The Polyphonic Spree

Still spreading his unique brand of ‘sunshine pop' Music News got the chance to put some questions to the man at the helm of The Polyphonic Spree, Mr Tim DeLaughter.

MN: Hi Tim, good to speak to you, heard your single on XFM on the way home this evening, got a good reaction from the listeners

Tim: Oh Really, wow, that's great, we have a lot of difficulty getting onto radio so it's really great to get airplay over here.

MN: What do remember from your time with the Tripping Daisy?

Tim: That's going back a bit! Well that was back in the early 90's and I suppose we learnt a lot about the music business then and how it works and how to use it. I learnt a lot about song writing in those years. I suppose that after those 10 years I was ready to start the Polyphonic Spree. I thought we were the best Rock/Pop Group in the 90's to be honest.

MN: When Wes Berggren died of a drug overdose, was that the catalyst for the Polyphonic Spree.

Tim: Well that was a sad time, and his death really closed the chapter on Tripping daisy, and gave a starting point for the Polyphonic Spree.

MN: Why did you recruit so many members into the band?

Tim: I felt it was necessary to do so in order to create the sound we were looking for, its an original sound and having that many people all contributing makes it a better sound. It's a really great sound, magical things happens at a Polyphonic show!

MN: How many exactly do you number at the moment?

Tim: Right now we got 25 members.

MN: What do you look for in a band member then?

Tim: It's strange because pretty much half the group came to me. We are also looking at qualities such as improvisation, which is very important, and how this person can improve the band. It's just something that happens along the way.

MN: Strategically getting that many people around must be a nightmare, who oversees it all?

Tim: Actually money is the biggest obstacle here, it costs so much to move people and things around we rely a lot on the Goodwill of others to help us out.

MN: Your gigs have been likened to Religious experiences, with the robes further reinforcing the stereotype, is this something you did consciously?

Tim: Not really no, it's more like something we evolved into in a way, it comes from the music. I was raised around a sort of Baptist revival; my grandpa was a preacher so I grew up with all of this around me.

MN: Are you on a mission to make people happy?

Tim: No I wouldn't say so, that may be peoples perception of what happens at shows. I love playing live, its an amazing feeling, we seem to be able to get people elated by breaking down barriers, its not planned it all happened by accident really. I think we have a special sound, nobody can do it the way we do. I really believe that.

MN: There is a lot of Sgt Peppers in your last album, where do you draw your inspiration?

Tim: Well for me the Beatles were an influence in the early days, most definitely. The music that you listen to in a way builds your character and reflects in the music you make. There's lots of stuff from my childhood in the Polyphonic Spree.

MN: What do you think of Radio in the UK then?

Tim: Well it's quite diverse really, but some of it is starting to turn into the format of US stations and that's quite disturbing.

MN: What's your favourite song?

Tim: At the moment it's ‘When the fool becomes a King' I like the journey of the entire record, its very optimistic.

MN: On that note, how do you feel about George Bush?

Tim: Makes me sad to think that many people voted for him, I feel bad about how people outside of America must think of us.

MN: On a personal level, are you at peace with the world?

Tim: It's difficult at this moment, because of the effect the elections have had on me. I'm still sad about that.

MN: What's next for Polyphonic Spree?

Tim: Well its great really, we've just been invited to play at the noble peace Prize in Norway!


A fitting end I think, Tim DeLaughter is firmly in control, and really focused on his group. Their cult following is set to grow and grow, and many more people will be touched by The Polyphonic Spree's wonderfully uplifting music.