Friday, March 7, 1997
MUSIC:
Band’s brand of music combines viola, funk bass, dark guitarsBy
Vanessa VanderZanden
Daily Bruin Contributor
Join "Walking Wes," the infamous car-less concertgoer in short
orange OP shorts who makes appearances at nearly every local Los
Angeles club. Meet "The Duke," a strange, black-suited,
bodyguard-led foreigner who once wished to perform "La Bamba" on
stage. They’ll undoubtedly be found somewhere in the audience of
Leather Hyman’s show Saturday night at Al’s Bar.
"We attract the most emotionally disturbed and emotionally
starved people," says bassist Pablo Garcia.
"Inevitably, the ones who are freaks will stick around at our
shows," continues lead singer and violist Heather Lockie.
Somehow, this odd variety of fans comes as no shock when one
considers the varied musical aspects on Leather Hyman’s recently
released debut album, "Host Body." Their songs discuss everything
from a lover without a mouth or limbs to the joys of housing
millions of insects on human flesh. Encased within spooling
keyboard and electric viola, funk bass and dark guitars, Leather
Hyman produces a sound that doesn’t fall into any category.
"Lots of people don’t really know what to make of it," Garcia
says. "They either think it’s going to be some evil hair band from
the ’80s trying to do a comeback…"
"Or an ’80s Gothic group," finishes Lockie.
"When they find out it’s not, they’re either disappointed or
pleasantly surprised," says Lyman Chaffee, guitarist and
vocalist.
Citing drugs as their primary source of musical inspiration for
such a unique sound, Leather Hyman strives to find the time and
money to take more. Yet even without mind-altering substances, the
group manages to create more depth in concert and on the album than
the mere walls of sound which permeate lengthy jam session
rehearsals. However, the artistic process involved in structuring
songs requires combining many ingredients.
"Imagine if you had a car and then you ran into another car,"
suggests Garcia, speaking about the forces at play in their
creative process. "Then, instead of fixing the dents, you paint it
all smooth and nice around all of these holes and things. So you’d
drive around this bizarre, smashed-up car."
"Not even that," Chaffee objects. "What you do is drive both of
the cars simultaneously."
"Then we hit a bicycle and it gets plastered onto the car,"
Lockie adds.
"With the rider on still as a hood ornament," Garcia
continues.
In many ways, this analogy describes not only the music but the
formation of Leather Hyman as well. While three of the current four
band members met at Occidental College in Pasadena, the group’s
ever-changing fourth member (the drummer) could come from
practically anywhere. Yet, unlike the transitory nature of an
ever-evolving wrecked car, the original three members knew a
musical connection existed between them from the start.
"One day we all jammed in a basement and somebody kicked over
the lamp," Garcia says. "It was pitch black."
"And it was love," Lockie adds.
"I’m sure if we heard it today, it would be really awful,"
Chaffee remarks.
"No!" Lockie argues. "It was a great, great thing."
Previous to their roles in Leather Hyman, Heather Lockie and
Lyman Chaffee  whose first names combine to title the current
group  played bluegrass together. Their take on the musical
genre involved constant improvisation from Lockie and rote
book-learning from Chaffee. But their bluegrass band slowly evolved
into a folk music duo. From there, the amplifiers were added, along
with Garcia.
"The only reason we became electric was because we couldn’t hear
anything over espresso machines," Chaffee explains. "We were
playing coffeehouses and people wouldn’t turn off the machines when
we were singing."
Now, more people have been able to gain access to Leather
Hyman’s music with the release of "Host Body." Radio stations in
Boston and Alaska have begun playing select songs, and the band
plans to tour the East Coast, exposing more than just the Southwest
to their live performances. Yet, the amount of stress and tension
which went into the making of their album almost makes them wonder
if it was worthwhile.
"We were all working full time," Lockie explains. "We’d go in
after work, record till midnight, get up at like 6, go to work, go
to the the studio at 3 and record till midnight."
"It was so hot, like, 200 degrees," Chaffee throws in. "And we
were chain smoking, so we’d go outside just to have the sun beat us
down."
"But at least the dumpster was always full of porno mag covers
from the place across the way," Garcia recalls. "We’d distract
ourselves by reading titles like ‘Nazi Dildo Midgets on Mars.’"
Without such a humorous attitude and glowing sense of
togetherness, the band would probably have murdered each other this
summer. Yet, it could be Garcia’s and Lockie’s counseling work in
the social services which helps to keep such a tight bond between
band members. Even Chaffee, who works as a teacher right here at
UCLA, gives back to the community through his spreading of
knowledge. Yet, no one can understand the current drummer’s role in
society as a shoe salesman on Third Street.
"If you ask him about his job, he’ll go, ‘No! I’m just a person
that hangs out at a shoe store,’" Garcia chuckles. "But seriously,
when you spend so much time musically dealing with your own trip
and your own music, trying to get exposure, I think you kind of
have to get a job that’s a little more neutral."
CONCERT: Leather Hyman plays Saturday night at Al’s Bar, located
at 305 Hewitt St. in downtown. For more info, call (213) 625-
9703.
Frozen Hound Recordings
Leather Hyman plays at Al’s Bar this Saturday.