MEYERCORD SUNDAY, SEPT. 23

[September 19th, 2007] [somber folk] In a city full of scenesters and self-aware rockers, it’s refreshing to talk to a musician like Ben Meyercord. The frontman-founder of a three-piece sporting his surname, Meyercord is baby-faced behind his beard and twiddles his thumbs anxiously when discussing his somber, folkish music—a variation on Americana that’s innovative in its execution yet slightly familiar.

A humble, laid-back guy who’s quick to crack a joke, the 25-year-old is no stranger to the scene, either. As bassist for experimental post-rockers AristeiA, Meyercord is accustomed to the stage—though his own compositions were private until AristeiA guitarist Brandon Gordon caught wind of his songwriting prowess. “I’d get his melodies stuck in my head,” says Gordon, who prodded Meyercord to start performing his own music. Gordon even learned to play drums specifically for the Meyercord project. “What’s the point if only we hear [the songs]?” he asks.

Keyboardist Andy Wood was of like mind, and Meyercord-as-band was born. The group’s live performances are quite different from the tunes on Meyercord’s MySpace page, though. (There’s no proper album just yet, but an EP is in the works.) The majority of Meyercord’s solo music is self-produced, loaded with intricately layered harmonies and an orchestra’s worth of instruments, calling to mind same-vein artists like Owen or early Bright Eyes, plus a little twang. Live, however, the band takes its minimalist setup and drives the songs home—without the benefit of 16 tracks—and both the buildup and payoff are big. “We don’t practice a lot, so it’s a lot more raw,” Meyercord explains. “At first it made me nervous, but now I like that.”

Such rawness points to Meyercord’s honest demeanor and his basic, constant hunger for music. Wood calls the deep-voiced Texas native the most rabid consumer of music he has ever met, and Meyercord himself admits he’s a “show geek” with a $200-a-month habit. Still, stark emotion and melancholic tones prevail amid a sea of influences. Like similar “sadcore” artists, Meyercord plays careful, often mournful music that shifts from slow meandering to full crescendos seamlessly, with subtle drama.

“I listen to a lot of music that has big crescendos,” Meyercord says in agreement. “I’ve always liked dynamic music.” But he also insists the sadness is only on the surface. “Music is a place to dwell on emotion,” he explains. “I never want to make ‘kill yourself’ music. Sometimes this music can be kind of sad, but it also lets you know everything is going to be OK.” Then, as if convincing himself, he adds, “It’s balanced.”