Sunday, March 13, 2011

Meet The Band: Paper Armies

Band Name:
Paper Armies.  When I first started writing I used the name Semantics, but after some internet searching I found many a hip-hop artist named Semantics, so I decided to switch to Paper Armies.  I'm the worst when it comes to coming up with a name, so when I came up with Paper Armies I just decided to stick with it.  It actually took me a long time to come up with something I was kind of happy with.  No real meaning behind it.  Really.

Location:
Lansing/Ithaca, NY depending on the time of year.

Formed:
I'm not exactly sure when Paper Armies really started since it's just me.  I guess Fall 09?  That seems like a really long time ago.  I've done a lot of electronic music over the years, and at the time I was doing a lot of experimenting with music without a beat and solo piano music.  I started recording myself playing the piano with a handheld recorder and combined the two ideas.  Then I added some guitar.  That's pretty much how it got started.  Some people tell me it sounds good sometimes so I keep making music.  And I enjoy it.

Members:
Jason Calhoun- guitar, piano, various recording devices.

Releases:
I released a self-titled album last summer, you can find it here (and it's free): 
paperarmies.bandcamp.com

Tell us about yourself!
I have a really hard time describing what my music sounds like.  I always hesitate to use the word ambient because sometimes I think people get the wrong idea.  There's certainly a shoegaze/post-rock influence somewhere to, but I'm not sure how that exactly fits in.  It always seems sort of destructive in a way to me, but maybe that's more of the process. 

I'm very much looking forward to the show at Waffle Frolic on the 20th.  I'm also playing another show (thanks to IU!) on April 20th with The American Dollar, The Atomic Forces and Kites in Space at the Annex.  I'm very excited for that as well.  I don't get out of the house much. 

I'm currently working on a second album, not sure when it'll be released.  Things are getting there, but it could be awhile.  Who knows.  

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