We are also incredibly thrilled to announce our return to the stage on October 18th at Empire Music Hall in Portland ME! BUY TICKETS HERE
Read on for more about what's going on with SeepeopleS:
2011 is the last time the hard-to-define east coast progressive rock group SeepeopleS played a live show. At the time, the group was touring in support of their fourth album, “Apocalypse Cow Vol.2” (listen to select tracks here, or check out the whole album on our website). Although the album was critically acclaimed and the band was still gaining significant fan traction with a relentless touring schedule–sometimes playing 200 shows a year–the group was unable to get past many of the trials and tribulations that an up and coming band encounters, and SeepeopleS disappeared into a mysterious, unexplained hiatus.
Led by singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist Will Bradford, and formed in Boston MA in 2000, SeepeopleS garnered early successes with well received albums (For the Good of the Nation in 2002, The Corn Syrup Conspiracy in 2004, Apocalypse Cow Volume 1 in 2007 and Apocalypse Cow Volume 2 in 2011), many that have become cult-favorites-cum-collectors-items that featured vast, dynamic soundscapes and rare and quirky performances from an intriguing array of musicians including members of Morphine, Spearhead, Lynyrd Skynrd, Parliament Funkadelic, and Tim Reynolds. The band also toured hard, true road warriors who would often open for bands that included Presidents of the USA, Cracker, Death Cab for Cutie, Franz Ferdinand and a long list of others. It wasn’t hard during these years to dig up a concert-goer who would describe the band’s festival sets at All Good and Wakarusa as “epic” or “legendary.” SeepeopleS was really making a name for themselves in an accessible, grassroots way.
But, like so many bands before them that have stumbled during the alchemical process of turning art into commerce, SeepeopleS found themselves suffering from the pitfalls of serious drug addiction and the turmoil of existing in a band whose lead singer and driving force was rapidly slipping deeper and deeper into the disease. Constant touring took its toll, and it was not long after the release of “Apocalypse Cow Volume 2″ and the abbreviated tour that followed that SeepeopleS fell apart, and Bradford and co. took an indefinite break from performing live.
The band made no announcements, played no final shows; they simply canceled all future dates and removed their website, to the dismay of the band’s loyal followers known as the A.R.M.E. The band’s headquarters, out of which they had operated for years–a spacious recording space called Boodog Studios in downtown Asheville, NC–simply and literally collapsed to the ground weeks after the band moved out, a somber ending to the space that mirrored the band’s own troubles. To say that SeepeopleS’ apparent end was mysterious, alarming and dubious at best would be a vast understatement.
When asked to comment, Bradford uses one of his signature enigmatic metaphors to describe what happened to him: “I went to a dark place. Some call it heroin/crack island…I called it home. But I’m just thankful I remembered to bring my guitar with me.” Bradford’s addiction was becoming a major concern to his family, friends and his professional associates. It wasn’t long before the whole thing fell apart, the musician himself included.
But the warm heart of SeepeopleS never stopped beating. Bradford is proud that his music and band have always been the sum of more than one part–a true community working together, one of the many reasons SeepeopleS fans come from all walks of life and with open ears to any and all genres of music. After going back to basics, returning to Maine for three years to get sober, Bradford is thrilled to be back in the northeast recording with his long time co-producer Will Holland (The Pixies, Devo, Fall Out Boy, Kiddus I) at Chillhouse Studios (www.chillhousestudios.com) in Boston, where all of SeepeopleS’ previous albums were recorded. In addition, Bradford has put together what he says is the best line up of the band to ever come together, consisting of many musicians from the band’s new home in Portland Maine, featuring Dan Capaldi (Sea Level, Soft Bullets) on drums and sampling/sequencing and vocals, Frank Hopkins (Kenya Hall Band) on keyboards and Tony Margaronis (Eric Green Party) on bass, as well as Bradford’s Freepeoples FreQuency bandmate, Brooke Binion, holding down guitars, synths, sequencing, vocals and other sonic duties.
The band is also busy finishing arrangements on a huge arsenal of songs–over 40 at last count–that Bradford wrote over the last four years for SeepeopleS’ upcoming double album, which will be titled “The Dead Souls Sessions.” The record is tentatively scheduled for release in April 2015, on the band’s own imprint, RascalZ RecordZ, in time to celebrate SeepeopleS’ 15th anniversary, and in time for inclusion in the SeepeopleS box set, which is being prepped for a Christmas 2015 release.
Finally, after a four year concert drought and Bradford finally beating a decade-long battle with heroin and opiates, SeepeopleS are back on track to bring their fans what they have long awaited: a return to the stage and to recording great music. The band is excited to announce their very first live concert in over four years at Empire Music Hall (www.portlandempire.com), on Saturday October 18th, in Portland ME. Limited tickets are available for this very special event at bullmoose.com, Bull Moose music stores, or at the Empire Music Hall box office. More information can be found at www.seepeoples.com.
SeepeopleS invites you to share this triumphant moment in the band’s history, and is so very grateful for the overwhelming outpouring of support and love from the music and fan communities, which has been incredible, a fitting welcome back for a band with a heart as big as its sound. There is so much more to come, including long awaited news on the re-release (hard copy) of the band’s fourth album, “Apocalypse Cow Vol.2,” as well as full tour news for SeepeopleS fans throughout the country.
