Dusty Dybvig - drums, percussion, theremin Andy Anderson Furgeson - guitar, vocals, harmonica, violin, banjo, pedal steel Peter Valois - bass, vibraphone, vocals, glockenspiel, penny whistle, percussion (recordings featuring) Brian Garvey - mandolin, keyboard, synth, trumpet, saxophone, trombone, percussion, vocals
Influences
Harry Smith's 'Anthology of American Folk Music'; 'The Basement Tapes'; Soundgarden; John Kale; the U.S.A.; the bands we've been listening to and playing with lately
Sounds Like
"Ridiculously catchy folk songs that could create a whole new entry in the music-snob dictionary: science rock.” -Willamette Week
"Their music has the heart and spirit of a gospel choir but—just the same—throws down the shuddery, haunted folk with class and authentic-feeling sincerity." -Portland Mercury
"If ants and snails could make music like this; so bursting with desperation, fear, anger, vengence, and sorrow, more people might realize that we'll be sad when they're gone." -Three Benson
Bark Hide and Horn is a three-man folk-rock orchestra hailing from Portland, Oregon. With their dynamic, passionate live shows and lush recordings, they are shimmying out on a distinctive limb of the indie-folk family tree. When singer-songwriter Andy Furgeson isn't crooning soft, twangy melodies, he's howling like a fanatical preacher. He fingerpicks or pounds his guitar, then tosses it aside to lay down a scratchy violin melody or gritty loop. Meanwhile, Dusty Dybvig lets loose on the drums. If the song calls for it, Dusty will quiet down with brushes or mallets, or keep the kick-drum going while his fingers work the Rhodes. But left to his own devices, he's an explosive beat machine. Peter Valois locks in on the bass with at once driving and melodic lines, or conjures a soft and eerie air with the vibraphone, glockenspiel, melodica, or synthesizer. His vocal harmonies add a tinge of ‘60s pop or old-time country to the mix. With so many sonic options, the band can shift from plaintive folk to filthy grunge in a heartbeat.
‘National Road,’ the band's debut full-length released in August ‘08, shows the full range of sounds BH&H is capable of creating. With the help of multi-instrumentalist Brian Garvey, the boys flesh out their live sound with rich horn and string orchestrations, choral arrangements, and noisy experiments. Originally inspired by Andy's collection of old National Geographics, the record tells an imaginary tale about the magazine’s editor in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Possessed by the spirit of his inventor grandfather, he takes a psychic journey through the perspectives of the magazines’ silenced voices—an enslaved honey ant, a lovelorn treesnail, the disgruntled wife of a staff writer, even Ham, the first chimpanzee in outer space.
After a theatrical CD release show, a West Coast tour, and a flurry of good press, the boys settled down for a while to figure where to go without National Geographic as a roadmap. Each member of the trio has picked up new instruments—strings, keys, electronics—in keeping with their multitasking aesthetic. New songs explore many of the themes of ‘National Road,’ but also drift into unfamiliar territory—American myths, ghosts, shape-shifters, mystics and time-travelers. The band is honing their new sound on stage and in the studio, where they are laying the groundwork for another album, hopefully to be completed by early 2010.
Can our bands have an instrument switching contest? No music, just switching instruments; it'll take the old guys back in time, you know: "you heard, they's ahavin a good old-fashioned Switch-Up? Iss down by the river!" Give our people a call if you're interested (makes "call me/hang loose" hand-gesture).
Hey there Bark Hide and Horn Bridgetown Comedy Festival is finally here!!! Starts this Thursday so get your tickets by visiting www.bridgetowncomedyfestival.com
Watch this interview and tell Andy that you support Portland Comedy!
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