Boasting a ten-member choir, two keyboardists, percussion, bass guitar, flute, trumpets, trombone, violin, French horn, theremin, pedal steel, and an electronic effects wizard, the group had little trouble carving out their own unique niche.ĭeLaughter emerged as the band's musical director and lead vocalist, and the Polyphonic Spree hit the road with more than a dozen full-sized vans. The band put together a demo entitled The Beginning Stages of the Polyphonic Spree and distributed it to fans during a holiday performance a Dallas-based indie label, Good Records, later issued the release. Tripping Daisy subsequently folded, and DeLaughter pulled together surviving members of the group for the Polyphonic Spree, a massive collective that admitted more than 20 new members into its fold. The Polyphonic Spree were founded by vocalist Tim DeLaughter, who fronted the band Tripping Daisy until 1999, when a drug overdose killed his bandmate Wes Berggren. The costumes changed over the years, but the Polyphonic Spree's message remained consistent, drawing comparisons to the Flaming Lips and the Beach Boys with a smidgen of lively Godspell-like attitude thrown into the mix. They found chart success with Together We're Heavy (2004) and The Fragile Army (2007), and after a long hiatus, issued a covers LP, Afflatus, in 2020. The Spree's two dozen members, led by Tim DeLaughter, took the stage in flowing robes of snowy white, an appropriate backdrop for their happy and uplifting blend of pop, orchestral rock, and minimal touches of gospel. The Beginning Stages Of.When the Polyphonic Spree first appeared in 2000, the Dallas symphonic pop group was as much a band as a "happening," in the 1960s sense of the word.The Fragile Army was born and was released on June 19, 2007. The band was split up in sections and recorded in different areas of the US. Hollywood Records was done with them, so they began recording without a label, eventually being picked up by TVT in the US and GUT in the UK. He worked with some members of the band to write and record the mostly instrumental score, which features three songs by Elliott Smith.Ģ006 brought the band to a new recording style. In 2005, Tim DeLaughter was commissioned by director Mike Mills to write a full score for the movie Thumbsucker. The Beginning Stages is actually a demo recorded at the band's inception in 2000, but has been released 4 further times in the US and the UK. from 2000 to 2003 Together We're Heavy in 2004 and The Fragile Army in 2007. The band have released three complete albums to date: The Beginning Stages Of. The Fragile Army tours in 2007 also brought a black military style jacket and pants uniform that is worn in the main set.The white robes with the colored bottoms began to be worn again in June 2007, probably because of the lighter fabric.When the band stand in a line they look like a sound wave or heart monitor. The robes worn from 2005 onwards to May 2007 were sky blue with a red jagged wave across the midsection.Tim's robe changed from green at the beginning of the tour to watermelon in the midst of the tour. "Technicolor" robes, which included many different hues, were worn for the Together We're Heavy tour from 2004 to early 2005.In addition, these robes are worn annually for the Chirtmas set of the Polyphonic Spree Holiday Extravaganza, often coupled with Santa hats and reindeer antlers. Purely red robes were worn for a number of UK festival dates in 2003.White robes with a coloured trim at the bottom were worn from the band's conception until 2004.It unifies the band, although different colors allow for an element of individuality. Contrary to this presumption, the robes are worn, according to DeLaughter, because the stage presence of over twenty people in their normal dress would be overwhelming. This often leads to the misconception that they are a religious cult, or somehow a "religious" (or, more specifically, Christian) band. The songs are mainly originally written and composed by DeLaughter on piano or guitar.Ī significant distinguishing visual feature of the band, and what people usually first notice upon seeing the group for the first time, is that they wear robes onstage. Individual members and the number of musicians, however, vary, due to the flexibility necessary in traveling with such a large band. The Polyphonic Spree's ever-changing line-up consists of Tim's lead vocals accompanied by a choir, piano, synthesizers, guitar, bass, drums, percussion, flute, trumpet, trombone, violin, brass horns, harp and sometimes cello. They were formed by Tim DeLaughter on July 15, 2000, not long after Tripping Daisy ceased to be. The Polyphonic Spree are a choral symphonic pop group from Dallas, Texas.
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