Music side projects. The mere mention conjures images of bloated supergroups or disgruntled bass players tired of having their songs released only as B-sides. Sometimes it's merely code for "Our singer's in rehab again, and we still need to work."
Then there are the side projects that grow out of a sincere drive to explore other musical avenues while still creating with the original band. Think Ben Gibbard (Death Cab for Cutie) singing for The Postal Service or Damon Albarn's (Blur) Gorillaz.
Tonight, Alan Sparhawk - best known for playing guitar and singing in Low - brings his new band to town, Retribution Gospel Choir. And though many churn with fervent emotion, RGC isn't like any church choir known. Distorted guitar, crashing cymbals and hollered vocals underline retribution as the operative word.
"I'm finding that playing this loud stuff, this very fluid music is somewhat therapeutic," says Sparhawk. "It stands still, and you can look at it."
Searching for peace through music is something with which Sparhawk is intimately acquainted. Over the course of seven albums, his primary band Low have evolved from playing slowly and quietly to a less ethereal and more aggressive sound. Their latest album, "The Great Destroyer," has several tracks striking for their use of distorted instruments and scornful lyrics. After a series of passionate shows noted for the cathartic performance of Sparhawk , Low cancelled the rest of their tour, including a stop at Austin City Limits Festival, citing a need for a mental-health break.
Retribution Gospel Choir formed in May as a fill-in for a previously booked Low date; Sparhawk had been kicking the idea around for years. After a few dates around their hometown, Sparhawk, bassist Matthew Livingstone and drummer Eric Pollard recognized the potential for something interesting and embarked on their current tour, seeking to push the band further.
"By the end of this tour, we'll know whether we want to [record] something," says Sparhawk. "We're trying not to think about it too much, just see what we're doing. The band is evolving each show, figuring it out."
Joining RGC for most of this tour, Mark Kozelek (Sun Kil Moon, ex-Red House Painters) is lending his adept guitar playing and beautifully forlorn voice to the mix. Recently recovered from a throat ailment, Kozelek has been engaging in a little woodshedding of his own, previewing songs from his upcoming album of Modest Mouse covers, including "Jesus Christ Was an Only Child."
"He recorded [it] for his new record and it sounds ridiculously beautiful," says Sparhawk.
The let's-see-what-happens approach adopted by Kozelek and Retribution Gospel Choir is one they are fortunate enough to pursue. With built-in audiences familiar with their past work, Sparhawk and Kozelek have the freedom to stretch out and try new things away from their main bands. It's also an opportunity for Sparhawk to relax.
"I'm trying to treat this tour as an experiment in not getting uptight about things."
The Retribution Gospel Choir will perform tonight on the inside stage at Emo's with No Wait Wait and The Theater Fire.
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