|
|
 |
 |
|
|
Interview with
Christopher Earl
of
The Squires of the Subterrain
|
| |
|
History
|
| |
Christopher Earl is the Squires of the Subterrain.
Chris grew up in a musical household in Rochester, New York, and joined a band, the Salamanders, with some friends from school.
The Salamanders were together through the 1980s and into the 1990s with Chris on drums.
In the Squires, however, Chris plays all the instruments himself and does the vocals—often providing complex harmonies by overdubbing his own voice several times.
When I asked him how many instruments he plays, Chris joked that, "everything becomes a drum in my hands."
Don't be misled by the self-effacing humor, though.
Chris is accomplished not only as a musician, but he is a clever producer as well.
In addition to the varied instrumentation and complex harmonies, Squires recordings are rich with found sounds and interesting effects.
The first Squires releases came out between 1989 and 1991.
Shell Beach, followed by Royal Slumber and Cowboys and Indians were released on cassette.
Despite the rawness of these early recordings, Chris's ear for melody and his inventiveness are apparent.
The strongest influences on the Squires are the Beatles and the Beach Boys, with some Zombies and Kinks thrown in as well.
Chris follows in the tradition of those who were most at home in the recording studio, most notably Brian Wilson, but also Andy Partridge, Daniel Johnston and Todd Rundgren.
Andy Partidge's side project the Dukes of Stratosphear is the inspiration for the name Squires of the Subterrain, which is a reference not only to the Squires playing "underground" music, but also to the location of Chris's basement recording studio.
In the early- to mid-1990s, the Squires put out several remarkable cassette-only releases, which are now available as CD-Rs.
Especially recommended is the psychedelic Liquid Sundays, which contains the wonderful songs "Sun Dials Melt (in the Sun)" and "Shadows Growing (in the Shade)", mixing light and dark imagery with contrasting tone.
For several years, Chris was putting out Squires releases while playing in the Salamanders.
By the mid-1990s, however, they decided to go their separate ways.
Scrapbook represents Chris's rumination on loss and the inevitable changes life brings.
In 1998, Chris collected some of his best material on a compilation CD entitled Pop in a CD.
This CD mixes old material, recorded on a four-track and released only on cassette, with new material, recorded on an eight-track for CD release.
Pop in a CD is also notable in that it contains the Squires' theme song, a perfect, brief blast of pop, patterned after the Monkees theme song, which Chris has always loved.
The Squires most recent CD is an interesting collaboration with Big Boy Pete, a.k.a. Pete Miller, who gained some fame in the 1960s as a pop-psychedelic artist.
Big Boy Pete was especially prolific during the late-1960s, but many of his songs were never recorded.
In the late-1990s, Big Boy Pete was shopping around a roots rock album and he contacted Chris to see if he could release the album on Rocket Racket, Chris's own label that he uses to release Squires' recordings.
Chris sent Pop in a CD to Big Boy Pete and, not surprisingly, he loved it.
He asked Chris if he wanted to collaborate on a project where the Squires would record some of Big Boy Pete's material that had never seen the light of day.
Chris brought in his old bandmates from the Salamanders, now performing as the Hi-Risers, to help him with the project.
When Big Boy Pete Treats came out last year, Stanton Swihart of the All-Music Guide stated, "could not have found a more simpatico latter-day spiritual heir, collaborator, counterpart, and interpreter than the Squires of the Subterrain".
Swihart hailed Big Boy Pete Treats as "truly a funhouse of the mind and a smorgasbord for the ears".
The most interesting thing about this collaboration is that the two have never met.
All of the communication between Chris and Pete was done by email.
They've never even spoken on the phone.
Despite favorable reviews, Squires of the Subterrain recordings are not widely available.
You can obtain them from the Squires' website at www.squiresofthesubterrain.com.
Early cassette-only releases are now available as CD-Rs through the website.
The Squires first three cassettes have been collected on the CD Daisy Sunglasses and Admiral Albert's Apparition and Super-Plexi Automatic are available on a two-for-one CD.
And, of course, Pop in a CD and Big Boy Pete Treats are available as well.
Drop Chris a line at TCRR@aol.com—he's really a great guy.
|
|
|
|
|
