Superstructure rotates from its axis

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

By Aaron Davis

Jackson Hole, Wyo.-Two brothers and two childhood friends start a rock band in high school, record a couple of albums, buy a gear trailer, and leave their small town behind to jam in the city. There just aren’t many stories like it, and frankly, I’m envious.  
 
Homegrown rock quartet Rotating Superstructure is approaching the end of an era in their young careers, and its forthcoming sophomore release is the gateway into the next. The self-titled disc is a rock album of vocal and rhythmic priority, with a depth of atmospheric soundscapes.

RSS journeyed to Seattle in early June to record at Two Sticks Audio, a studio owned by Jason McGerr, the drummer for Death Cab for Cutie. After four days of recording with engineer-producer Don Gunn, the band surfaced with eight tracks and 32 minutes of a sound they had envisioned from the start. The matured progression from the band’s debut, Bouncy Castle, realizes the potential of four friends on the same wavelength.

“Our individual influences really came out on this album and we were really well rehearsed,” said drummer Shawn Fleming, who noted that Medeski Martin and Wood and Galactic’s local shows were influential to his playing. “Especially with my brother. He’ll do something and I’ll know what he’s going to do next. It’s getting that way with the other guys too.”

Though classic songwriters like Van Morrison and Dylan were influential to guitarist and primary songwriter Victor Pokorny, I mostly hear the new wave of post-Radiohead, indie-rock bands like The National, Arcade Fire and especially Vampire Weekend. 

“We have this mindset that we want to be the best band out there, but it’s not worth selling out to be that,” said Fleming when asked about the band’s future. “It would be nice to get to the point where we can live off of our music, have a good lifestyle, and do as much as we can for free … like when Radiohead gave away their album online.”

Rounded out by bassist Bridger Huhn and Shawn’s brother, Kyle, on guitar, Rotating Superstructure will relocate to Portland, Ore. in late September. After considering New York and Seattle, it was Portland that had the strongest calling.

“It feels like we already have a foundation there … just from the people we’ve met that know this person or that person,” Fleming said. “I think we’re really fortunate, too, that our parents are pumped for us. They’re cool that we’re not going straight to college and know that it’s better that we at least try this now.”JHW

 Rotating Superstructure’s album release is 8:30 p.m., Saturday, at the Pink Garter Theater. Teenage rock group, Thirsty, will open. All ages. $10. First 50 people will receive free copies of RSS’s new album.

courtesy rotating superstructure
Rotating Superstructure will pursue its sound in P-Town.

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Superstructure rotates from its axis | Planet JH News Article: Music Box

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