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When the band So Long, Pluto was voted the area’s “Best Original Band” earlier this year in the Weekender’s Readers’ Choice poll, the results might have raised a few eyebrows. The young group isn’t out there packing them in at the local bars. Nor is it a band with a particularly high local profile.
What So Long, Pluto is, however, talented. And those that do follow the fun, eclectic and spirited band are particularly loyal. And if you listen to the group’s debut CD, “Come Revisit El Paso!,” you’ll hear why it got the votes.
The band features Chet Williams on guitars and vocals, Joe Kincel on guitars and vocals, Matt Murphy on violin and mandolin, Dan Dalrymple on keyboards and Matt Belfanti on drums. Williams and Murphy first performed together three years ago as a duo, the Washer-Dryer Combo, but eventually decided to put a full band together.
“We played around for two years, and we thought the sound was kind of thin,” says Williams. “We were searching for new members, and we stumbled upon Matt Murphy, who plays violin. We got him in the band, and Joe came next, and then Dan. We were a 5-piece by July of 2008.”
Despite its members ranging in age from just 18-20 years old, the group wasted no time getting serious about its music, writing originals and hitting the studio. Its debut CD was recorded last year at Sound Investment Studios in Old Forge. On its MySpace page, the band names “girls, money, booze and Losing Caulfield” as its main influences. The latter, interestingly, is another local band.
“We’re really good friends with them,” says Williams. “We kind of consider them our brother band. Whenever we can get shows with them, we try.”
When it comes to musical influences from national bands, Williams says the names and styles vary.
“It’s kind of funny, because all of us listen to a lot of different stuff that’s sometimes completely different from each other,” he says. “My favorite band is Radiohead. I also love Elliott Smith, Sufjan Stevens, The Flaming Lips and stuff like that. With Dan, you can pretty much throw any type of music in front of him, and he’ll find something that’s good about it. But he’s obviously influenced by Billy Joel and Elton John, and he’s very good at that type of style piano. Matt Murphy is classically trained, and he likes a lot of that kind of stuff, and Matt Belfanti is the same as me. He and I share CDs all the time, because we have such similar tastes. And Joe likes a John Mayer-type of deal. It’s all a little bit different.”
Still, Williams says it all blends together fairly easily when the band writes its songs.
“I write 90 percent of the songs with just an acoustic guitar and my voice, and then I’ll just send it to everyone,” he says. “They write the parts, and then when we get together for practice, it just comes together. Usually, by the end, it turns into a completely different song. Matt Murphy’s never played in a band like this before, so this album has kind of a Western vibe to it. He was trying to get that folksy violin sound going. ”
“I never really get too personal when I write lyrics,” says Williams. “It’s usually observing other people. I usually don’t write lyrics at my house. I go out to places, spend some time alone, bring a notebook with me and just watch people and write. I also love just thinking of situations. With ‘Come Revisit El Paso!,’ I thought about what would happen if I just left Scranton, moved to Texas and got married, and didn’t tell anyone. That’s song’s pretty much all about if you just go away and not tell anyone. Everyone’s obviously going to not like you, and you’re going to be screwed.”
He laughs.
“Pretty much, I write about ‘What if?’”
The CD is available at Gallery of Sound stores, Embassy Vinyl, iTunes and through the band’s MySpace page. All of the group’s members are graduates of West Scranton High School, and they’ll play a benefit show there on Aug. 14 at 7 p.m. Proceeds will aid the school’s music program.
For its live shows, So Long, Pluto sticks to mostly original material, though it will sometimes pepper in a cover or two, such as “All These Things That I’ve Done” by The Killers. On a recent tour, the band opened every show with the theme from “The Office,” proudly showcasing its NEPA roots in other states. Williams says the crowds loved it.
“Our rule is to be as energetic as you can and get the crowd involved without sacrificing musicality,” he says. “There have been times when I just jump into the crowd and just start playing with everyone around me, just screaming the lyrics to people that know them. There have been times when Matt Murphy jumps into the crowd and crowd surfs with his violin, while playing it. We try not to be too boring. …
“There have been some crazy times.” w
Info: myspace.com/solongplutomusic, www.solongplutomusic.com