Entertainment

December 5, 2007

Unwed Sailor goes with flow

Thom Shubilla Weekender Correspondent

Instrumental, ambient indie rock band Unwed Sailor is the creation of Johnathon Ford. Ford, also the bass player and only permanent member of the band, does have an ensemble of artists who tour and play with Ford as Unwed Sailor. The live lineup on its current tour, which is coming to Caf� Metropolis in Wilkes-Barre on Friday, Dec. 7, is keyboardist Brooks Tipton, drummer Patrick Ryan, guitarist Dan Lucas and guitarist Andy Haldeman.

The band is never at a standstill. Its number of members, sound, style and concepts have figuratively gone from port to port.

“I think it’s grown pretty dramatically,” said Ford. “We have gone from a 3-piece, to a 5-piece, to a 4-piece, and now back to a 5-piece. We have experimented with and created many forms of instrumental music, ranging from ambient, rock and even storybook music. We have experimented with vocals on the records and in the live show as well. I feel like we have hit a lot of the spectrum, but I am excited to see what we will come up with next.”

Much like the band’s music, Unwed Sailor’s home location is always changing. The band was originally based in Seattle in 1998 and since the its inception has moved to Chicago, Washington D.C., Jackson, Miss., Little Rock, Ark., and has recently relocated to Lawrence, Kan. But the moves are far from arbitrary.

“I have moved around a lot, and relocated many times, so that could be part of the reason the band is spread out,” said Ford. “It is also really hard to find good musicians who can commit to a touring schedule, or good musicians that you can get along with in a band relationship. I tend to go where the music is or where there are good musicians available to play. It’s a very delicate balance, finding the good guys who you want to be on the road with continuously.”

Being an instrumental band, emotions have to be expressed purely in the music rather than in conjunction with vocal stylings or lyrics. But Ford does not feel the pressure to write more passionate music because the band does not verbalize it.

“It doesn’t really put pressure on me; instrumental music has come very naturally,” said Ford. “I have experimented a little bit with vocals, but for the most part I hear the melody line in a vocal line, not necessarily the words. The words are the last thing I hear in a vocal line. I would feel more pressure writing a song with vocals or trying to express an idea with vocals than expressing an idea in a song without vocals. Then again, if the song needed vocals, I am sure I could find a way to incorporate them.”

At the base of Ford’s intentions, he just wants to make something that he would like and people not unlike himself would enjoy.

“I want to make music that I would like to listen too,” said Ford. “Something unique and progressive that allows the listener to reflect. Life situations are definitely an influence on the songs, also certain ideas, cultures, imagery or places. I like to create a song, then put a song title to it. I like for Unwed Sailor’s music to create imagery in the mind.”

At one time Ford was a member of influential indie rock band Pedro the Lion, but Ford embraces his past rather than shying away from it and welcomes a billing of “former member of Pedro the Lion.”

“I am very pleased to have been associated with Pedro the Lion,” said Ford. “David Bazan (Pedro the Lion lead singer and songwriter) has created some outstanding, beautiful music, so any association with his music is a great privilege.”

w

Go:

Who: Unwed Sailor w/

This Will Destroy You,

Strand of Oaks, Jewish War

Veterans

Where: Caf� Metropolis,

94 S. Main St., Wilkes-Barre

When: Fri., Dec. 7, doors 7 p.m., show 8 p.m.

Admission: $7, all ages

Info: www.myspace.com/

unwedsailor,

www.cafemetropolis.com, www.myspace.com/caf�metro

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