Them Savages band-mates Ben Velazco and Joshua Be pose for the camera ( Photo by Monica Saaty)
Well-known local band Them Savages will be playing a celebration show at Sundara Boutique and Gallery Jan. 27 commemorating their upcoming LP release Church Songs.
“People should come out on the twenty-seventh because it’s the first time we get to expose some of these songs to people and in such a way that we get to celebrate what we’ve put together,” said vocalist and percussionist Ben Velazco. “Plus, we get to have a couple of people that were on the record join us on stage, which is very different.”
Velazco, together with guitarist Joshua Be, are known for their pure, natural sound consisting of an acoustic guitar, a tambourine, some foot stomping and a floor tom. Their simplicity compliments Velazco’s poetic lyrics, making for an intimate, unseasoned performance. Velazco said their new album will have a refreshing spin on the familiar sounds of their older music.
“[The album has] just simple, raw songs that we have fun playing and that feel natural to us,” Velazco said. “We even re-did some songs that have been on previous EPs. That being said, we did get some of our friends on this album so there’s a few different instruments and voices and what-not. We think it’s a pretty good progression from our earlier recordings.”
Lyrically, songs on the new album are inspired by life experiences Be and Velazco have had over the past couple of years.
“Religion and my personal experiences around it are a constant theme in a lot of our songs,” Velazco said. “Aside from that, our songs are mostly all just little stories, fictional and non-fictional.”
Religious themes can be seen repeatedly through Church Songs, which is also the name of their title track. Velazco said that the duo decided on naming the LP after that particular song because they felt it represented the album perfectly.
“[We decided on Church Songs] because religion is an underlying theme throughout the album, whether I’m directly talking about it or using it as a metaphor,” Velazco said. “That and it’s just one of our favorite songs on the album.”
The band is also currently working on making a soundtrack for an upcoming documentary To’ei ‘iina: Water is Life, a movie about the scarcity of water the Navajo people are currently facing. Velazco said that while making a soundtrack is proving to be a challenge, the group is looking forward to producing something different for the documentary.
With the upcoming LP and soundtrack in the works, Them Savages currently has a lot on their plate. Velazco said the band’s future could involve more recording and a split with their friends, North Americans, but for now they are focusing on promoting their upcoming show at Sundara.
“Beer, wine, three dollar cover, a free Church Songs LP and a good show,” Velazco said about their upcoming performance on Jan. 27. “Seems like it’d be worth the time to me at least.”
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