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706-S4M1Z0
y/4 ^ is songs are about space and
w«v food and love," Will Chamberlain
^ %says of bandmate Zach Clayton,
"and my songs are about self-doubt." This is
the Odd Couple-esque pairing of songwriters
behind new local act A Postwar Drama. As
Chamberlain considers the tracks on the band's
upcoming debut release, he has a distant,
thoughtful air about him—his words come
slowly and carefully, nearly whispered in a vel
vety baritone. He's got that vibe that just says
"artist." In contrast, the jovial Clayton is more
unassuming and wholly free of pretension.
Chamberlain was raised on Dylan and Lennon;
Clayton's first love was 71 Top. Regardless of
their differences, the duo are obviously fast
friends, having written music together on and
off for four years before making the big move
down to Athens from their home in Peoria, IL.
"We talked about moving to a better
scene," says Chamberlain, "somewhere we
could make music and something more could
come of it." Adds Clayton, "We couldn't find
a niche in Peoria. It seemed like the scene
wasn't excited about new music."
Recently the "scene" in Peoria has been
dominated by hardcore and metal, a far cry
from the Old World-tinged Americana that
Chamberlain and Clayton have been exploring
as of late, and the rough crowds made being a
local band of any genre pretty challenging.
"We used to just rent out legion halls,"
says Clayton, "but when hardcore got really
big there were a lot of people breaking arms
and stuff so they raised the rent of the legion
hall due to insurance issues. So, it wasn't
affordable..."
Relocating to the Classic City came much
easier to Chamberlain, who has traveled
across the U.S. and beyond in pursuit of cre
ative endeavors. Most recently he took off to
Glasgow with a musical collaborator, playing
in an experimental 12-piece (or more) band
for a year until he was eventually deported.
Clayton, on the other hand, had never lived
outside his home town.
Chamberlain really wanted Clayton on
board as a guitarist, and Clayton had total
faith in his friend's poetry and lyricism, so he
was finally persuaded. They considered other
music towns, but a recommendation from Dark
Meat sealed the deal.
The pair landed in Athens a week before
AthFest 2008, a perfect crash course on what
our town has to offer. "The [Flagpole Athens]
Music Awards kind of let us realize what this
town is all about," Chamberlain says.
Assimilation came naturally for these
northern boys. Even if they didn't realize it
at the time, they started doing things the
Athens way right away. Chamberlain scorecf
a job at The Grit and found himself among
a network of supportive musicians who were
quick to refer him to producers, venues and
future bandmates. Flicker Theatre was par
ticularly supportive of the fledgling group,
says Clayton. They played their first five or six
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•HARRIS STREET (CAHPUS) ONLY
581 S. Harris St. • (706) 548-7803
Join l\S -Pov
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shows there, with Flicker owner Clint McElroy
giving them total freedom to book whatever
supporting acts they chose. Those initial
shows proved pivotal in generating a fan base.
"From the first time I heard Postwar," says
McElroy, "I recognized their talent. They had
great songs and a lot of passion for their
music. I was happy to schedule them because
I wanted other folks to see what I saw."
After a few incarnations, A Postwar Drama
finally stumbled upon its current lineup which
includes Morgan Flemming on violin, Ashley
Floyd on harmonies and accordion, plus former
Complete Adventurers bassist Collin Dibble
and drummer Randy Singer.
The eclectic instrumentation came about
almost incidentally. Floyd was recruited as
singer initially, and she just happened to
have an accordion that her grandmother gave
her. She had some keyboard experience in
the past and learned how to play on the fly.
That gypsy melody, coupled with Flemming's
mournful strings, has taken A Postwar Drama
in a particularly invigorating direction, and
Chamberlain has plans to continue broadening
the band's sonic horizons.
"For me, the songwriting I am moving
toward is very Old World eclectic meets, hope
fully, modern-day pop music."
It's not a move Chamberlain was all too
confident in initially, but since exploring
these European sounds, friends and fans have
introduced him to other modern acts like
Gogol Bordello that have found success in the
genre. "Since we've made this music, a lot
of people have shown us music that is like
ours... they're making us feel like what we are
doing is the right thing." He also feels more
confident about taking risks.
"I feel like we can push those limits a bit
more and be a little more wild and even a
little more funny. We were apprehensive to
be comical before, and we had a lot of down
hearted songs... Jbut we have this new song
that I think is hilarious, and it breaks all our
own rules, but it still sounds just like us. I am
interested to see hqw people respond to it."
A Postwar Drama recently wrapped up
recording at M. Cadet studios and should have
their album ready for release by the end of the
month. The Thursday night show was origi
nally booked as a CD release party, but there's
been a slight holdup with pressing the album.
Nevertheless, you can get a great preview of
the release at the upcoming show, and return
back to Flicker on Aug. 29 when the album
will definitely be in hand.
AAA
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800.354.7874 • 404.767.2000
Call for reservations
Athens/UGA Schedule
12 Round Trips Daily
$45/Person, One Way
Children Under 10 Ride Free PER Paying Adult
16 FLAGPOLE.COM • AUGUST 5,2009