Springfield News-Leader, March 2005

Political lyrics send message without anger -Michael A. Brothers

Political lyrics send message without anger

SeepeopleS songwriter expresses his discontent while band entertains with music full of variety.

Will Bradford is angry.

He is angry about America's political direction and its seemingly all-consuming consumerism. Angry about elected representatives who don't much represent what he believes.

"Anyone who isn't angry--I would be worried about that person a little bit," says the 26-year-old singer, songwriter and leader of North Carolina-based band SeepeopleS, playing at Nathan P. Murphy's tonight in support of new album "The Corn Syrup Conspiracy."

The music Bradford creates with SeepeopleS, however, is not burning with overt anger or acrimony. Instead, SeepeopleS' mixture of Brit rock, club music, reggae and jam-band grooves smolders with discontent, disillusionment and left-leaning lyrics.

Snarling anger isn't always the best vehicle for delivering a political message through music anyway, Bradford says.

"Anger is a touchy emotion to express continually," he says.

"It's a hard pill for an audience to swallow, and I think a lot of times the message gets swallowed up and goes over their heads. I always loved Rage Against the Machine, but I was always a little perplexed at the fan base because it seemed like a large portion of them were all about anger without understanding why they were so angry."

Bradford says he's more interested in sparking conversation and discussion with his music than trying to tell someone how to vote. Although his songs leave no doubt as to where he lies in the political spectrum, Bradford's lyrics don't call out any leaders by name or mention any specific current or recent event.

"We no longer listen to these fast-talking politricktians / we won't be controlled by empty contradictions, murdering convictions" he sings on "Send Me A Line." On "Man Will Win," Bradford bleakly asserts that "man will win the battle of man vs. humanity, man vs. honesty / By the way, who needs that sort of thing / when you've got consumer vision / the new religion, our prison."

Bradford says he's frequently asked about his political or party affiliations. He says he votes regularly and is not registered with a party. The band has occasionally played Green Party events, but in general, Bradford says he's uncomfortable endorsing candidates and parties. He doesn't want to be didactic.

"If there's any political message in the music, it's mostly that politics in general is crap," Bradford says, "that would be along the right lines--trying to see past party lines. To me it's all one party, the money party. ... I don't think I could pledge my allegiance to anyone, except my wife."

All this passion is played out over music that juxtaposes the ethereal sound of Pink Floyd, jazzy dance grooves and percolating electronic textures.

Bradford is a former turntable DJ who incorporates samples and uses sequencers on stage. Bassist Dan Ingenthron and drummer Tim Haney round out the band (keyboardist Peter Keys isn't on board this leg of the tour).

SeepeopleS uses sonic layers in much the same way as Radiohead or the Flaming Lips and makes the band equally hard to classify, says Shawn Eckels of Springfield-based band Speakeasy, which has performed with SeepeopleS.

"I really dig their music," Eckels says. "It's hard to pinpoint. ... Their whole vibe is they hold down really quality layers of sound--soundscapes, if you will."

-Michael A. Brothers