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HARVEY
Taking a Stand Against the Mainstream
05/12/09 04:09pm
By Travis Scheaffer
The silhouettes of oil refinery smoke stacks and the fresh stench of pollution kept me company as I made the short trip to Alton, Illinois to speak with a few members of the band Harvey. A lot of people in the Chicago area have yet to experience a band so genuine and unique. Clever lyrics, dynamic yet simple song structures, outstanding musicianship, interactive live performances, and a five year lifespan make Harvey a must listen for any one that is sick of the same old cookie-cutter nonsense many bands are churning out. Harvey is a breath of fresh air in a world full of lame MTV and bubblegum influenced pop and screamo groups. They take most of their cues from bands like: Saves the Day, Hey Mercedes, The Get Up Kids, and Piebald. “I always find myself listening to the same stuff I liked years ago,” proclaimed guitarist Mike Burk. In relation to their sound, Harvey has always had consistent and balanced elements of indie, pop, and post punk. One thing to note about Harvey is their integrity, and the fact that they have never compromised their song writing for a “flavor of the week” sound.
Formed in late 2004 by Mike Burk and brothers Nate and Jake Fleming, Harvey has had a steady line up with only two additions, Justin Butler and Matt Beilsmith. All of the guys, with the exception of Matt, were in rival bands growing up. Once those bands went defunct it seemed only natural for Nate, Jake, and Mike to form a new band. Since their formation, Harvey has gained a substantial following in the surrounding areas of their hometown, recorded four albums, and has put in some time on the road playing shows. These days, they are focused on writing new material and promoting their latest release “Earthworms”. Mike went over the writing process for Earthworms by saying, “Honestly, we had a few songs written before we recorded it, but the last two months before recording we crunched the rest of the songs out.” When listening to this record, one would not even notice that it was written in such a short period of time. At one point, bassist Matt Beilsmith added, “The lyrics were literally written in the studio, but he (Nate) had an idea of the melodies though.” That goes to show you that some of the best stuff is put out when a band is on a deadline and strapped for time. When asked if they were happy with the outcome of “Earthworms” guitarist Jake Fleming said, “Our records have progressively gotten better, every one is better than the last.” The majority of Harvey’s fans would agree that “Earthworms” is definitely a triumphant addition to their catalog, and it is chock full of sing-a-longs and witty song structures. One thing to note about this record is its availability on-line for free, mostly through their Myspace page and torrent sites; you can and should make a donation to the band though. The guys seem to have a love/hate relationship with the free download idea of “Earthworms”. “A lot of people have downloaded it and it has gotten us a lot more exposure, but at the same time it kinda sucks,” explained Matt. For those Chicago fans that would like to see more of Harvey, it would be a good idea to make a small contribution to their “Earthworms” donation fund through their Myspace page.
One thing is for sure, if Harvey picks up momentum this summer there is a very bright future ahead for these guys. When asked what’s next for the band, Mike said, “We are recording a full-length in June, and we plan to be out on tour through July and August.” All of the guys agreed that the ultimate goal for the band is to throw everything on the table and go full speed to build a broader fan base, and possibly find a bigger presence in the Chicago area. When asked about the follow up to “Earthworms”, Mike said, “Our new material will hopefully blow our other stuff out of the water.” I had a chance to listen to some of the demos Harvey has recorded for their upcoming full-length, and I must say their hopes will become reality if all goes smoothly. “Our new stuff is a lot like the older songs we have, but more weird and experimental. It is a step back from the mainstream sound we had with “Earthworms”,” explained Jake. Mike also added, “I feel like our new music is bringing out our own individual personalities. Before, we were kind of restrained when we wrote because we were worried people might not like what we were doing.” At any rate, I know Harvey will put out a new set of anthems that will definitely please their new and old fans.
Recently, Harvey has gotten the help of a local independent label called Common Life Records, and they are becoming more focused with the help of the staff members. “They (Common Life) are a local label that was started by our good friend Aaron Peipert, and they’re basically just helping us stay focused on our goals, and getting us more exposure through press and touring,” explained Jake. The guys all agreed that they would like to spend more time in Chicago and other parts of the Midwest in comparison to their native roots in St. Louis. “The scene up there (Chicago) is a billion times better than ours in St. Louis,” proclaimed Jake. Though they have a lot of love and fans in St. Louis, the guys feel it is time to press forward to bigger markets, and plus they love the response they get when they play Chicago.
Here at Crescendo Magazine we all have copious amounts of love, respect, and faith in Harvey. This band is truly full of down to Earth, smart, fun, and sometimes nerdy guys. Also, they arguably have some of the best merch in the Midwest; Jake does all of the design work through his company True Blood Designs. When you listen to a Harvey record you tend to get that stereotypical warm feeling in your stomach, kind of like the first time you heard you’re favorite band. We believe Harvey might just be your new favorite band. They have songs that are unique and touch back to why we all got into music in the first place. No breakdowns, screaming, hair teasing, or MTV puffery here; just flat out great music any one can listen to. We highly recommend their latest effort “Earthworms”, and we can guarantee you’ll be singing along to it in no time.
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