Creativity runs on Elf Power
VICTORIA (CUP) — Musicians
can be a nostalgic lot, and, looking
back with the benefit of hindsight
and wisdom acquired, it's easy to
grasp exciting moments and sustain
them longer. With the ‘90s
being the current run-after retro
bent, what better time for a tête-àtête
with Andrew Rieger, guitarist/
vocalist of Elf Power?
With a druggy and quirky sound influenced in equal parts by the Beatles and the Byrds, Elf Power's elaborate pop songs emerged from the rich Athens, Georgia music scene — home of distinguished acts like the B-52s, Matthew Sweet and R.E.M.
“We just do what we do,” remarked Rieger on the retro craze, “while the trends of what people think is cool and uncool just come and go.”
In the mid-'90s, mainstream music was preoccupied with soonto- be passé pursuits (boy bands and grunge), while a DIY attitude started cropping up and infiltrating college radio and indie culture.
It was at this time that Rieger began writing and recording songs on his four-track, laying down what would later be Elf Power's earliest songs.
“We were all fans of Sebadoh, Tall Dwarfs and Guided By Voices,” said Rieger. “They were all doing home recordings and that showed us you could record an album at home for next to nothing. It was a freeing and inspirational thing to learn that you could make a really great record without spending thousands of dollars — you just needed some good songs.”
Elf Power had no shortage of good songs, but at a time when Boyz II Men and Alanis Morissette were storming the charts, what chance did Rieger and his musically- minded friends have?
“Well, in '95 or '96 we'd already found kindred spirits in the Olivia Tremor Control, and then I met Julian (Koster) and Jeff (Magnum) from Neutral Milk Hotel, who'd just made their first record — it was a great time,” he said.
Rieger and his newly assembled colleagues shared a musical aesthetic fostered by lo-fi environments and a love of pop music.
Known as the Elephant 6, this creative collective generated some of the most successful independent bands of the era, including the aforementioned Neutral Milk Hotel and Olivia Tremor Control, as well as the Apples in Stereo, Beulah, Dressy Bessy and Of Montreal, to name just a few.
And while these incredibly influential bands made music on their own terms, they had utopian dreams that reached further than the radiance already captured in headphones and harmony. Elf Power's keyboardist, Laura Carter, had a vision for an artist-run ecovillage and by the late '90s the rest of the band was on board.
“Orange Twin is a record label and an eco-village,” beamed Rieger like a proud papa. “It was an old Girl Scout camp on the outskirts of Athens. It's about 150 acres, 100 of which are preserved in a land trust and the other 50 acres people are going to build homes on.”
Elf Power has been maintaining Orange Twin for 10 years. Plans for individual homes to augment the pre-existing group house are in the works, and there's already a lot on the property to cheer about — gardens, a pavilion, stables with horses, chickens, a vineyard, a swimming hole, a beehive and, best of all, a naturally tiered amphitheatre.
“We have concerts there quite a lot,” said Rieger. “We've had Bonnie ‘Prince' Billy, Neil Hamburger, Olivia Tremor Control and Tall Dwarfs — we've had a lot of concerts out there.”
But does building a Mecca for music-loving artists not invite adherents and toadies?
“Well, there's people that show up from time to time and usually they're pretty nice,” said Rieger. “We let people camp there a lot, as long as they aren't jerks, you know?”
In many ways, Elf Power is energized and golden right now.
“The last few years have been pretty great for us,” enthused Rieger. “We've done touring all over the world and we did an album with Vic Chesnutt, which was something special.”
Elf Power did a successful tour with Chesnutt, too, in support of Dark Developments, their LP from 2008. Chesnutt died of an overdose of muscle relaxants this past Christmas.
“I was honoured to get to work with him,” said Rieger. “I saw him play a million times and became friends over the years. I loved the man. We had so many great adventures and we went all over the world together. It's been very sad to deal with his passing and I'm just glad that we had the time with him that we did.”
Rieger's voice trailed off slightly as he recounts his late friend, and his longing was tangible. But, for the creative mind, heartache can lead to great inspiration.
“I'm always looking for ways to do creative things and be productive, and Elf Power really has been a great success. I mean, I travel all over the world and I make music that people want to hear. It's amazing,” said Rieger.
Rieger's successes with Elf Power, Elephant 6, and Orange Twin could be used as a template that others could follow, at least to a certain sweep.
“It helps to find like-minded people that you get along with,” said Rieger, “and that you share similar artistic ambitions with.”
