'Natural History' Composes Its Future

Author: Erika Mercer

I caught him just as he was about to down a plate of scrambled eggs. But Max Tepper, vocalist and guitarist for the Brooklyn-based band, The Natural History, kindly informed me that the eggs could wait, and we launched into a conversation about the creation and inspiration of the band you'll hear play this Saturday at 9 p.m. in Forest Basement.

The Natural History dates back to 2001, when Max and drummer Derek Vockins recruited Max's brother, Julian Tepper, to complete the trio. "Derek and I started the band," Max explained. "We were looking for a bass player. Julian was getting out of college real soon, and it just made sense for him to join the band."

Until then, Max and Derek had been playing math-rock together, but by 2001 they had decided to switch gears. Although Max admitted that math-rock was "aggressive and kick-ass to play," he concluded, "It wasn't really the kind of music that I listen to - whether that be punk rock or the Beatles. Math rock is pretty soulless music. We all got a lot of soul, and we want to put it out there." I asked him how it is working together with his brother, and he responded, "It's great - it's good. He's my brother. I wouldn't want it any other way." He paused then punctuated his thought, "Yeah."

So Julian joined the band, and in July 2002, The Natural History released its debut album, a self-titled five-song EP, followed in May 2003 by a full-length album, "Beat Beat Heartbeat." I asked Max how he writes his songs, and he replied, "I write a lot of them either at home or in the practice space we have ... I sit down and write. It's often not a spontaneous thing. Sometimes stuff will come out of jams or whatnot. I'll take it home and work on it if we're stuck in some place." He explained that often the songs he writes at home are only "rough sketches" that will "end up getting dramatically changed by the time we're done. A lot of times I'll come in with a song, and as the song is taking shape it becomes apparent what's working and what's not."

The creation of these rough sketches is what Max cited as his favorite part of being in a band, though touring is a "close second." He explained, "Writing the songs in your room is difficult and time-consuming, but it's also the most enjoyable part. The rest is difficult. It's easy to do research for a paper, but when you sit down to write it it's a different story." He admitted, though, that "the more you do it the more comfortable you feel and the more loose you get."

Max described the next step in the process - turning the rough sketches into complete, polished songs - as the most challenging. "It all as to fit in like a puzzle piece," said. "Writing great songs for me and then putting them together and making them great as a band" is difficult but ultimately rewarding, as the final result is worth the toil and trouble. "Making records is obviously first and foremost," he explained.

"Beat Beat Heartbeat" testifies to the band's hard work. When asked to classify the album, Max settled on "dark pop music," a more mysterious and fitting label than "post-punk," which critics have used to describe its sound. Prominent bass lines, a powerful drumbeat, slightly discordant guitar work and Max's crooning voice characterize "Beat Beat Heartbeat," whose influences, which Max listed as The Beatles, Elvis Costello, XTC, Wire, The Kinks, REM and soul music, are readily apparent.

Critics have often included The Natural History in the new wave of New York music, which boasts artists such as The Strokes, Interpol, The Walkmen and The Yeah Yeah Yeahs. How does Max feel about this? "Julian and I are born and raised in the city. We consider ourselves a New York band. It's sort of an unconscious thing - there's a certain pace to the city. And if I lived somewhere else I'd probably be writing the same music. But we're a band that plays in New York City. It's an old story."

He listed The Knitting Factory in Lower Manhattan and Maxwell's in Hoboken, N.J., among his favorite clubs to play. When asked about playing at college campuses, Max stated that, while he enjoyed the college crowd, the turnout was often unpredictable. Sometimes, he explained, college shows are "poorly promoted, not so many people coming out," but other times, the shows are "filled with tons of kids who don't even know who you are but who are just coming out to hear music."

Its show this coming weekend at Middlebury marks one of the few shows between now and the end of the year that The Natural History has planned. After that, the band will embark on the writing and recording of its second album, tentatively planned for release in the fall of 2004. "We're writing right now. We're going to go away in January and February to fine tune the record. We'll be recording again relatively soon." Is its sound changing at all? "A little less outright swingy. I'll be able to say better when I have the next record in my hand."

Meanwhile, don't miss seeing The Natural History perform songs from "Beat Beat Heartbeat" this Saturday in Forest Basement, following an opening performance by Penelope.