Mothers – Bandwidth

Mothers: Tiny Desk Concert

Bob Boilen — Fri, 08 Apr 2016 10:36:18 +0000

While Kristine Leschper was singing her songs behind my desk, in the crowd was a tiny baby in a stroller. As I watched the child and the band, I couldn’t help but think about both the promise and innocence of youth and the struggles of adulthood, as Leschper sang:

We lived unloved in unmade beds

You wore me like a necklace

You closed me like a locket

Mothers began as Leschper’s project in art school in Athens, Ga. In their quiet moments — which at the Tiny Desk were all the moments — the songs seemed to function as a pursuit of catharsis, aided by fragile, tender melodies. The band helped hold the music together with grace and rhythm.

Two of the songs here are from Mothers’ debut album, When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired, which came out earlier this year; there’s also an aching new track called “Mother And Wife.” Mothers chose the slowest and most languid songs to perform at the Tiny Desk — a sad, quiet, reflective approach which felt just right for the setting.

When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired is available now. (iTunes) (Amazon)

Set List

“Too Small For Eyes”
“Burden Of Proof”
“Mother And Wife”

Credits

Producers: Bob Boilen, Niki Walker; Audio Engineers: Josh Rogosin; Videographers: Niki Walker, Kara Frame; Production Assistant: Jackson Sinnenberg; Photo: Brandon Chew/NPR.

For more Tiny Desk concerts, subscribe to our podcast.

First Listen: Mothers, ‘When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired’

Bob Boilen — Wed, 17 Feb 2016 23:00:00 +0000

There’s a pervasive sadness to Mothers’ songs that’s strangely disturbing: When Kristine Leschper sings, “We lived unloved in unmade beds / You wore me like a necklace,” it’s hard not to want to reach out and lend her hope. When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired is filled with straightforward observations about frailty, broken trust and insecurity. The songs feel like the sole expression of the artist at their core, made with the support of friends like guitarist Drew Kirby, as well as Matthew Anderegg on guitar, keyboards and percussion.

As a musician in Athens, Ga., Leschper has also found kindred spirits in neighboring bands: Deerhunter‘s Josh McKay plays vibraphone, while Grand Vapids’ McKendrick Bearden supports these songs with lovely string arrangements. Another familiar name, producer Drew Vandenberg, has worked with Of Montreal and Kishi Bashi; his stark contribution seems to accompany a deep understanding of the songs. Everything on When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired feels essential, with nothing overplayed; the drama is simply stated.

It all might sound incredibly depressing, except that what art does best is serve as a means of growth. When You Walk A Long Distance You Are Tired sounds like the work of an artist who’s seeking out an understanding of herself and the world around her. There’s a deep underpinning of melancholy and sorrow here, but to watch these songs performed live is to witness a band that’s growing into something fuller and more intense every day. These songs feel like a snapshot of a time getting left behind rather than lived in, performed by a riveting, honest band.

Six Pics: Of Montreal And A Lot Of Insane Costumes At Flying Dog Brewery

Matt Condon — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 15:46:19 +0000

An Of Montreal show is an experience better witnessed than described — any attempt at summarizing what happened onstage is bound to come out inadequate at best, and flat-out bizarre-sounding at worst.

A woman dressed in what appears to be a cross between a (literal) cat suit and a Mexican wrestling outfit fending off creatures that look like something out of Jim Henson’s craziest Dark Crystal imaginings? Check. Large-breasted dogs in American flag jumpsuits, being coaxed in a boxing match by Abraham Lincoln in a Spider-Man suit? Yup, they’ve got that. Oh yeah, and there’s a band playing, too.

All of this and more took place at the Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, Maryland, Saturday night, as the psychedelic rockers from Athens, Georgia, took to the lawn stage for the brewery’s final summer show of 2015, the ensemble’s second time there (they also closed out the 2013 season). Frontman Kevin Barnes led the group — this time a four-piece consisting of Barnes on vocals and guitar, Jojo Glidewell on keyboards, Bob Parins on bass and Clayton Rychlik on drums — through a 17-song set, much of which was drawn from the band’s latest album, Aureate Gloom, and from 2007’s Hissing Fauna, Are You the Destroyer?

As is typical for an Of Montreal show, an ensemble of costumed performers — which added a surreal element to the performance — frequently joined the band onstage.

Most of the performance was lit only by images from a projector stationed at the sound booth. This proved to be one of the few flaws of the show; the projections were often dark, making it tough to see what was happening onstage, and they competed with, rather than complimented, the action.

Fellow Athenian indie rockers Mothers and Frederick, Maryland, garage rockers Old Indian opened the show.

All photos by Matt Condon

Old Indian

Mothers

Of Montreal