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The Epicurean

Evangelicals lead a charge
by Lee Chung Horn

Norman, Oklahoma isn't your usual rock hub. But beneath its sleepy skin runs a rich vein of indie rock, one that's been generously fed in the last two years by a group called Evangelicals. The band features singer/guitarist Josh Jones, bassist/keyboardist Kyle Davis and drummer Austin Stephens (Todd Jackson joins them on tour). Their debut album So Gone came out in 2006, but this year's The Evening Descends is the beauty. Out in January on the new Dead Oceans label, it's a weird and wonderful mix of pop, soul, prog and psychedelia. You'd gasp at the Flaming Lips touches, stop breathing when they veer into high-falutin' Band of Horses territory, and maybe have a heart attack the band lands their space trip - all shimmering guitar and crashing drums - without knocking your iPOD off your lap. The album follows a thread from pop song ("Skeleton Man") to disco ("Party Crashin'") to big daubs of glam (almost everything else). Josh Jones speaks to Beta's Lee Chung Horn.

How is the new album different from the previous one in terms of the time
taken to write and record?

Josh: All of our records take a while to do. I sometimes wish we were more like the White Stripes or something, and just go in there and bang out a record in a week or two. We'd have 20 records by now! In approach the two records were similar - lots of experimenting which takes time. Also working on busted equipment makes the process go slower too.

"The Evening Descends" has a melodramatic, glam-rock vibe about it. Did you or the band get into the glam rock thing at all? You know, Bowie, T-Rex, Roxy Music, Mott the Hoople?

I've always been big into all of those bands, so yeah. I've also always been a fan of drama and camp and whatnot so it tends to seep into whatever I do for better or worse!

Your guitar work on the album is amazing. Who are your heroes?
When did you start playing guitar? How much do you practise?

I don't really have that many guitar heroes though I've always been a bit of a guitar nerd. I like Zappa and Steve Vai. These days I spend more time writing and performing than I do practising, so not much - although occasionally I'll run scales and stuff before a show. I've been playing since I was 12.

How are the song arrangements done? Do you do a lot of planning before you hit the studio, or are you happy with inspired accidents?

Inspired by happy accidents. Usually we use the recording process as part of the composing process. It's all intertwined.

In your liner notes, you offer a list of cool Oklahoma bands to check out:
Student Film, White Dwarfs, Cheyenne, It's Hysterical, Subatomic Pieces. Do bands in your town of Norman, Oklahoma give each other a lot of support?

Sure. I just thought it might be a cool time capsule kinda thing. Maybe it'll turn some other people on to some of these bands.

With MySpace and YouTube, bands can get their songs out to the public more easily, but they also have more competition. Overall, do you think these sites help or hurt bands like yours?

Um, for a band like us, being from a place outside traditional music hubs like NY or LA it helps out tremendously. You can be from anywhere these days and get your music heard.

How are your live shows different from the album?

Louder. More "rocking".

What have you been listening to lately?

The Dodos, church music, hymns, classical stuff.

Are the Chainsaw Kittens still around?

They just played a couple of reunion shows in Oklahoma!!! They were my
favorite band growing up. Those reunion shows were the best thing that's happened to me in a long time!

Josh, were you an ex-student body president? Truly? Wow.

This is true. Never underestimate the voting power and sheer numbers
of everyone involved in band, choir, drama, debate, and other such
activities. My school had an open campus and most people left during
lunch. But all of the aforementioned groups usually stuck around and
practiced and rehearsed and whatnot. And voted.

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