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Pictures of Then (PofT) is one of the most talented Twin Cities' bands you may not have heard of yet. With a stingingly nostalgic sound and an energetically electric live show, this indie rock quartet has seemingly been on the brink of stardom for several years.
Since their debut album "Crushed by Lights" was released in 2007, Casey Call, Joe Call, Joe Gamble and David LeDuc have toured nationwide, played many of the major music fests including SXSW and CMJ, been featured on MTV and even won a Billboard Magazine battle of the bands competition.
PofT’s sophomore effort, 2009’s “And The Wicked Sea,” accumulated heaps of rave reviews yet failed to garner the level of recognition that most local bands receive. We talked to PofT’s friendly and downright funny frontman, Casey Call, about the band’s struggle to break onto the Twin Cities scene, as well as other pressing topics, including a side gig in the Space Program and pedophilic facial hair.
Though Pictures of Then have been making critically acclaimed music and garnering press on the national scene for years, it seems like the Twin Cities has been slow to warm up to you guys. Tell us about your journey from local unknowns to the next big buzz band and why you Iowan bred boys decided to call Minnesota home.
Casey Call: Minneapolis has a lot of talented musicians and it's hard work to stand out. Another hurdle was the loss of a touring band member directly after each of our first two releases; we had to regroup thrice early on, which was definitely a set back. Once we locked in the line-up, we started touring relentlessly. We love being on the road and it has definitely played a primary role in helping us get where we are. As for why we ended up in Minneapolis: one member was born and raised here and a couple of us had school ties. All of us spent a lot of time in Minneapolis over the years, going to shows and catching Twins games. Before we ever decided to make it official, the Twin Cities already kind of seemed like home.
It’s hard to escape the frequent comparisons between PofT’s sound and various bands from the late 60’s and early 70’s. How did these types of influences find their way into your repertoire?
CC: With the album “And The Wicked Sea,” we were very calculated about compiling all of our retro influenced song ideas. Musically speaking, my brother (Joe Call), Joe Gamble and I were all very influenced by our respective father figures during our formative years. As far back as I can remember I was immersed in artists like Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Neil Young, The Beatles, The Moody Blues, The Doors, Velvet Underground, Wishbone Ash and so on while most of my peers were listening to some form of Top 40 drivel. Looking back, “And The Wicked Sea” (which is the album we’ve sort of become known for) was us just getting that out of our system; it was simply one facet of our musical influence and we’re just getting started.
2011 has really been PofT’s year. You put together the Rock for Socks benefit, were finalists in Vita.mn’s Are You Local? contest, played Glitterball, Summerfest, SXSW, and CMJ. Add to that touring and recording a new album and it’s amazing you’re still standing! What other milestones, highs and lows have stood out for you all this past year? What are you looking forward to in the future?
CC: We’re very thankful for all of the opportunities that have come our way over the past couple years, it’s great to see all of the time we’ve invested on the road start to pay off. We’ve made a lot of great friends along the way and we couldn’t be more excited to see where our next release takes us.
What can your fans expect from your next album? Are you addressing different themes? Has the musical style changed at all? Any other deets we should know about when it drops?
CC: It’s a secret. Yes. Yes and no. Maybe; we'll see.
If you could pick one national act and one local act with whom to collaborate on a project, which bands or artists would they be?
CC: Ragman and Banksters.
When you’re not rocking out, what else do you and your PofT peeps like to do? Any unusual hobbies? Favorite hang-outs? Secret fetishes?
CC: We were all very involved in the Space Program and are currently looking for a new hobby.
Finally, what is the band’s current stance on the really important issues… like facial hair, skinny jeans, aviator specs and headwear trends?
CC: Three of us can grow facial hair and one can't; however, he is the only one of us to ever have joined a mustache club requiring daily documentation of his progress for one month. The end result was not too far off from a quintessential pedophile mug shot as seen on Americaʼs Most Wanted…weʼll let you guess which member it was.
Solve the mustache mystery for yourself when Pictures of Then play the Loring Theater on Friday, July 29. You can also hear tracks on the band's official Website, follow the boys on Facebook and watch tour videos on their YouTube channel.
