The Glorious Veins mix an electric range of styles to create something at once unexpected and familiar. Led by singer/songwriter Paul Pangman with British born Matt Howels (guitar/backup vocals), Lee Grasso (Bass) and Philippines native Wiggy Colmenares (drums/backup vocals). Their latest album, Savage Beat was recorded entirely on 2 inch analog tape in the fall of 2012 at Brooklyn's Galuminum Foil Studios with engineer Jeff Berner, the disc is a driving, thumping album with a textured soundscape. In addition to their typical drums bass guitar setup, Savage Beat features strings, synth, woodwinds, timpani and chamber bells.
I spoke recently to lead singer, Paul Pangman about craigslist, the road and influences…
CM: Tell me how the band started? Have you been friends forever? Did you meet through Craigslist?
PP: Craigslist is exactly how we met, actually. That was over 5 years ago. We were all looking for people to play music with and only found each other because we happened to be looking at the same time. The band has grown and changed a lot in the last 5 years but the desire to play music and have fun is still what keeps it all together.
CM: I hear a lot of different sounds going on in Savage Beat, who are some of your musical influences?
PP: Each of us have different tastes and musical backgrounds so the sounds you hear on Savage Beat are really an amalgam of those influences. I really like dance music and old crooner/songwriter stuff, Matt Howels (our guitarist) comes from a blues background, and Wiggy (the drummer) grew up playing alternative and classic rock.
CM: What's it like on the road? Paint a picture of a day in the life on the road…
PP: This tour has been a crazy experience. We are covering over 10,000 miles and playing in 25 cities across the country from corner to corner so most of our time is spent driving. Seeing the country change around us as we drive from one city to the next has been a dream to experience.
On a usual day we will drive from where we spent the night to where we play that evening. Many of these drives have been around 8-9 hours so it's a full day's work. If it's not my turn to drive I usually read or sleep or watch the countryside. It sounds pretty boring I guess but then we arrive at the venue, meet the people there to watch the bands, and get ready for the show. The daylong drives are worth it with the party waiting for us at the end of the road.
CM: What's been you biggest moment so far? The time when you felt like this is why I do this?
PP: We probably had our biggest moment last night at the Knitting Factory in Reno. We were the headliners and the venue was incredible. It was definitely the best stage we have ever played on. The sound system was massive, they had a full light-show for our set, and the crowd was amazing.
CM: What advice do you have for a new artist just starting out?
PP: Make music because you love it.
The Glorious Veins have toured the country including stops at SXSW and The Vans Warped Tour. Come check out the eclectic sounds of Glorious Veins tonight!
What: The Glorious Veins, The Frontrunners, The NEWT and Alejo
Where: Northside Tavern
When: 7p
FREE
