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"The Fifth Business followed, with a set of loud, guitar-filled rock and roll, ending with some slower-paced but equally entertaining ballads and a Miley Cyrus cover — complete with gold cape and Hello Kitty guitar" - The Vermont Cynic
How would explain your sound to people who have never heard The Fifth Business?
Ted: That’s always a really tough question to answer, but we like to think of ourselves as having a “classic indie rock” sound. Many of our influences could definitely be lumped into that group of bands most people think of when you say "indie rock."
How and when did you guys start as a band? Is everyone from Burlington? What are your backgrounds?
Deane: John, Ted and I have known each other for years, but none of us imagined we would end up in a band together. Ted has been been playing music with me and John separately for a couple of years, but when we were introduced to Mike through a mutual friend we just kind of thought why not give it a try? We didn't know what to expect, but after we played in Mike's basement the first time we knew we had a band. That was around October of 2008, but it wasn't really until last January that we started writing consistently and recorded the material for "Fiction Pilot." Once the EP was finished we became much more focused and serious and began refining our sound and live show.
Ted: We all grew up in Vermont and are veterans of garage bands and smaller projects. Aside from Deane, who had an indie pop group called the Tasty Habits in Washington, DC, The Fifth Business is our first serious gig, and it's definitely the most significant project for all of us.
When did you start getting into the Burlington gigging scene? How has the response been?
Ted: We started out playing a number of informal shows and house parties, but breaking into the Burlington scene was a bit tough at first. We accepted a ton of out of town gigs because we were eager to play wherever we could. One time we were rejected outright by a smaller venue in the area based in part on our “lack of development” ie not enough friends/plays on our myspace site. It's tough because often, to be considered for entry-level gigs you need experience, but where are you supposed to get that experience? The Monkey House gave us our first legitimate gig this past summer and we packed the place with over 80 people. Since then, we’ve had a much easier time booking gigs and staying active in the Burlington scene. We were recently asked to open for Of Montreal at UVM's Patrick Gym.
Deane: The response from audiences has been great so far. Burlington seems to be more interested in indie rock these days and I think we fit into that scene really well.
You released an EP this summer, do you guys see yourself more as a recorded band or is the live show an important part of your dynamic?
Deane: We were just talking about this last night. Although we’re proud of our debut recording, we definitely see ourselves as a live act. Our energy and sound is more expansive live and we love to interact with the audience. We have plans in the works to record a full-length album at KTR Recording in Burlington come January, and we’re definitely going to focus on a more developed and produced sound. So far we've been part of the do-it-yourself tradition, and our EP was done on an extremely limited budget--whatever we could scrape out of pocket. As we mentioned before, when we recorded we hadn't been together long, and it was the first time Ted, John, and Mike had been in a professional studio. We've grown both as individual musicians, but also collectively as a band through playing a ton of shows, and I think this next recording will really reflect that.
How do you guys see yourself in Burlington? Have you noticed a theme to Burlington's music scene in response to your music?
Ted: We see ourselves in the middle of a shift in the Burlington scene. When people think of Burlington, they think of Phish, folk, and jazz, but right now it seems like indie rock is starting to creep its way in. We're located between Montreal and New York City, two major indie rock scenes, and I think Burlington is really starting to catch on. As far as how we've been received, it's been really positive. People like the fact that we're identifying ourselves as a Burlington band, and writing about life here. Burlington has a great scene, and living here is a unique experience--it definitely makes you ponder the classic question: does life imitate art or does art imitate life?
Who are you influences?
Deane: In terms of songwriting influences, I would say the big ones are Modest Mouse, Built To Spill, Death Cab For Cutie, and The Dismemberment Plan. Of course we all have pretty eclectic tastes in music so the full list would be all over the map and maybe a little embarrassing…one of us has a fairly abnormal obsession with Miley Cyrus tunes. - The Deli
Selected as band of the month for The Deli New England. September, '09. - The Deli
I’d like to propose — or perhaps predict — a new genre: “classic indie rock.” This would obviously cover all the usual suspects: BTS, Pavement, anything related to Elephant Six, et al. But it would also be a fitting descriptor for that particular type of modern outfit that chooses to walk in any of those bands’ enormous Chuck Taylor-made footsteps. For example, The Fifth Business.
