Sylvan Esso performs tomorrow night at The Howard Theatre. Maybe because I’m not exactly cool, or perhaps because I’m an Old—or probably a combination of both—I tend to rely on NPR quite a bit for exposure to new music. Few tracks have gotten more mentions on NPR’s various programs and podcasts than Sylvan Esso’s single, “Coffee”. That song has made the band’s self-titled debut one of the most successful independent releases of the year and has broadened its audience exponentially.
“It was a head trip, it’s really rewarding but really confusing at times,” said Nick Sanborn, one half of the North Carolina-based duo. “But we’ve both been doing this for so long. There’d be a lot more pitfalls if we were younger. It’s less of a dangerous wow factor for us.”
Sylvan Esso is a collaboration between electronics wizard/producer Sanborn and vocalist Amelia Meath. Both are veterans of the indie scene and have been touring with a number of acts for years. Most notably, Meath is known for her work with the vocal trio, Mountain Man, while Sanborn played bass with psychedelic folk-rockers, Megafaun.
The two first worked together when Meath asked Sanborn to remix the song “Play It Right”. Pleased with the outcome and sensing a creative simpatico, the two convened in 2013 to begin recording the album at Sanborn’s home in Durham. The result is an album that seamlessly avoids much of the freneticism that characterizes a lot of electronic music these days. Yes, there are stutters and glitches, but Sylvan Esso retains a relaxed, subdued feel, coming largely from Meath’s welcoming voice.
“It’s a whole album. It’s a spiral,” Sanborn said. “Each song kind of twists the thing a little bit.”
The danger with a group like this in the concert setting is the potential for a show seemingly driven by hitting play on a laptop. Sanborn assures that there is more to this live act than simply hitting space bar. On one end of the spectrum, is a show run by microprocessor, but the other end is a full band meticulously recreating an album. Sylvan Esso falls somewhere in between. Sanborn uses and manipulates live samples to vary performances and ensure that the songs can grow over the course of the full tour.
“I can change anything about the song or the whole song itself at any time,” he said. ” I hope that people don’t come to the show and feel like they’ve watched two people do karaoke.”
Sanborn also feels that one of the group’s strengths is that the project works and is built off the chemistry that exists between just the two of them. In addition to making a sound musical statement, Heath and Sanborn also want to have a good time. Audiences should expect to do the same.
“We’re grateful that people are coming to our shows and we don’t have to have jobs at home,” Sanborn said. “Amelia and I are really into the idea of being the biggest dorks in the room. This isn’t a cool parade.”
Sylvan Esso will perform at The Howard Theatre on Saturday, September 13. Doe Paoro opens. 6 p.m. doors/8 p.m. show. Tickets are sold out, so contact the box office for last minute availability.
