"really goddamned great music" - CORY DOCTOROW - BoingBoing.net
"the songs are memorable, lush with cello and violin that add drama and depth to the acoustic guitar" - MEGAN SELING - The Stranger
"...halfway between a chamber quartet and a slack-pop fantasy...Submit now or wait for the knock on your door." - TYSON LYNN - Seattle P.I.
"...their anthems are (I can't believe I'm saying this) actually meaningfully uplifting. Seriously. And not in a sloppy, sentimental Precious Moments kind of way. Sign me up for this army." - PAUL CONSTANT - The Stranger
"Some bands like to have the strings and guitars battle over the song, but Pillow Army weaves the cello and viola into the music, laid down by the guitar, creating a depth that is hard to achieve." - NICK LARZALERE - Seattle Show Gal
Elements of your favorite indie bands march in the fluffy ranks of Pillow Army. Drummer Paul Culala and bassist Tim McClanahan drive the songs with a non-standard minimalism popularized by Spoon. Cellist Peter Ellis, violinist Mara Sedlins, and flautist / vocalist Kaitlin Morrison weave rich and complex sonic landscapes that appeal to fans of Arcade Fire and The New Pornographers. Soaring overtop is lead singer / guitarist Tim Franklin, who’s raw energy summons the spirits of Neutral Milk Hotel and Violent Femmes. Armed with an expansive arsenal of brilliantly composed and arranged songs, Pillow Army is advancing quickly, so you better put on your cammies, grab your brain-buckets, and prepare for battle!
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Notes on Pillow Army's "To Comfort and Destroy"
Tracklist:
1. Happy
2. Model Citizen
3. The Price
4. You're Not Here Anymore
5. Codeine
6. Oh Comely
Our debut six song EP "To Comfort and Destroy" was recorded in 2009 at cellist John Simpson's parents' house near Lake Washington. The house features a spacious living room with wood floors and angled ceilings which makes it an ideal recording space. The only problem was that John's parents weren't going to be cool with us moving furniture and rolling up carpets to record. Fortunately, they decided to take a long trip to Mexico and that's when our covert recording operation began.
After they left, we cleared the room, assembled our microphones, stands, and any other recording gear we had and began recording. The concept was to capture each instrument in the same room along with the natural room reverb instead of tracking each part dry and adding digital reverb later; giving the tracks more warmth and realism. Recording at the house for free also allowed us the freedom to take our time, get things right, and have fun. Some highlights include: John standing on the balcony with a megaphone to ask his neighbor if he could hold off weed wacking so we could record (he obliged) , Ben somehow sleeping on the couch while we recorded distorted cello feedback a few feet away, John recording guitar tracks dressed like Peter Pan (can't remember why), and precariously climbing up the side of the house to tape shut a clacking air vent.
As an encore, we wanted to include a cover of Neutral Milk Hotel's "Oh Comely" which TIm arranged for cello and violn for a NMH tribute show. In keeping with the original which was famously captured in one continuous take, Tim, John and Ben recorded the song live, together in the living room. After a few great takes, we took a break, had some shots of rum, and sat down to do one more just to see what happened. As we held out the last note of the eight and a half minute epic, we were numb, completely drained, and smiling because we knew we had gotten what we wanted.
Recording progressed slowly as we worked around the unexpected comings and goings of John’s parents, but eventually the tracks were completed, and friend Marc Lacuesta flew in from Nashville to mix the songs at Two Sticks Audio. (Incidentally, this is Death Cab for Cutie drummer Jason McGerr's studio where DC4C's last album was recorded. It's a really nice local studio, especially for the price.)
"To Comfort and Destroy" is completely self-financed and almost entirely DIY. We hope you heart it as much as we do and we look forward to bringing you a full length in 2010. Thanks for listening sixtyoners!
ALBUM CREDITS:
Tim Franklin – lead vocals, guitar
John Simpson – cello, right guitar on Happy, vocals on Happy & YNHA
Paul Culala – drums, percussion, vocals on The Price & Happy
Ben Hawthorne – violin, viola
Kaitlin Morrison – vocals on Happy & Model Citizen
Produced and Engineered by Tim Franklin
Co-Produced by Marc Lacuesta and Pillow Army
Recorded at our homes
Mixed by Marc Lacuesta @ Two Sticks Audio – Seattle, WA
Additional mixing by Tim Franklin
Mastered by John McCaig @ panicStudios – Seattle, WA
Assisted by John Simpson, Michael Lerner, and Jackson Long
All songs written by Tim Franklin and Copyright 2009 Screaming Bloody Music except “Oh Comely” written by Jeff Mangum, copyright 1996 / 1997 Egg As A Whole Music
Strings arranged by Tim Franklin except for tracks 2 and 4 which were arranged by John Simpson and Tim Franklin
Art and design by Jessica John and Tim Franklin
Photography by Jessica John
