By Jen TartaglionePhoto by Amanda LopezTaking his name from a classic Jack London tale depicting an over-civilized man who must survive by muscle and wit, Alex Church, of indie pop band Irving fame, began a side project he calls Sea Wolf in the early '00s. Drawing from a varied expanse of sounds and influences, Sea Wolf's music flows rhythmically with a modern '60s rock sound and undeniable folk elements. Everything from Beck to The Velvet Underground or Elliott Smith with a twist of The Essex Green can be heard in Sea Wolf's textured harmonies."Everything influences me — even bands that I don't like because it shows me what I don't want to do. I love old Velvet Underground and I have a certain affinity toward film composers of the '60s and '70s. But what I'm most interested in is what my peers and contemporaries are doing — bands like The Decemberists and The Shins," Church explains.Without a set roster, Church has been playing with a rotating line-up of musicians that have each offered their own spin to his sound. "Before I actually recorded any songs, I would just show people how to play the song on my guitar," notes Church. He continues, "Because of that, every show was different and the more we played the songs out, the more ideas I got about how I wanted them to be. It was a very fluid collaboration that just kind of came out on stage."From these early performances, Church made a homemade demo EP that he sent out to record labels and sold at shows. All of his songs thus far are handcrafted musical tapestries layered with soft harmonies and lyrics of a sophisticated literary quality, much like The Decemberists. "Middle Distance Runner" has a beautifully plucked guitar melody that channels an upbeat Elliott Smith. "You're a Wolf" further captures Church's gift for the guitar and suggests a male-incarnation-of-Nico quality in his vocals. "Black Dirt," Sea Wolf's most rocking and harmonious, yet discordant song, shifts to an Essex Green undertone in its '60s garage rock twang.While initially Church juggled the duties of both Irving and Sea Wolf, he has recognized that Sea Wolf has become its own entity and has decided to quit Irving. "Things had gotten very busy; the inevitable became obvious. The decision was easy but the actual letting go was difficult," affirms Church. Now finally devoting his full attention to his pet project, Church is currently recording Sea Wolf's first full-length album with famed indie producer Phil Ek, a man boasting a resume that includes such critically acclaimed bands as The Shins, Modest Mouse and Band of Horses."Irving recorded some songs with Phil a while back, so that is kind of how the relationship started. I sent him some stuff I had recorded as Sea Wolf and he liked what he heard so we decided to collaborate," Church explains. "I'm very interested in imperfect sounds. Phil knows how to capture those raw feelings and add a polish that is aesthetically pleasing but doesn't compromise what I'm trying to do. I've learned a lot about song construction from him."Sea Wolf's first full-length will contain a mix of old and new material. "I feel really proud of my new album. It's the first thing I've done as Sea Wolf and I think it's very satisfying to have complete control over the songs and the creative process. With Irving it was maybe only a couple of songs per album, but as Sea Wolf everything is mine," says Church.Sea Wolf will release an EP this May with a full-length record coming out in September. For now, Church is focusing his attention on West Coast shows with the intent of taking the act national once he solidifies the lineup and releases his full-length debut.www.seawolfmusic.com--Performer Magazine West CoastCheck out his video for You're A Wolf:
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