High Plains Reader Article

Bump: Always Moving Forward

Who: Bump

When: Monday, February 16, 2009, 9 pm

Where: The Nestor, Fargo

Michigan pop/rock band Bump will be at the Nestor in Fargo on Monday, Feb. 16, touting their new album, “Forward,” which was released at the end of January. Bump hit the music scene eight years ago, releasing their first studio EP, “The Heart of Cadillac Square,” followed by a five-song demo with selections from that disc and some new reggae-tinged tunes. Their first full-length album, “Incredible Consequences,” was released on Beechwood Records in 2004 and was a fine example of their technical expertise and Jorg Kerasiotis’s skilled voice. It was polished, sometimes moody, and had enough instrument layers to make it interesting. They made an appearance at the 10,000 Lakes Festival in Minnesota and the Bele Chere Music Festival in North Carolina in 2005 and were named by Jambase as one of the top bands to see in 2005.

Their new CD is quite remarkable, considering how often sophomore efforts are plagued by overconfidence and second-choice material. Bump, however, has overcome that by creating an album of strong writing, tight vocals, and commanding instrumental backup. But more importantly, Bump has something to say. “I think that if you listen to “Incredible Consequence,” it was good,” Yorg said in an interview this week, “but there was a lot of standard stuff in it.” It was the kind of writing that many young songwriters go to, mainly concentrating on love songs.

But a lot of life has happened in between that first effort and today. “Being on the road, the hard times, all of the stuff you have to put up with, life in general, all of the stuff that’s been going on—just flew out of us,” Yorg explained. Some of that “stuff” was the normal road weariness that happens with a touring band, but in their case it was heightened a bit more. Right after that first album came out,
guitarist Chris Sterr was bedridden for two months with a ruptured spleen at the beginning of their tour, and they had $40,000 worth of equipment and belongings stolen from their home while they were on the road. Though nothing so catastrophic has happened since, the band, needless to say, has matured.

Most of the writing for “Forward” was done by Yorg and Sterr. “But, everyone in the band is encouraged to write,” Yorg said. “Once the songs are brought in, we’re very selfless; we just want the songs to take on the right feel. We both know that maybe it will take someone else to make the song better than it was intended.” But even then, there could be some glitches. “Obviously, once the song is there, you can go in any direction. We say sometimes that we have ‘option anxiety.’”

To smooth out those kinds of difficulties, Bump enlisted producer Dan Curry. “He let us do a bunch of stuff and when we did the right thing, he would tell us what it was and that we should go with that,” Yorg added. “We concentrated more on making sure each part breathed like it had its own place but it fit together. We were meticulous when it came to trying to fit a vocal melody and not clutter it.”

Though their work has a pop sound, there are reggae influences, rock influences, some funk, and lots of jazz. They’ll do dance music and will even stretch into an extended jam once in a while. There is a faint reggae delivery in some of the vocals, such as “Darker Version of Me,” and a British invasion sound with “Everyone Knows.” They are trying to pack in a wide spectrum of musical styles. “It’s hard,” Yorg admitted, “and, be true to yourself, too.”

The lead singing is spot-on, with great harmonies and sometimes with overlapping vocals. Yorg, Sterr, and new bassist Bryce Carroll-Coe share vocal duties. Instrumentation is provided by Yorg on keys and guitar, Chris Sterre on guitar and lap steel, Bryce Carroll-Coe on bass, and Clint Carpenter on drums and sequencer.

Bump always delivers a fine stage show, so come on down to the Nestor on Monday night.

Posted 3 days, 11 hours ago by Janie Franz | Email Janie Franz | View Janie Franz's profile.