SCENE SCRIBE
By Michael Swanger scenescribe@mchsi.com
Hanwell’s paradox and evolution charms indie-rock fans
The paradox that is Hanwell intrigues. Listening to the Des Moines-based indie-rock band’s new EP, “Friends in Fair Weather,” most people would find it hard to believe that it was recorded, mixed and mastered by a group of teenagers in their basements and bedrooms.
Then consider the musical cohesiveness of heady songs like “Berlew,” “Not On Your Own” and “Provo” (think Kurt Cobain meets Aimee Mann meets The Shins) and it defies the geographical spread of the band, not to mention its recent changes in lineup and sound.
And when was the last time you heard of an indie-rock band in touch with its “faith,” yet win the popular vote in a band contest, like the one that landed them a gig at last year’s 80/35 festival?
Then again, perhaps we should come to expect such contradictions to conventional wisdom when it comes to an indie-rock band that takes its name from the writings of G.K. Chesterton, the late English author who Time magazine once called “the prince of paradox.”
“We want people to have an understanding of where we’re coming from. I would say our biggest thing is our faith and that can easily get misconstrued,” said Hanwell’s 18-year-old singer-guitarist James Peterson.
At the end of the day, Hanwell is no different than any band in that it wants to inspire people.
“Art is not a production; it’s something that has been given to us, and it’s ours to give back,” he said. “We’re trying to be a reflection of something greater, and that’s the whole idea behind the band name.”
Changes in personnel and sound have characterized the band’s evolution. Peterson and childhood friend-drummer Nathaniel Hill formed Hanwell in 2007 as an alt-country-rock band. After a few changes in personnel, the group progressed into indie-rock, displaying a more aggressive guitar sound. Its current lineup of Peterson, Hill, guitarist Austin Dunn, bassist Ryan Hays and cellist-pianist Abigail Smith is its most cohesive on and off-stage, said Peterson, despite the fact its members attend schools as far apart as Roosevelt, Newton and Dowling high schools and the University of Iowa.
“We’ve had to adapt to the fact that we’re so spread out,” said Peterson, who graduated from Roosevelt and is taking a year off to work an office job to save money for his enrollment at Iowa this fall. “We’re comfortable with the five of us at the core, but we enjoy playing with other musicians and experimenting with other sounds.”
“Friends in Fair Weather” is a summary of Hanwell’s first three years of experimentation. Four of its five songs are remakes of previously recorded tunes.
“These songs are a part of our live set, and we wanted people to have a better recording of them,” said Peterson, who added that the band plans to record a new album this summer and perhaps embark on a mini-tour of the Midwest. “The idea was to get those tracks out so we could start working on new material.”
Fans will be able to hear the band’s latest take on some of its familiar songs when Hanwell plays the Gross Domestic Product on Saturday, March 27 at All Play. They are among 14 Iowa bands playing indie, hip-hop, metal, acoustic, electronic and pop music.
“We’re very excited about playing GDP,” Peterson said. “We feel like the Des Moines music scene has embraced us in ways we didn’t expect. We’ve been blessed with a lot of opportunities and appreciate everything that we have.” CV
Caption: Hanwell performs Saturday, March 27 at the Greater Des Moines Music Coalition’s fifth annual Gross Domestic Product concert to be held at All Play.
Sidebar:
2010 Gross Domestic Product
When: Saturday, March 27; 6 p.m.- 12:30 a.m.
Where: All Play, 615 3rd St.
Tickets: $10 advance, $15 day of show through Midwestix
Lineup: JEL Stage — So Much Fun (6:15 p.m.), Hanwell (7:15 p.m.), Dustin Smith (8 p.m.), Druids (8:45 p.m.), Blutiger Fluss (9:30 p.m.), Why Make Clocks (10:15 p.m.); Scion Stage — The Seed of Something (6 p.m.), Christopher the Conquered (7 p.m.), Canby (7:45 p.m.), Superchief (8:30 p.m.), Classic in the Making (9:15 p.m.), Cashes Rivers (10 p.m.), Maxilla Blue (11 p.m.), Flatform (11:45 p.m.)
