Not That Complicated

Morning State Releases Its Strong Debut EP Retreat!!!

originally published October 18, 2006

Joel Stevens lights yet another cigarette and picks up a wounded Epiphone guitar. “I only started playing bass when I joined this band, so I just try to get out what I hear in my head,” says Stevens.

The boys of Morning State have convened in my tiny studio apartment in Charleston, SC. Frontman Russell Ledford looks through my CD collection, occasionally commenting on releases from regional acts that were never heard from again. “Man, I saw these guys back in Athens a few years ago and thought they were amazing. I think they broke up right after this came out,” says Ledford.

Guitarist Dave Williams sits in the corner with his girlfriend Rae, sharing a moment over the cover design of their new Retreat!!! EP. The first shipment just arrived from the factory. “Rae and I shut ourselves up in her apartment for days working on it," says Williams. "We went back and forth with the band until we had something that everyone seemed to groove with. We wanted something loud and different to separate us from the stuff other local bands were coming out with."

The group is in South Carolina to celebrate the EP’s release, and the headlining spot it grabbed at a Charleston festival was granted based solely on the strength of tracks posted on MySpace. The five studio tracks landed the guys prime gigs all over the region recently, including the Paste Rock & Reel Festival in Atlanta and a packed-out Masquerade.

The boys of Morning State - although some members recently lived in Athens, everyone's currently living in Atlanta - shrug off the strong positive response to their debut EP. Their unique design of mathematical rock is possibly pure coincidence (but more than likely not); Williams and Sharenko both logged hours at Georgia Tech and probably dream in quadratics. Williams is the kind of guy who can divide everyone’s share of a dinner bill within seconds. Tracks like “Push the Color Out” and “Spectacular” seem entirely numerical, and Stevens’ bass lines are astutely calculated to mesh with Williams’ and Ledford’s alternating guitar riffs.

On Retreat!!!, Ledford’s voice is near-perfect for the melodic, riff-based backdrop. He sounds like an ultra-romantic Andrew Rieger. Williams is short, fit and energetic - reflected in his quick barrages of difficult lines. He often climbs atop Sharenko’s bass drum during live shows, but still keeps up with Ledford on the many alternating guitar parts - equally as intricate as anything on Bloc Party’s debut. Stevens is the quiet outsider, but he makes it impossible to believe he’s only been playing bass for a short time. Sharenko adds complex, mindfucking beats.

When asked about the possibility of a a record deal, the band clams up. “You look at what’s on MTV, when they actually do play videos, and it’s all prefab. Technology has gotten to where you can make anyone what they want to be,” says Williams.

“This is first and foremost an artistic venture, which means many of the decisions we make will not make the most sense business-wise. Simply put, we want to do what we want, and we won't compromise too much on this,” adds Ledford.

When Ledford discusses music, he usually refers to the successful regional acts he shares bills with. “ I love all the old legendary stuff," he says. "But what I find most influential are those bands on our level or a little above that are extremely impressive without many resources - like The Explorers Club, Sovus Radio and the Modern Skirts.”

Morning State’s focus seems far from that of many other bands on the same level, though. The members have almost completely ignored their own regional buzz, and although this may seem like a cliché comment on any band, it also seems insane after seeing them play, when every move seems so perfectly choreographed. “I'm not so sure we're on top of anything,” says Stevens. “But I think we have a core set of unique songs that people are gravitating towards.”

The Retreat!!! EP title makes perfect sense; Morning State has spent the past year fleeing any kind of admission that the members are actually talented. Prying for some kind of an acknowledgment, I ask Williams about this. He says: “Our focus is on the music, not the other bullshit. We just try to support the scene.”

Ian Wheeler

WHO: Morning State, Holiday, Farewell Flight
WHERE: Tasty World
WHEN: Friday, October 20
HOW MUCH: $5