8 Questions with Celilo

contributor: Hoyt Emerson – March 15, 2009

1. So what exactly does Celilo mean?

Well I first came a crossed the word on a road sign while driving East down interstate 84 out passed the gorge. I just thought it was a cool word, and sounded cool. I’ve since learned that Celilo is a place, geographical and spiritual, the name of a tribe (Celilo Wy-am), and also the name of a falls that now lies buried behind the Dalles Dam on the Columbia River. There is still a village out there called Celilo which lies between the sleepless interstate and the cliffs. Across the the interstate and the train tracks is also a park bearing the same name. That area has been inhabited for at least 10,000 years so its considered to be Oregon’s oldest town. In the past it was nexus for peaceable gathering and trading. It was one of the richest fishing spots in the world, natives came from far and wide, and more recently people of many races, to trade for salmon, that is until the Salmon were mostly decimated by all the dams. Recently the Army Corps of Engineers tore down the cheap houses they built the folks out at the village with more modernized cheap houses and upgraded the shoddy sewer system that in the past sickened the inhabitants with a slightly better one. Since we took an Indian name we attracted some natives to our gigs, and they thought “hey, who are these whities taken an Indian name?” but once they realized we were good folks and played music that they liked and wrote songs that they could relate to we’ve since become friends, though we don’t see them as much as we’d like to. We were invited to play their pick nick last summer which was a blast and I wrote a song about it called Wy-am which is on the new record. I’d say really that the word and all that it represents found me. I hope I can be somehow pleasing and helpful to its cause whether that be musically or otherwise.

2. Who does the band consist of? How did it form?

The band consists of myself, Damon Dunning, Kipp Crawford, Adam East, Tucker Jackson, and sometimes David Pulliam. We formed after I got sick of playing and writing bluegrass type tunes which was my first foray into guitar playing, songwriting and singing, after being a drummer for a long time. The band changed membership quite a bit until about 2 years ago when we settled on the main quartet, then we added Tucker and David. Damon heard us play in an earlier incarnation and felt a kinship with the songs we were playing and volunteered to replace the old bass player who moved away, Damon’s taken a couple brief hiatuses but otherwise we’ve been going steady. An old drummer who was real flakey for his own good reasons got canned a couple of days before a gig and so our new drummer Kipp stepped in and pulled it off magically, Adam got hired to play on some recordings, and I’ve managed to keep them around somehow. Tucker I saw play a few years ago when he was just making the switch over from the guitar to the pedal steel, then I saw him playing a gig a couple years later and I was blown away, he’s so damn tasty and melodic and spacey too. David was hired to play on some recordings as well and he ended up sticking around. Basically if you get along and the music evolves and the gigs are worth while which usually means that enough people show up to listen then it makes it fun, though we sure as hell don’t make a living at it as a band, not yet anyway.

3. I’ve got my own assumptions, but can you talk about the musical influences for this record?

Well I’m curious about what your assumptions. I’ve listed alot of what I enjoy listening to the website but I always dig what other people hear in that regard. So yeah I’d have to say for myself, I can’t really speak for the band as a whole cuz we listen to such different stuff, that the records that most influenced me more recently and probably had some subtle influences were “You and Me” by The Walkmen, his voice on that one really reminds me of Blonde on Blonde era Dylan as well as the jangly guitars, where as the bass and drums have a cool, more modern sound, and I can relate to how much they love and gravitate towards the 6/8 time signature, which seems to be one I find myself writing in quite a bit. Another one was “Some Are Lakes” by Land of Talk, “Dark Side of the Moon” Pink Floyd, “For Emma Forever Ago” by Bon Iver. Some of these records that influenced this record did so purely for the enjoyment and musical sublimity they created listening to them. I’d love to sound like some of my favourite artists or records but its just not me, not what comes out of me, but who knows what it will come out two or three years from now. I read alot of books, live a bit more vicariously, or atleast in my minds eye during the winter, or when I’m on a train or something, I love the written word’s effect on me, the images, the sounds and feelings, and I’ve got to keep learning to keep my brain alive and my perspective changing. Then it the spring and summer I work as a stone mason and gardener and like to ramble around, engage more directly with the world. And ofcourse Neil Young is deeply embedded in me, but thats probably pretty obvious. But I like everything from Zeppelin to Radiohead to MGMT to Ottis Redding, from the super stripped down to the super freaked out. As far a local music goes I’d have to give props to Matt Sheehy, Weinland, Dolorean, the Blue Cranes… Oh and I just went to see a band called Everest from L.A., I really love their live sound, its awesome but not over the top, and I bought their record which honestly has like half the impact, but one of their guys told me that they played it kind of safe on this, their first release, and I’d have to agree. I bet their next one will be great, I think they should have someone follow them around and record it from live shows. We should do that sometime too..

4. Where was this recorded? How long did it take? What kind of budget were you on?

About half of it was recorded live (minus the vocals and overdubbed “bells and whistles”) and mixed at Secret Society which is tucked next door to Wonder Ballroom behind the restaurant Toro Bravo. Winter Pills, Bush Pilot, Pink Sofa were recorded live by Graham Nystrom in David’s living room. I was sick when we were tracking so I couldn’t sing so we tracked vocals in Graham’s living room a couple of weeks later. The last two songs that went on the album (Donut Queen and Sunken Ships) were recorded and mixed in the converted garage apartment out back of my house by Graham. With the exception of the vocals to Winter Pills and Wy-am which were recorded by my drummer in his various humble living situations which were intended as demos but I could never sing them with as much vibe or something so we kept them. Mike Coykendall helped us produce Sirens of Metropolis and Little Coquette (which went down completely live, vocals included). We worked on this for about a year and a half. I paid for 90% of it and it cost too much, but it turned out good so what can I say? I’d love for someone else to pay for the next one. We didn’t have a budget, I kind of payed as we went, and now I still owe a bit of dough for it.

5. Do you think that Portland has room for music like this in it’s “scene”?

I think Portland definitely has room for us, our sound. Its not like we’re adding a whole lot thats never been heard before but who is? But I do think we present a refreshing hybrid of certain things that have come before, and strong songs reasonably interesting lyrics, a few stories thrown in, which to me is the hardest song to write, and a nice spacey atmospheric layer. I think music moves in cycles like the seasons though they may last a bit longer, but unless a band is constantly evovling or a singer songwriter continues to crank out really good songs, then the ear gets tired especially in the i-pod world we’re living in where hardly anyone has time for an entire record, people will lose interest, even hipsters. So maybe we’re on the Ferris wheel, and no ones heard of us, until we come around for some dappled sun, then we’ll go home and write another one. Who knows. If we play well live I think there’s definitely room.

6. What do you think the role of Americana music will have in Portland in the coming years?

Americana has always played a role in P-town, be it large or small, it just depends on whether its presented in an interesting way… that could be totally trad or totally avant-garde or something, as long as you can relate and maintain the attention of the listeners.

7. Who is your favorite local Portland band?

Honestly I don’t have a local favourite, if I went out more I probably would. Dolorean was one of the first though a few years back that inspired me, and Matt Sheehy, but I like a bunch of Portland bands of all kinds, I’ll just leave it at that.

8. What are the goals you have for this release and the upcoming year?

Pay for the album so that I can break even, open for national acts, travel to say western Europe, play South by Southwest (next year), Musicfest, a little radio play, get on some compilations, maybe catch the ear of some licensing folks which is a great way to fund bands, be inspired to write even better tunes, even a few rockers!