PRINTThe writing on the wall
Omaha band Cursive brings its mini-tour to Columbia
Saddle Creek Records
Cursive members, from left, are Ted Stevens, Matt Maginn, Cornbread Compton, Patrick Newbery (touring member), Nate Lepine and Tim Kasher.
April 3, 2008 | 12:00 a.m. CST
In a business where packaging and image are everything, the band Cursive has seemingly rejected the idea of being pigeonholed. Even in today’s musical landscape, where pop music is as shallow and unoriginal as ever, Cursive stands defiant as an esoteric anti-pop beacon.
Its seven-date tour comes to Mojo’s on April 5, and for one band member, that means a chance to sleep in his own bed for a night. Matt Maginn, the band’s bass player, has lived in Columbia for the past six months after relocating from Omaha, Neb. “It was the fact that my wife was moving here to get her Ph.D, and that’s what attracted me,” he says.
What: Cursive
When: Sat., 9 p.m.
Where: Mojo’s
Cost: $14
Call: 875-0588
Cursive formed in 1995 in Omaha and was part of Saddle Creek Records from the beginning. The indie label served as a launching point for many Omaha-bred bands, including Bright Eyes and The Faint. Maginn and lead singer Tim Kasher are the only remaining founding members of Cursive. Guitarist Ted Stevens has been with the band since its 2000 release, Domestica. In 2003, The Ugly Organ’s critical acclaim helped put Cursive on the map, and the band toured with The Cure the following year.
Cursive has been playing its own style of rock ’n’ roll for more than a decade and is a prime example of a group that challenges the norms of the music world. Maginn struggles to describe the band’s sound but says “s--- hitting the fan,” is a worthy explanation. “Folk-metal is what we also like to throw in there,” says Maginn.
The band’s music is harsh and at times creepy. Blasting horns and brutal chords amplify the dark and sometimes religious subject matter. Each melody and abrasive scream is powered by the raw emotions behind Kasher’s vocals. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. The band has plenty of up-tempo songs in its repertoire.
Cursive has experimented with cellos, horns, keys and an array of other wind and brass instruments over the years. Nate Lepine toured with the band after its 2006 release of Happy Hollow and officially joined in summer 2007. He is responsible for the horn arrangements on the record.
Cellist Gretta Cohn, whose work can be found on the albums Burst and Bloom and The Ugly Organ, left the band in 2005. Despite her absence, Cursive still performs with a cello at its live shows.
Although Kasher has always been the group’s lead singer, Stevens’ voice is a big part of Cursive’s vocals. Typically Stevens sings lead on all the songs he writes. “It’s always been about 95 percent Tim and 5 percent Ted as far as leads and writing duty,” says Maginn. “They work well together, though, because they’re not like a stark contrast; they’re not totally polar opposites.”
The original drummer, Clint Schnase, called it quits at the end of 2006 and passed the drumsticks to Cornbread Compton. “(Schnase) really toured out of friendship with the rest of us. I think he enjoys playing music, but I don’t think he ever really wanted to tour,” says Maginn. Compton has been touring with the band since last spring and, Maginn says, has breathed some new energy into the group. “He’s kind of an animal,” he says. “He takes a pretty keen interest and active role in suggesting ideas on songs during the writing process.”
A new record is in the works and is roughly three quarters of the way done. Concertgoers can expect to hear five or six new tracks, which provide a nice glimpse of the band’s progression while still giving fans a chance to rock out to their favorite songs. Cursive’s studio recordings are energetic and chaotic, but its music truly comes to life in concert.
“(The upcoming album) is fairly dark and melancholy,” says Maginn. “I think we are going to keep an open mind on instrumentation and maybe get a little broader, even more than the last record.”
So far, Maginn has enjoyed his time here in Columbia despite moving away from his musical hometown. He has begun to take a liking to the town’s culture and music venues. “I’ve always liked the town when we would come through, but I don’t like moving our stuff,” Maginn says. “Once I got here, I was really excited. I think it’s actually a great place to live.”
One of the things that makes Columbia a good place to live is the live music — Maginn and his band are kind enough to return the favor.
— Brian Doty
