“I have to ask” I said, “My Neptune, that’s an intriguing name, how did you come up with that?” Their answer will surprise you. The same when drummer, Steve Garafano remarks, “None of us are spring chickens” when asked how the band got together. The members of the New Orleans-based band don’t shy away from their origins. They all have stories to tell. That they found each other to form a remarkable camaraderie to produce exceptional music is evident not only with their album Despina but also in our conversation on Zoom. Kate Baxter is on guitar, vocals and writes the lyrics; Elizabeth Grubbs plays piano; Erica Keller is on bass and Caitlin Strokosch plays the cello, (unfortunately Caitlincould not join us on Zoom); the aforementioned Steve Garofano, (master of the steel brushes) plays drums.
The big surprise for me about My Neptune is they are not your usual indie/alternative youngsters, but seasoned musicians with a collective understanding of when to allow more space for a fellow musician’s participation. Their combined experiences allow for a freedom to collaborate so perfectly. Then there is their unabashed honesty and humor as revealed with the explanation of the name, My Neptune.
The music Kate, Steve, Erica, Elizabeth and Caitlin make is beautiful, intricate, poignant, stunning – yes, I could go on. Despite my long-standing reluctance to suggest a band “sounds like” I do feel obligated to let you know that few long-players have won me over as Despina. So, it may help for reference purposes only to mention Van Morrison’s Astral Weeks as a landmark in recognizing spaces and quietness as integral part of the whole work. Also, Marquee Moon from Television has to be the epitome of making carefully orchestrated music sound improvised. My Neptune have in Despinaachieved these elements and qualities. High praise indeed and warranted. Listen carefully to our conversation. It’s a delight to hear genuinely nice people speak about their music and importantly their friendship.
The dramatic music heard at the end of this show is an excerpt from Blossom Time by Loren Connors & David Grubbsfrom their 2003 album, Arborvitae.The long-player opens and closes with the pairing of David on piano and Loren on an electric guitar played so quietly that at times his pedal-stomping is wondrously distinct. Blossom Time and the title track positively float, with Loren alternating between soaring single-note lines and playing the rough, barnacled anchor to David’s relentless tide.
Leave a Reply
