Espers - Greg Weeks - The Sighs of Stones

Greg Weeks began his career as a musician towards the end of the last decade, releasing his debut on the American indie label BaDaBing. "Fire In The Arms Of The Sun" is an album that clearly reveals the influences of the young American songwriter, as much in love with English folk (Nick Drake and Comus) as with the great names of the more "noir" singer-songwriter tradition (Leonard Cohen and Nico). "Awake Like Sleep" (BaDaBing, 2001) continues along the path laid out by its predecessor, while the mini-album "Bleecker Station" (Ptolemaic Terrascope, 2000) reveals an even more intimate, at times decadent, side of Weeks' art. Yet another EP, "Slightly West", released this time on the Spanish label Aquarela, hints at the shift that would take shape a few months later on the Espers debut album. Having partly abandoned classic folk, Weeks would immerse himself in a more visionary, dreamlike psychedelic sound, going on to release essential records from here on, both as Espers and under his own name.

Hi Greg, where are you living now, still in New York?

No, I'm in Philadelphia now, a much quieter place…

A wonderful self-titled album, then a "mini" full of formidable covers, and now, these days, the hotly anticipated second (again) self-titled album.

Aside from the 7″ “Riding”, have you released any other material under the Espers name?

Just one song called “Under The Waterfall”, released on a compilation for the 2004 Million Tongues Festival.

Are Greg Weeks and Espers the same thing?

No, they're separate entities…

But you write the songs and take care of the arrangements…

…together with Meg Brooke. Up to now, the two of us have done everything in Espers: we wrote the songs on our first album and the ones on the record that just came out. But going forward, the other members of the band will also take a more active part in writing the songs. That said, there's no doubt that all the musicians involved in the recordings have always contributed to the arrangements, both on the covers and the originals.

Why did you feel the need for a band despite your solo career?

The reason is simple: I wanted to avoid the risk of indulging in the self-celebration of a solo career, and instead measure myself against the reality of a band. On top of that, I was also thinking about moving away from the acoustic atmospheres of my early records toward something more electric and psychedelic.

Tell us something about each of the three Espers albums.

“Espers I” will always be remembered fondly in my heart. It was a transformation, a realignment that touched many facets of my life. That record changed my life forever. “The Weed Tree” was recorded in 22 hours, far less than the 2 months we took for the following record. Our sound engineers compared the new “Espers II” to Pink Floyd's “Live At Pompei”.

Why did you decide on an album of such varied covers (Durutti Column, Nico and Blue Oyster Cult)?

Espers came about as a synthesis of earlier musicologies, so for us it made perfect sense to make a record (the first of many, I hope) that explored how different musical influences could be distilled into a single personal style. What all the songs have in common, in fact, is the way they were filtered and reinterpreted by the band.

The approach on the new album is fundamentally different…

Yes, the new record has seven long compositions built with particular attention to ambient sounds and melodies. We recorded them as if they were explorations. The sequencing makes the record feel more like a novella or a film than a collection of songs. There's a proper introduction (“Dead Queen”), a main crisis event (“Widow’s Weed”), and then a long journey full of ups and downs, leading up to the climax of the final track, “Moon Occults The Sun”.

What do you think of the new/weird/prewar/folk scene?

I like everything about that scene. They're honest people doing positive things for all our spiritual well-being.

Do you know Devendra Banhart personally? Is he really that lovable guy that Vashti Bunyan fell in love with?

Devendra is one of a kind. So is Vashti. You can believe every word they say.

Out of curiosity: a lot of original folk records go for astronomical prices, well above $300. Do you buy rarities like that?

Not a chance!

Will you come and play in Italy?

It's our dream to come to Italy. I personally want to meet all my prog idols, like Saint Just, Mauro Pelosi, Osanna, Pfm, Dalton, Quella Vecchia Locanda, Goblin, Biglietto Per L'Inferno…

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google