Apples in Stereo
by Violet Vandever
It had only been about a week since The Apples in Stereo started
traveling to promote their latest album, New Magnetic Wonder, but they
had already rocked a sold-out show at the Bowery Ballroom and a Conan
O'Brien taping. The day I spoke to them, they were heading off to the
next stop on their North American tour.
In 1993, The Apples came together in Denver, Colorado to meet a music
scene that was dominated by garage and punk rock; the optimistic Apples
were sort of an anomaly. Eric Allen, their long-standing bassist,
worked with the band’s original drummer at a record shop, where
he picked up a copy of their CD one day. " [Schneider, the band's founder] was a
friend of mine, we ran around with the same people. I played the
guitar; he needed a bassist and asked me if I could play. 'Yeah, I can
play,' I said, totally bullshitting, and he gave me a shot. It took me
a while to wrap my mind around playing the bass. I looked at it as some
sort of mutated guitar."
The Apples, with Allen in tow, went on to record eight full-length
albums and EPs with SpinART records, including the 2001 Let's Go! EP
for the Powerpuff Girls. Their ten-year contract with SpinART was set
to expire several years ago and they were shopping around for another
label when Elijah Wood introduced himself at the 2005 South by
Southwest festival. Allen recalls, "He just came up to us one day after
a show and said, 'Hey, I'm Elijah, I'm a really big fan, I have all
your records.' We kept in touch for a while; it was perfect timing.
Elijah's a great guy. We couldn't have asked for a better
publicist.”
The rest of the Apples are Robert Schneider, John Hill, Bill Doss, John
Dufilho and John Ferguson; they live in Denver, Lexington, Dallas, and
Athens, Georgia, respectively. When asked when they possibly have time
to create and do their thing, Allen explains, "We have to plan it
really well. We usually get together and work on stuff and then do a
little tour, even if it's a short tour after that.” The band
needs a moment to confer on the origin of the new album’s title.
Schneider remembers, “Uh uh uh, I got it off, uh, packaging of a
magnetic science toy for children…it seemed like an awkward
translation into English from some other language.”
Apples in Stereo have managed a steady stream of success throughout
their nearly two-decade career. While the band has a very poppy, upbeat
sound that is more Beach Boys than Bright Eyes, they are still
unarguably "indie." Allen says, "We're indie rock in that we're not on
a major label or selling millions of records. In a climate where major
label culture rules, you gotta do it on your own.”
When asked about the lighthearted nature of their new album, Allen
responds with, "I think we have a pretty positive feel. It's a pretty
hideous world we live in and it's good to have something that makes you
feel good when you hear it. We're just trying to make the best records
possible."
Check out Apples in Stereo and their new album at http://www.applesinstereo.com
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