“Orange Twin couldn't have happened if there wasn't a group of people that all had faith in making it happen,” he said with pride. “To do something like that you have to have a group of people that you really love and get along with for the long term.”
With a druggy and quirky sound influenced in equal parts by the Beatles and the Byrds, Elf Power's elaborate pop songs emerged from the rich Athens, Georgia music scene — home of distinguished acts like the B-52s, Matthew Sweet and R.E.M.
“We just do what we do,” remarked Rieger on the retro craze, “while the trends of what people think is cool and uncool just come and go.”
In the mid-'90s, mainstream music was preoccupied with soonto- be passé pursuits (boy bands and grunge), while a DIY attitude started cropping up and infiltrating college radio and indie culture.
It was at this time that Rieger began writing and recording songs on his four-track, laying down what would later be Elf Power's earliest songs.
“We were all fans of Sebadoh, Tall Dwarfs and Guided By Voices,” said Rieger. “They were all doing home recordings and that showed us you could record an album at home for next to nothing. It was a freeing and inspirational thing to learn that you could make a really great record without spending thousands of dollars — you just needed some good songs.”
Elf Power had no shortage of good songs, but at a time when Boyz II Men and Alanis Morissette were storming the charts, what chance did Rieger and his musically- minded friends have?
“Well, in '95 or '96 we'd already found kindred spirits in the Olivia Tremor Control, and then I met Julian (Koster) and Jeff (Magnum) from Neutral Milk Hotel, who'd just made their first record — it was a great time,” he said.
Rieger and his newly assembled colleagues shared a musical aesthetic fostered by lo-fi environments and a love of pop music.
Known as the Elephant 6, this creative collective generated some of the most successful independent bands of the era, including the aforementioned Neutral Milk Hotel and Olivia Tremor Control, as well as the Apples in Stereo, Beulah, Dressy Bessy and Of Montreal, to name just a few.
And while these incredibly influential bands made music on their own terms, they had utopian dreams that reached further than the radiance already captured in headphones and harmony. Elf Power's keyboardist, Laura Carter, had a vision for an artist-run ecovillage and by the late '90s the rest of the band was on board.
“Orange Twin is a record label and an eco-village,” beamed Rieger like a proud papa. “It was an old Girl Scout camp on the outskirts of Athens. It's about 150 acres, 100 of which are preserved in a land trust and the other 50 acres people are going to build homes on.”
Elf Power has been maintaining Orange Twin for 10 years. Plans for individual homes to augment the pre-existing group house are in the works, and there's already a lot on the property to cheer about — gardens, a pavilion, stables with horses, chickens, a vineyard, a swimming hole, a beehive and, best of all, a naturally tiered amphitheatre.
“We have concerts there quite a lot,” said Rieger. “We've had Bonnie ‘Prince' Billy, Neil Hamburger, Olivia Tremor Control and Tall Dwarfs — we've had a lot of concerts out there.”
But does building a Mecca for music-loving artists not invite adherents and toadies?
“Well, there's people that show up from time to time and usually they're pretty nice,” said Rieger. “We let people camp there a lot, as long as they aren't jerks, you know?”
In many ways, Elf Power is energized and golden right now.
“The last few years have been pretty great for us,” enthused Rieger. “We've done touring all over the world and we did an album with Vic Chesnutt, which was something special.”
Elf Power did a successful tour with Chesnutt, too, in support of Dark Developments, their LP from 2008. Chesnutt died of an overdose of muscle relaxants this past Christmas.
“I was honoured to get to work with him,” said Rieger. “I saw him play a million times and became friends over the years. I loved the man. We had so many great adventures and we went all over the world together. It's been very sad to deal with his passing and I'm just glad that we had the time with him that we did.”
Rieger's voice trailed off slightly as he recounts his late friend, and his longing was tangible. But, for the creative mind, heartache can lead to great inspiration.
“I'm always looking for ways to do creative things and be productive, and Elf Power really has been a great success. I mean, I travel all over the world and I make music that people want to hear. It's amazing,” said Rieger.
Rieger's successes with Elf Power, Elephant 6, and Orange Twin could be used as a template that others could follow, at least to a certain sweep.
“It helps to find like-minded people that you get along with,” said Rieger, “and that you share similar artistic ambitions with.”
“Orange Twin couldn't have happened if there wasn't a group of people that all had faith in making it happen,” he said with pride. “To do something like that you have to have a group of people that you really love and get along with for the long term.”
