Bombadil Brings Unique Sound to Asbury Park

Bombadil Brings Unique Sound to Asbury Park

By Brian Aberback

It’s not everyday that you come across a band like Bombadil. The North Carolina-based trio is an at times sprawling and concise folk-chamber-pop amalgam that creates a huge soundscape through non-traditional instrumentation. There’s no wall of Marshalls backing Bombadil. Instead, the group uses piano, acoustic instruments and counterpoint choral vocals to sublime effect. Add clever, heartfelt lyrics and you have a truly unique and refreshing outfit.

 The band, which performs on Tuesday, July 15, at The Saint in Asbury Park and Wednesday, July 16, at Joe’s Pub in Manhattan, is touring in support of its 2009 sophomore album, “Tarpits and Canyonlands.”  Sound strange? Well, the band was poised for a breakthrough with the record, but health issues abruptly stopped any touring and promotion before it began.

 This summer, Bombadil re-released “Tarpits and Canyonlands” digitally and on CD. It was also released for the first time on vinyl. The beautiful vinyl package features two 180 gram, 12-inch colored vinyl discs that have been remastered from the original analog tapes with a play-back speed of 45 rpm that produces the highest sound quality possible.

The tri-fold jacket holds custom color prints for 14 of the album’s songs, each painted by American illustrator Robbi Behr of Idiots’ Books  and printed on a thick, high-quality matte paper suitable for framing. The vinyl set also includes a code for a free digital download of the album, plus “Barcelona,” a previously unreleased track from the “Tarpits” sessions.

Bombadil consists of multi-instrumentalists Daniel Michalak (bass, piano, harmonica), James Phillips (drums) and Stuart Robinson (piano, guitar ukulele). All bandmembers contribute vocals. We spoke with Daniel Michalak.

Patch: Why was now the right time to re-release and tour behind “Tarpits and Canyonlands”?

Michalak: When this record originally came out in 2009 we were unable to tour and had to stop playing together. So no one really had a chance to hear it unless you were a  close friend or fan of the band. Over the past five years people have had the chance to hear the record and its become their favorite. It’s become a cult favorite. We kept being asked for it to be re-released and to be released on vinyl.  I’m very happy it’s getting heard by people again and hopefully will bring new people into our world.

Patch: The band put together a great vinyl packaging of the album. Bombadil’s music has a very warm feel Do you think your music is best heard on record?

Michalak: “Tarpits and Canyonlands” is our only record that was recorded without a computer. It’s all analog to 2-inch tape. If any of our records was going to sound best on vinyl, it’s definitely this one.

Patch: Promotion and touring for “Tarpits and Canyonlands” was shut down when you developed neural tension (a debilitating condition that limits mobility) just before the album’s release. Was your prognosis for recovery optimistic or were you fearful that your career was over?

Michalak: I did think my career was over at that point. I had started having problems in 2007 and tried to fight through it. But by 2009 I couldn’t pick things up, couldn’t use the computuer, couldn’t pick up untensils to eat, couldn’t pick up a book. The only thing I could do was watch TV. We canceled our whole tour. So the band went its separate directions. I spent two years seeing different doctors and resting until I was able to play again.

Patch: Was everyone in the band ready to regroup immediately when you were better? Did anyone express any hesitancy?

Michalak: Everyone was ready to jump back into it. We had stopped touring but we were still in communication constantly.We’ve been doing it full-time about a year-and-a-half now.

Patch: How are you feeling now?

Michalak: I’m very happy. It’s still a bit of a struggle. There’s still pain but it’s been more managable. I feel like I’m still not out of the woods but I’m more confident everyday.

Patch: What are some of your favorite songs on “Tarpits and Canyonlands?”

Michalak: I really like “I Am,” the album opener. I like “Sad Birthday” a lot. I wrote it at the last minute and we didn’t even think it would be on the record. I think all the songs at one point have been a favorite. We’re playing just about every song on the album on this tour.

Patch: Bombadil has such a unique sound, combining pop and folk with choral style singing. How did you develop your sound?

Michalak: It’s four people with very distinct musical upbringings and backgrounds and favorite songs. I think the idea to become more big and use choral singing came on “Tarpits and Canyonlands.” We weren’t set to sound big and hard and full and the best way we found to do that was adding more voices and more guitars and we just kept adding and adding. In the song “Oto the Bear” there’s four piano parts doing the same thing on different parts of the keyboard. I think the first song, “I Am,” has 30 voices going on it. We just tried to multiply every instrument as much as we could.

Patch: What are some of the acoustic instruments in addition to guitar that we hear on the album?

Michalak: We have a charango, which is a 10-string Bolivian instrument similar to the mandolin. Another instrument, which sounds like a ukulele and has four strings, is called a quatro. It’s from Venezuela.

Patch: A few songs on “Tarpits and Canyonlands” seem to touch on marriage, like “Honeymoon,” “ “Kate and Kelsey” and “Cold Runway.”  Was that institution particularly on the band’s mind while writing the album?

Michalak: When we wrote the album we were in our mid-twenties and all of our friends were getting married. It’s natural for us to write about things that are going on around us. Kate and Kelsey are actually two fans that live in upstate New York. 

                                                                                                                     Patch: Another standout song is “Kuala Lumpur.” Do you have an affinity for Malaysia?

Michalak: We spend so many hours in the car. One of the games we developed to try and pass the time was to memorize all the capitol cities of the world and that was one of our favorites. There was a punk band in Durham, North Carolina that we really liked and I tried to copy one of their riff ideas and that’s how that song was born, even though it doesn’t really sound like punk music.

For more information on the band's upcoming shows, visit Bombadil’s website, www.bombadilmusic.com.