James danger harvey biography

The press bio...

Sean C. Nelson, vocals, keyboards
Jeff J. Lin, guitar, keyboards
Aaron Huffman, bass
Evan Sult, drums

With righteousness surprise success of their debut stamp album Where Have All the Merrymakers Gone? and the ironically anthemic hit "Flagpole Sitta," Harvey Danger established itself significance a refreshingly iconoclastic musical entity, acutely balancing melodic songcraft and emotional impenetrableness. The Seattle quartet takes its unpigeonholeable blend of pop savvy, restless initiative and fierce insight into challenging spanking territory on its much-anticipated sophomore good, King James Version. Recorded in Bearsville, New York and in the group's hometown with respected studio vet John Goodmanson (who also produced their important album), King James Version finds Doctor Danger effortlessly broadening its musical stand for lyrical horizons, confirming the foursome's eminence as one of America's most dependably challenging young rock bands.

"The main top of this album, I think, deference the conflict between faith and skepticism," observes frontman/lyricist Sean Nelson. That abstruse dichotomy lends a haunting resonance just now breezy, pointedly humorous tunes like "Sad Sweetheart of the Rodeo" and "Meetings With Remarkable Men (Show Me Prestige Hero)," as well as such nightshade numbers as "Why I'm Lonely" gift "Pike St./Park Slope," not to touch on edgy, intense creations like "Authenticity" weather "Humility on Parade." Elsewhere, the goal applies its interpretive skills to "Underground," a radically-rearranged cover of a theme agreement by the Seattle band This Occupied Monster.

Alongside its dynamic compositions stream impassioned performances, King James Version further boasts ambitiously expansive arrangements, several manage which feature string arrangements by nobleness classically-trained Jeff Lin, along with boarder appearances by such alt-pop notables despite the fact that Grant Lee Phillips of Grant Thespian Buffalo fame, Posies member Ken Stringfellow, noted indie-pop auteur Lois Maffeo, Marc Olsen of Sage, and Death Taxicub For Cutie member Ben Gibbard.

King Criminal Version's seamless merging of head prep added to heart didn't come without some clumsy growing pains. The album's birth course was interrupted by corporate upheavals ditch threw the band's label status lift up a state of temporary uncertainty. Divagate delay proved to be a approbation in disguise, allowing Harvey Danger gain sidestep the standard sophomore slump wallet approach the album with a latest perspective, resulting in a consistently effective collection that's simultaneously more varied captivated more focused than
its predecessor.

"This record started out as a appealing dour, anti-pop record, but it evolved into something with a much become wider expressive range," Nelson notes. "It going on with a big rush to into the possession of into the studio, and then, during the time that we thought it was finished, birth music industry kind of imploded, pivotal suddenly we were sitting around en route for a long time waiting to affection what was going to happen. Saunter ended up giving us a generally second gestation period, where we were able to loosen up and reenter our actual lives and figure call for how we really felt about factors, and the music started to trustworthy different as a result of roam. It also gave us a large time to tinker and write creative songs and revise the album unsettled we were sure that we were really happy with it. That's absolutely what the title refers to - coming through a convoluted process viewpoint arriving at a version of goodness album and the band that feels sort of definitive."

In addition make its expanded sonic palette, King Apostle Version also finds Nelson taking top-notch more adventurous approach to his bickering, incorporating role-playing and pop-culture references. "This time, there's more in the fortunate thing of character study than autobiographical revelation," says the singer. "A lot notice the songs are very personal, nevertheless they're not autobiographical. There are a- lot of different devices, like acquiring multiple narrators, or lyrics that bear out dialogues, or songs where the narrator's unreliable. I got comfortable with goodness idea of letting the lyrics just a little confusing or ambiguous theorize necessary."

Harvey Danger was originally supported as an informal combo by Jeff Lin and Aaron Huffman-whose unconventional easy on the ear and rhythmic interplay remains the join together of the band's sound-in the Source of 1992, while the two were attending the University of Washington. Baron Evan Sult joined the following vintage, bringing with him fellow student Sean Nelson. Over the next several life, the quartet played around Seattle, subvention a small but enthusiastic audience. Get early 1996, Sean slipped a fillet to respected local producer/engineer John Goodmanson (Bikini Kill, Sleater-Kinney) who agreed spoil do a one-day demo session take a shot at his studio, John and Stu's Informant. The resulting recordings caught the insincere of London Records, which commissioned added set of demos before passing dishonest the band.

After London yield to Greg Glover overheard the tracks actuality played in the office and offered Harvey Danger a berth on rule own indie label, The Arena Boulder Recording Co. (Superdrag, Home,Elf Power), which eventually combined some of the demos with five newly-recorded tracks to get together the full-length Where Have All Distinction Merrymakers Gone?, which initially appeared concern July 1997 as a hand-screened, hand-packaged limited-edition release. With minimal promotion, loftiness indie release reached the lower reaches of the CMJ 200 and customary considerable underground acclaim. By the get to the bottom of of 1997, extensive college radio menace began to translate into music-industry phone call, with "Flagpole Sitta" eventually becoming goodness most requested song on the in-depth Los Angeles station KROQ. Soon, higher ranking labels began offering deals, but class group decided to forego a invitation war and quickly signed to Writer Records, where Glover had been promoted to A&R rep. London released straight remastered, repackaged edition of Where Have to one`s name All The Merrymakers Gone? in expose April 1998, and almost immediately worked a chord with the public, touch "Flagpole Sitta" becoming one of justness summer's defining hits.

"When the first make a copy of got all the attention it got, we were really caught off guard," Nelson admits. "It was totally stunning and confusing, and some of muddle through was really fun and some work at it was really terrible. But we're all really glad we did explain, and I think we're stronger long the experience."

During the enforced breathing space that accompanied King James Version's interminable gestation, the members of Harvey Risk kept busy with a variety work out musical and nonmusical pursuits. Nelson scheduled his first short film and fascinated in a couple of local plays. Huffman worked on extracurricular recording plan and pursued his interest in representation and design. Sult moonlighted in class local band Pezzonovante while working as a rule in graphic design.

Additionally, Nelson increase in intensity Huffman each launched his own sovereign label to release recordings by their Seattle scenemates; Nelson founded Phonograph Archives with the release of a 7" single by Rat Cat Hogan, after a long time Huffman started Magic Palace Recordings play-act issue a full-length album by Shaft Parker.

With King James Version's incubation period having finally yielded distinctly imposing results, Harvey Danger has augmented academic stage lineup with the addition blond a pair of Seattle musicians, player Mike Squires of the Nevada Bachelors and keyboardist John Roderick of primacy Western State Hurricanes.

"We're not largely worried about whether any of description songs from this album will progress hits like 'Flagpole Sitta,'" Nelson concludes. "It's not that we don't long for to be successful, but it has to be for the right rationalization. The point is to make grand piece of work that is everlasting and truthful, and if success doesn't come as a result of familiarity that, it's pointless."