bass guitar and Mike Krumm on percussion. We’ve recently added Ronnie Parpart, and he will essentially play the role of the “auxiliary guy.” He’ll play a bunch of stuff. Everyone sings backup vocals.

- What would you like to accomplish or achieve with your music?

We are not a band that wants to headline arena tours and sell t-shirts for $35. Our mission is to connect with as many people as possible nationwide and assist in creating a community of talented people and music-lovers. Most of all, we are lovers of travel who love nothing more than performing for new faces each night and the healing therapy of the road in between.

- What is your creative process like?

When it comes to me, it’s sporadic. My songs assemble themselves randomly – I don’t have a staggered method. When it comes to the band, I present the song to them (usually via a demo recording) and they seem to craft their parts loosely. We’ll meet and put everything together, exchange ideas and make decisions together here and there. The band always seems to have a great idea of what vibe I’m trying to convey with a song, and for that, among many other reasons, I love them. I trust them and hardly question what they contribute.

- What instruments do you use (technical specs for the nerds)?

Well, here’s what I know for sure. I play an Alvarez acoustic guitar. Rachel and I share an Epiphone Mandobird mandolin. Rachel plays a Samuel Shen violin. Andy and Matt use assorted Fender and Vox guitars and amps. Mike plays a Tama Rockstar kit. Ronnie plays a guitar rig he essentially personally assembled, so I wouldn’t dare try to explain it.

- If you could jam with anyone, living or dead, who would it be?

It’s hard to answer this question. I’m not a “jammer.” But I feel like if I were to have the opportunity to present my songs to anyone in an intimate setting, I would have to select the people whose advice I would be the most likely to respect: Jeff Tweedy from Wilco, Andrew Bird, or anyone in the Hold Steady. I could easily say Hendrix or someone like that, but I feel like I would rather discuss music with people that are currently creating something new and interesting – and surviving in the brutal environment that is today’s music industry.

- What's on your MP3 player currently?

I recently discovered an absolutely wonderful band from Montreal called Land of Talk. I can’t get enough. I’m also listening to a lot of An Horse, Maria Taylor and Kevin Devine.

- Any upcoming concert events or releases?

We’ve got some local shows in Chicago and Minneapolis coming up before the end of the year (yeah, we’re local in two cities…). We are also premiering a music video on November 19th in Minneapolis for our song “The House that Kevin Garnett Rebuilt.” We’ll be hitting the open road again come early 2010.

- Any final thoughts, shoutouts, tips or words of advice?

Of course, I would like to thank Mstoc for featuring us on your blog site! Thanks to anyone who takes the time to read this and look up our music. I have one shout-out: our great friend Laura in Chicago who has designed a website for us, and taken loads of live pictures and video. I feel like I should credit her more often, I’m just lazy about that. Advice? I don't feel like I'm in any place to give anyone advice, but here's what I would say, if I did assume such a position: Don’t get discouraged. Some people in some cities have opinions of their own, some people only like what Pitchfork tells them to like, some cities will only like Minus the Bear cover bands. Someone, somewhere, will love what you’re doing.

Review - Qu: Sherwood

Rating: 7.3

“I am the favorite in a fight that I can’t win.”

On an album loaded with catchy tracks, Sherwood’s third release Qu (out October 13th on MySpace Records), has me tapping my toes and singing under my breath while I work on reports at my desk. Vocal harmonies and distortion saturated guitar solos hook you while the jazzy drums and lyrical synth hold you tight.

The lyrics are energetic and you’ll be singing along before you realize it. Peppy, upbeat tracks create a happy pop rock feel while the languid slow numbers opine about love and life. Qu, in its entirety, is an addictive and memorable collection of songs sure to have you bobbing your head and tapping your fingers on the steering wheel as you remember summer nights spent in the arms of your High School sweetheart.


Track by track review for Sherwood Qu:

Shelter – Perfectly displays Sherwood’s harmonic gift. At not even a minute long this is an nice little display of the vocal talent of the group.

Maybe This Time – I really enjoyed the percussive mimic of a rapidly beating clock as the intro to this song. The lyrics are empowering. This is a fun, poppy way to open the full length tracks for the album.

Hit the Bottom – Of all the songs on Qu, this is the song I see playing on Top 40 radio. The track is danceable, singable and is already stuck in my head. You’ll hear this song being hummed and sung by high school students the world around. It’s pretty hard not to get caught up in the chorus and in the breakdown in the middle of the song.

Make it Through – Charming rhythms and clear vocals in “Make it Through” will easily hook you. The song is relatively slowly paced but is still a fun, catchy tune.

You Are – Yet another song I could easily see, or hear as it were, playing on the loudspeakers at a High School dance or play during one of the awkward silent moments on The Hills. It’s still catchy as hell and fun to sing along with.

Ground Beneath My Feet – The very instant this track started I could not help but draw comparisons to The Fray. The use of the keys, even the vocals and lyric style all smack heavily of songs like “How to Save a Life.” After a slow intro, the song drops into a more driven style. It’s a good song and if you’re a fan of bands like The Fray, this is the track for you.

Around You – Another song that quickly had me comparing Sherwood to bands like The Fray. This number is genuine and romantic. Use this on your digital mixtape for your significant other.
What Are You Waiting For? – I suppose, in answer to the question posed by this song, I’m waiting for this song to really pick up. This is the first, but not last, example of a song where I expected the song to pick up/speed up/get better and it just never quite ended up where I was hoping it would.

Not Gonna Love – Easily my favourite track on this album. This is a catchy, inviting and thoroughly fun song. I was singing along by my second listen. From first taste I was absolutely enamored with “Not Gonna Love.” It had a classic rock feel with a twist. The drums had me feeling as though I had just finished watching The Breakfast Club or Say Anything. I wish this track had been placed earlier in the album, however.

Worn – This number is gentle and heartwarming. This song features a lovely female voice in a duet. “Worn” is the type of song you’ll love when you’re thinking about your significant other.

Free – Again featuring a driving emphasis on the keys, “Free” is a slow anthem. The message seems befitting of a more enthusiastic soundtrack but the slow steady pace of the song is still entertaining. This is one of those tracks when you expect that at any time the song will pick up. Unfortunately, it never does.

No Better – Ending the album is a slow piece detailing a story of divorce as told from the eyes of the child or children. The depressing subject matter is hard to fit into the rest of the album. The song is touching, though, and is one of those numbers you’ll undoubtedly belt at the top of your lungs when you’re feeling down.

---Casper Wood