Express 5: Grizzly Bear on New Music, Radiohead & TV

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IN INDIE ROCK, Grizzly Bear is a big deal. But outside of the Pitchfork-reading world, Grizzly Bear is, so to speak, a small fish — the sort of group that performs on David Letterman, but isn't a household name.

All that's about to change.

Last week, Grizzly Bear started its highest-profile tour to date: opening for Radiohead on the second U.S. leg of its "In Rainbows" tour. That prime placement opens up a whole new potential audience for the band's melodic mix of intimate folk-rock sounds, laptop-pop tweaks and orchestral-tinged songs.

It could be considered odd timing for a band with no album to promote to hit the road, but when Radiohead asks you to open, you drop whatever you're doing. Even if it means delaying that next record.

"Well, we have a problem — that's not a problem at all, but it certainly slows down our creative process — which is that we keep getting offered great opportunities ... that involve touring and time and thus put off the recording and writing process," wrote singer/songwriter/guitarist Ed Droste in an e-mail.

But there is a new Grizzly Bear album in the works, the second full-length since the band became a four-piece and the group's third long-player overall.

"[We are] about halfway done, hoping to finish it up in September and October with an April or May 2009 release," Droste said. "This is the plan at least! No title yet."

At the time of our interview, Droste and Co. were busy working on the forthcoming CD up in New York's Catskill Mountains, where cell phone reception is weak but the scenery is grandiose.

"Well, it's a bucolic, incredible studio called Allaire Studios that's on top of this smallish mountain with incredible panoramic views and a dark stone swimming pool and amazing 400-foot high rooms made all of wood," Droste said. "It's basically heaven on Earth, and when were invited to come up there — how could we turn down such an amazing opportunity to bounce our ideas off each other for three weeks?"

Knowing most of Letterman's audience wouldn't know Grizzly Bear from Mama Bear, the band used the opportunity to premiere a new song, "Two Weeks," from the Allaire Studios recordings.

"We are tired of playing "Knife" [a song from 2006's "Yellow House"], so we figured we'd do it old-school-style and debut a new song on national television," Droste said. "Nobody does that anymore, and it's kind of fun to have everyone hear something for the first time together. No leaked album, pre-release, promo copies floating around. The song made a true debut on national TV."

"Two Weeks" represents a more blatant experiment in pop music than their last album. It combines what's great about Grizzly Bear — subtle instrumentation, grandiose harmonies and an orchestral feel — into what could be the new album's highlight.

"It does represent the 'sunny' side," Droste said. "I would say [the Letterman performance version is] close in form to the recording. I think the recording will have even thicker bass and drums and hit harder. I'm really excited to finish recording it and release it. The reaction has been the best we've ever had for a late-night TV performance. I'm really shocked, actually — people are already singing along to it at shows."

Grizzly Bear makes a one-off appearance at the Sixth and I Historic Synagogue on Aug. 11, and the set will include four new songs.

And because the band has seen so much happen since the release of "Yellow House" — and even since last fall's "Friend" EP — we asked Droste to Express 5 events during the recording sessions and tell us another five great things that have come post-"Yellow House."

Express 5 Things That Have Happened While Recording the New Album:

1: I learned how to make Barefoot Contessa's amazing chicken salad with tarragon and green grapes.
2: We're recording new songs we love.
3: We got to live on an incredible estate for recording, which only enhanced our creative process.
4: We made lots of rye Manhattans.
5: We got to use tons of cool antique instruments and microphones.

Express 5 Fab Things That Have Happened to the Band Since the Release of "Yellow House":

1: Getting invited to tour with Radiohead.
2: Playing with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at Walt Disney Hall.
3: Playing David Letterman and debuting a new song there.
4: The Pitchfork Music Festival.
5: Getting our new manager, Ami Kay Spishock.

» Sixth & I Historic Synagogue, 600 I St. NW; Mon., 7 p.m., $18.50; 202-364-1919. (Gallery Place-Chinatown)

Written by Express contributor Rudi Greenberg

» Read our previous interview with Grizzly Bear from June 2007.