The Electrostatic Rhythm Pigs are firmly up front when it comes to the origins of their sound and songs. Whether the song is garage, funk, spacey pop or a combination of all of the above, they have one thing in common – an obsession with the rhythmic underpinnings of the song. With influences ranging from 1980’s British funk rock bands through the dynamics of the Pixies or the redneck garage of The Gun Club, most of the music starts with an infectious beat. “A lot of the songs start out with a baseline and basic drums” says guitarist, bassist D.W. Pickman. “Even the vocals often start with rhythmic placement and have the lyrics finalized later."
ERP has a habit of taking straightforward beats and dropping in a ‘stop you in your tracks’ change out of nowhere. “I guess we’re dynamics pigs as well as rhythm pigs” says Pickman “We love to see if we can catch each other with a sudden drop out.” The dynamic changes often happen when you least expect it. Not your typical ‘quiet verse, boom, here’s the chorus’ style. The riff changes often appear out of nowhere and never happen again in the song. The effect is a sudden slap in the face for the listener and a ‘what the hell was that’ aftermath. Catch ‘em off guard and never let them see you sweat.
The members of ERP met in the comfy confines of ChurchHouse Studios while working on different projects. Most of the bands on the Velvet Wrinkle Wreckerds label do their recording at ChurchHouse and a lot of personal intermingling goes on. Singer Erin Fowler is also the voice of Conduit 4.1. Instrumentalist D.W. Pickman does engineering at the studio. During conversations they found they had similar interests in bands and styles. The initial jam was an eye opener when they felt in sync from the first song. “We all had the same idea – the song is more important than the individual parts.” says Pickman. During those initial sessions the Rhythm pigs were born.
Playing live proved to be very interesting. Many of the gigs are handled as a trio, which required some rearrangement of the music. The band has also played out with friends sitting in. “We’re still looking for a permanent fourth player…” says Pickman “…it just needs to be someone with the same musical sensibility – the song comes first.” Some of the band’s influences can be heard in the covers/remakes they sprinkle throughout the live set: Joy Division, The Gun Club and Medium Medium to name a few. The band is currently working on their first full length CD, pulling songs from two CDs worth of material. Check out some of the demos on the label’s website. The CD is scheduled to be released in 2008.
