15 November 23 - 29, 2023 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents Month XX–Month XX, 2014 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER | CONTENTS | UNFAIR PARK | SCHUTZE | FEATURE | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | MOVIES | DISH | MUSIC | CLASSIFIED | Tripping Dazey For Tim DeLaughter, The Polyphonic Spree’s new album has been a journey (literally). BY CARLY MAY GRAVLEY T he Polyphonic Spree is releas- ing Salvage Enterprise, their first record of entirely original songs in almost a decade, on Nov. 17. The album is one of the Dallas-based choral rock band’s most ex- pansive projects to date, having spun off into transcendental listening experiences and even an upcoming film, which is currently in post-production and was created to be screened in planetariums. “It’s a very visual record,” says frontman Tim DeLaughter. “Probably the most cine- matic record we’ve made to date.” DeLaughter is no stranger to incorpo- rating visual elements into his music, and not just because the Spree has contributed to the soundtracks of several films and TV shows. This interest dates back to his orig- inal band, Tripping Daisy, who were known for including psychedelic elements in their music videos and live perfor- mances. “If you ever saw Tripping Daisy back in the day, we always did visuals,” DeLaughter says. “It’s always been a part of my aesthetic with the music.” To him, Salvage Enterprise and its ac- companying film are full-circle moments and the work he’s most proud of. “You hope to get one of these in your life- time,” he says of the record. When speaking about how his present state of mind made this experience differ- ent, DeLaughter talks about his creativity like it’s a force entirely separate from him- self. “I have a life where I dip my toe in the muse, and if it’s there, then great. And it unfolds some songs and I can kind of grab something,” he says of his songwriting process. “When it’s there, it’s there, and when it’s not, it’s not. And it hadn’t been there for a long time.” Like many people, DeLaughter was deeply affected by the isolation of the pan- demic. The loneliness and depression as well as the triumph of overcoming it are what inspired the story of the new record. “I was kind of going through a bit of a de- pression,” he says. “COVID happened and there was this isolation that happened. It kind of forced me in a situation where I was, you know … I couldn’t really be around any- body.” DeLaughter explains how he was experi- menting with Logic, an audio software he had never used before, and how he found his muse again during the learning process. “I started recording some chords and started to do what I do,” he says. “And be- fore I knew it, it was like perfect timing. Ev- erything just kind of flowed, and I recorded a few songs. That was pretty much the springboard for the overall record.” With this newfound creative energy, and with help from his partner, manager and Spree-cofounder Julie Doyle, DeLaughter found clarity in everything he had experi- enced, even returning to ideas he had aban- doned and finding a place for them in this new project. “The songs were kind of all under the same umbrella and in the same world. It just worked as a collection of work,” he says. DeLaughter emphasizes that Salvage En- terprise is a concept album and is meant to be experienced as a whole from start to fin- ish. “You can’t help but follow the story of the record,” he says. “It’s sequenced in a way that is a story.” DeLaughter has been adamant in creat- ing experiences to help listeners hear the album the way he envisioned it. Last year, he traveled across the country in a sprinter, organizing guerilla pop-up lis- tening experiences. The setup was simple: arrange speakers in a circle and invite fans to lay out a blanket, look at the stars and listen. DeLaughter describes this process as very DIY and impromptu. “First place was in Joshua Tree. I spent a couple days there,” he says. “That’s where I started. And from there I just kind of said, ‘Hey, does anybody know where would be a good spot in California to go?’ Someone sent me to Ojai, so I went there. There was no rhyme or reason, which was great. It was very spontaneous. It was kind of wher- ever the spot would be conducive to where I wouldn’t get busted.” He laughs at that and then clarifies: “Try not to get busted.” One location that unfortunately eluded DeLaughter on this trip was the fa- mous Meteor Crater National Landmark in Arizona. “I went out there and tried to coerce them into letting me go down there … ” The sentence trails off into laughter for a moment. “Or on the rim, but they wouldn’t let me do it so I kind of got ve- toed on that. But at least I got to visit the crater.” With the film, DeLaughter and the Spree are taking that experience to the next level. “Basically the same thing I was doing with making the circles and bringing people out, we’re basically going to do that in plane- tariums but with films,” he says. “Different animators and live action directors for each song threading together this film. People will listen to the record and look at the film. It’s something we’ve been working on for about six months now.” But you won’t catch a screening with the Spree performing live alongside the film — not just yet. “I’m sure the Spree will play some of the premieres,” DeLaughter says. “Most plane- tariums are pretty small, you know. Any- where from 80 to 150 [seats]. Some of them have 350. But once you’re in there, it’s just all seats. [...] There’s no, like, big spot where you can put the band. It would be kind of difficult.” He has considered an alternative. “What would be more feasible [would be] playing outside the venue just to play some songs into it and give the vibe of it,” the singer says. “And then people would go in and actually experience the film and listen to the record.” But wouldn’t that just be the band open- ing for themselves? “Yeah, more or less,” he says with a laugh. Salvage Enterprise will be released on Nov. 17, and The Polyphonic Spree will play the Granada Theater on Nov. 22. ▼ Music “I HAVE A LIFE WHERE I DIP MY TOE IN THE MUSE AND IF IT’S THERE THEN GREAT.” - TIM DELAUGHTER Tim DeLaughter’s band, The Polyphonic Spree, is releasing a new album. David R. Wilson