The Burlington-based quartet is unquestionably an “indie” band. Jangly guitars? Check. Literate, bordering on pretentious, wordplay? Check. A huge debt to Built to Spill? Check, check. The Fifth Business is a classic indie rock band. And as their debut EP, Fiction Pilot, reveals, they are also a pretty solid one.
“Jack London” gets things under way — see “literate, borderline pretentious,” above. The tune is a fitting introduction to the Pitchfork-friendly fare to follow. Amid requisite guitar chicanery and marching percussion, vocalist/guitarist Deane Calcagni presents a sort of Isaac-Brock-by-way-of-Doug-Martsch-styled front man — see “Built to Spill, huge debt,” above. It’s a pleasant, if not altogether original, addition to the local indie rock canon.
“Fairbanks 142” slows the party down in a haze of lilting, reverb-washed guitars. Calcagni is joined by a nifty swell of backing vocals at the chorus — courtesy of his brother, Ted, presumably overdubbed several times.
Burlington ode “Sleight of Hand” is next and continues the band’s sturdy, albeit unspectacular, exploration of indie rock convention. You’ve heard this stuff before. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing when it’s done well, as it is here.
“7/8” represents the album’s most overt stylistic departure as it is, in fact, played in 7/8 time, at least in parts. It’s a neat trick, and a fun track.
Album closer “Oh Dear God!” wraps up the EP in fittingly “classic indie rock” style, complete with a touch of slackerly dual-guitar wanking at the finish. Stephen Malkmus would likely approve.
- Seven Days - Dan Bolles
Discography
Fiction Pilot - EP
Photos
Bio
Mike Healy of the Fifth Business pauses for a moment, deep in thought, as he searches for the perfect place to staple a poster for their next show. Brothers Ted and Deane Calcagni banter on the sidewalk, as bassist John Wallis glances up and down the darkened street. With a long list of shows to come, and fond memories of successful shows gone by, the group enjoys an evening in their hometown of Burlington, Vermont. All natives of Burlington, the group formed in the fall of 2008 in a basement littered with beer bottles, broken furniture, and abandoned possessions left by past tenants.
Over time, show posters, street signs, and guitar cables could come to fill the basement that served as The Fifth Business’s first home. It was in John’s basement that the band spent countless hours writing, re-writing, and polishing their songs.
“Our music is very much the result of living in Burlington,” Deane explains. “The songs cover a range of topics and experiences but they’re all still, in some way, influenced by life here.” Deane returned to Burlington in 2007 after playing with the Tasty Habits, an indie rock band based out of Washington D.C. During his four years with the Tasty Habits, Deane played shows and rubbed shoulders with notable D.C. and national acts such as Dan Deacon, Harry And The Potters, and The Aquarium. Upon returning to Vermont, Deane set his sights on starting a new project. That’s where his brother came in.
Ted had made a habit of playing and writing music with his long time friend and veteran of the Vermont music scene John Wallis. Their informal meetings became the basis for The Fifth Business’ creation. Ted’s rhythmic style of guitar playing, which betrays an appreciation of Chris Walla and Johnny Marr, blends seamlessly with John’s percussive bass lines.
If asked several years ago, Ted and John (who met at a summer camp) would never have guessed that they would be joined by Deane (their former counselor and senior of four years) to form the band that is today known as The Fifth Business.
After the three had played a handful of times they quickly realized the need for a solid percussionist. Enter Michael Healey. Connecting through a mutual friend, Mike joined the group lending his enthusiastic style and mischievous swagger. His experience on guitar translates into a melodic yet energetic style of drumming, filling out TFB’s sound and lineup.
The Fifth Business works to seamlessly blend genres and influences into a sound uniquely their own. The band harps back to early indie rock influences—Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, The Shins, Death Cab for Cutie—to create what they like to think of as a Classic Indie Rock sound.
With the recent release of their debut studio recording, “Fiction Pilot,” The Fifth Business are setting out to play shows across New England and New York. Catch them at a venue near you.
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