Lots of bands from around the nation pick up and move to the Triangle, attracted by this area’s great musicians and reputation for respecting local music. Few have managed to shed the outsider label and become a vital part of the local music family. Megafaun is one of the few. By now you probably know that Megafaun was three-fourths of DeYarmond Edison, who moved to the area from Wisconsin a few years back. After Justin Vernon split from the group to form Bon Iver, brothers Brad and Phil Cook, along with Joe Westerlund, continued on, creating what the Indy’s Brian Howe called ” rickety back-porch folk reconstructions in a brine of chaotic field recordings and organic, free-form atmospheres.”
Right now the band is in Europe touring with Bowerbirds, but they’ll be back in North Carolina this Saturday for TRK Fest, a multi-band local music festival taking place at Piedmont Biofuels near Pittsboro. They’re also about to release their second CD, “Gather, Form & Fly” on Hometapes (download “The Fade” here).
Megafaun bass player Brad Cook answered “Five Questions” for New Raleigh via e-mail from Europe.
1. Are you planning to participate in the “pants-off dance-off” at TRK Fest on Saturday? If so, what will be your strategy for winning?
Well, being that Grayson, Casey Trela and I won it last year, I am torn as to whether or not I will participate again. There is a part of me that would enjoy sitting back and watching someone else make a complete ass of themselves, but then again, the competitor inside would hate to miss out on a chance to take home the award for a second straight year.
As far as strategies are concerned, I would most likely envision having my number one wingman in tow and perhaps a backpack full of jerseys for the rest of our team. We’ll have to wait and see!
2. What did Chris Stamey bring to the recording of “Gather, Form & Fly” that no other producer could?
It wasn’t so much what he “brought to” as to what he was able to “bring out” of the recording.
Chris was loyal to our vision, both sonically and compositionally. Honestly, we were not quite sure he would like the music and perhaps tone down the parts of the album that are less accessible. That was a wildly unnecessary concern. Chris was passionate about the recording and took careful concern with all elements of recording. We tend to walk a fence between two worlds of composition/recording and finding someone to work on the record seemingly without bias on either side of that fence felt reassuring to us. He gave us a lot of confidence in what we had put together.
Chris was a complete honor to work with and fortunately, our experience extended beyond the recording. We had good opportunity to discuss future recording techniques, music theory, other artists’ records etc.
3. What has been the highlight so far of the European tour?
I have been here with the Bowerbirds for the last month. I would say my favorite thing thus far has been the Primavera Festival in Barcelona. I got to see my old friends, the Bad Plus, as well as Neil Young, Sonic Youth and Sunn. My favorite show we played was in Zurich, Switzerland. Awesome food, awesome venue, awesome crowd and awesome city.
4. What is your theory on David Carradine’s death? Was it murder, suicide or autoerotic asphyxiation gone awry?
Hahaha I had to google search this reference. We have been so out of touch with the current state of things! In my limited phone/internet access I have exclusively called my girlfriend and checked in on the Lakers.
5. What do you wish journalists would ask you, but they never do?
How I think the Lakers would match up against Orlando. My thoughts on how Gasol would produce against the league’s best defender, Dwight Howard. Whether or not Bynum would stay out of foul trouble and be able to help Gasol collapse Howard in the paint. You know, the usual!
(Megafaun photo by D.L. Anderson. Left-right: Joe Westerlund, Brad Cook and Phil Cook)
TRK Fest schedule:
2:30 - The Never
3:15 - The Strugglers
4:00 - Vibrant Green
4:30 - Mount Moriah/Liza Kate
5:30 - Butterflies
6:15 - Midtown Dickens
7:00 - Embarrassing Fruits
7:45 - Des Ark
8:30 - Pants-off Dance-off
9:00 - Hammer No More the Fingers
9:45 - Ivan Rosebud
10:15 - Lost in the Trees
11:00 - Megafaun
Get more local music news at Mann’s World.
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