The Northern Light On the Making Of “People of the Snake”
How did you come up with the idea?
We’re a band from the Pacific Northwest of the US, one of many places where indigenous peoples suffered greatly during periods of population expansion. I’ve visited with family many times traveling on highways between Seattle, WA, Portland, OR and Boise ID, routes that were built on the path of the Oregon Trail in the 1860s. It got me thinking about how often history is written from the perspective of those who “won” or “prospered”. When we toured out towards Boise in the summer of 2023 I filled a notebook full of observations of the area and distilled those observations and parts of the historical record into the song. Anyone who’s travelled Interstate 84 should be able to figure out the exact location of the historical events mentioned…the question is…was it a massacre or was it a successful act of resistance?
Were there any memorable or standout moments during the recording sessions for this song?
We used some instruments that were not part of our normal sound for this recording. The main riff that kicks off the song was written on a ukulele and if you listen hard you can hear a uke pinging away under the guitars. Also, we got a chance to use a vintage Hammond organ at Temple of the Trees Studio and I added some righteous organ washes during the choruses.
What impact do you hope "People of the Snake" will have on your audience?
First of all, I’d love for people who are traveling in the PNW to have an “AHA!” moment as they’re driving on I84 east from Portland when they realize the exact location being described by the song. Second, we live in troubled times, very divided times and I’m curious about how history will remember the choices that are being made by our leaders and the responses of the people to those choices. All of us could be the “People of the Snake” as seen through the lens of time.
Can you walk us through your creative process when writing and composing music?
David Pollon is the primary songwriter in the band. Over time, a lot of the band’s music is being sketched out on ukulele since that instrument is so portable and it’s in my hands all the time since I teach a lot of students. So riffs and song structures get mapped out there. I fill notebooks full of words while journaling. I’m not a prolific writer but when words come together they are usually complete. I bring a mostly structurally complete song to Kip and Carl and we jam in our normal band configuration which is a power trio. Words will get completed as we introduce the songs during shows.
How do you engage with your audience during your live performances to create a memorable experience for them?
I wish I could say that we had a memorable stage presence, we’re all sort of heads-down players. Eye contact and engagement is something that I work on but I think that if people come to see us they’re expecting us to play at a pretty skilled level as opposed to being a party band. I don’t talk too much between songs so we’re pretty much a wall of sound experience. We keep evolving though.
