The Great Unknown
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Kiya Horace stood in front of a microphone at Avatar Studios on West 53rd Street on Wednesday afternoon and waited for directions.
“Do you remember your part?” asked Todd Henkin, vocalist for the Great Unknown, a folkish indie band from Philadelphia. “How does it go?”
Kiya, 9, remembered some advice she’d been given the day before. “I need more expression and more feeling?” she asked, adjusting her headphones. Mr. Henkin and his band mates tried not to smile as she began her spoken-word solo.
“May I have your attention please, ladies and gentlemen,” Kiya declared into her microphone. She took a deep breath. “This is very important.”
To her right, two of her classmates from P.S. 171 in East Harlem giggled.
Wednesday’s session was the fruit of a program that pairs musicians with schools nationwide, turning poetry into music. The songwriting program, run by the music licensing agency Ascap and America Scores, a nonprofit group that runs after-school programs, is in 15 cities.
The collaboration between Kiya’s schoolmates and the band, a song called “Decomposers and Producers,” came out of a session in which the band asked 13 third- and fourth-grade girls questions about their lives and their futures. The band arranged and rearranged the answers, written on scraps of paper.
Some lines were straightforward. (“I want to travel the world.”) Others were more whimsical. (“B.B. King was there and he was dancing.” “I will be a dolphin and I will swim all day.” “There, she met Barack Obama.”)
“We try to have a theme and ask questions that kids their age probably don’t get asked,” Jordan Berger, another member of the four-piece band, said. “Like, ‘Why are you important?’”
From the fragmented thoughts of 9-year-olds came the song, a smooth, slow-paced and vaguely apocalyptic piece. (“People will need batteries to live.”)
When it came time to record, the girls, under the watchful eye of their poetry coach, Sara Headman, sat in a semicircle and put on studio headphones to record backup vocals
“When we’re not singing,” Mr. Henkin told the girls, “we’re not talking any other words, because everything gets picked up.”
“What if we have to sneeze?” asked a girl standing at the edge of the group, most of whose members gazed wide-eyed at the recording equipment.
“It’s O.K.,” Mr. Henkin said. “We don’t want anybody to hold any sneeze. It’s dangerous. You might explode.”
After the session, 9-year-old Mariah Serrano told her mother that Wednesday had been “the best day ever.” Mariah cited Lady Gaga, Michael Jackson and her namesake, Mariah Carey, as musical influences — all a far cry from the sound her collaborators have going.
The Great Unknown, who have also worked in schools in Chicago, Cleveland, Washington and Milwaukee, performed the song again later that night, at a grownup show at the Living Room on the Lower East Side.
Composing lyrics from the thoughts of children — and in some of the other cities they’ve visited, teenagers — is a challenge for the band but brings a sense of immediacy to the music, the band members said.
“I think it’s kind of liberating,” Mr. Henkin said. - The New York Times
“A nuanced and cohesive offering that melds folk and alt-country, The Great Unknown’s “The New Skin EP” is a disciplined collection of songs that explore hope and longing, and demonstrate why the Philadelphia band has become one of their city’s favorite acts.” - Fogged Clarity
“With very strong vocal harmonies, bouncing bass lines, and crunching guitars, The Great Unknown displayed a clear rock and roll influence…These vocal harmonies really helped The Great Unknown stand out…Playing some songs off their new release, The New Skin EP, the band had a great connection with the audience and frequently joked and talked in between songs. Despite a hot sun, the crowd was still out in full force and fully packed the Marina Lawn. With willing listeners, The Great Unknown got the chance to broadcast their impressive sound, one of classic country undertones and rock and roll energy.” - WXPN All About the Music Blog
"I Can See Forever Up Here" is a romp through Jay Farrar territory, and "Votra Notra Dom" hints at the gritty Delta boogie of Little Feat. But the true strength in West Philly Americana quintet The Great Unknown lies in their moments of restraint. Check out "Shrapnel," a simmering hymn rooted in a rickety cello duo. Dig the breezy whistling and bango-led campfire harmonies on the flawless "The Weasel & The Worm," which closes their self-released debut Tonight, Let's Pretend.
-John Vettese - Citypaper (Philadelphia)
Tonight, Let's Pretend is a work of meticulous beauty. The Great Unknown, four local Philly gentlemen, have always been good at making folk rock something stimulating and fresh, which, considering how tired the outfit is, is no small feat. This full length album of songs is no exception, and demonstrates a fine level of craftsmanship. The orchestration of the multitude of string instruments is fantastic, smoothly forming that feeling of rolling the windows down on a long ride through the country. Banjoes, acoustic and electric guitars, bass, and lap steel interplay for a dreamy southern twang - swelling and slowing with emotion. Military beats can sometimes be heard, and in other instances, a clear and driving force of drums as well as other percussions that give the music the perfect accent. A sense of loss can be found amidst the tunes in lyrics written by the whole band. "I'm Not Listening," for instance, which happens to be my personal favorite song on the album, contains a message of loneliness after separation: "Earthquakes and hurricanes, the ruins spell your name, I'm not looking." Heartbreaking lyrics such as these add a whole other element to Tonight, Let's Pretend. The endearingly sincere vocals heard throughout this album make it so much more relatable, making you feel every word intoned. It's an honest album, with no glitz or glam, but by relying on pure, raw talent, The Great Unknown have written one of my favorite albums of the year. myspace.com/thegreatunknownband - James Sanderson - Deli Magazine
The band's new release Tonight, Let's Pretend retains the structured songwriting, melancholic melodies and twangy harmonies of folk and country music, but with noticeable singer-songwriter and indie rock elements. Songs are melancholic but lively, rowdy but cohesive, and a bit confessional at times like Conor Oberst without the outright despair. But also very fun. Few bands, after all, would compare their songwriting process to the life cycle of baby sea turtles. ? - Philly Weekly
This double-bill presents restrained roots rock from a pair of bands more concerned with crafting a song than cranking their amps and blasting through a batch of disposable booze tunes. Philadelphia's The Great Unknown coaxes gentle, nuanced alt-country from the convergence of five voices, riding atop a plethora of stringed instruments that gracefully dance in and out between an amiable backroads shuffle. When it cuts loose, the quintet rocks convincingly, adding soundtracks of rowdy to postcards of roadside attractions. �Spencer Griffith - Independent Weekly (Chapel Hill)
Sanity returned to the Fire at midnight as The Great Unknown began their set of alterna-country. These truck-stop cowboys from West Philly bring more snap and vehemence to their songs than this genre (think Wilco, for purposes of orientation) usually offers.
In fact, on stompers such as "Over and Over" and "Day's Stampede" the five-piece led by singer Todd Henkin combined a mad momentum with the racous assurance of Marah. Many of their compositions - and they debuted some excellent new ones on Thursday night - come wrapped in the barbed wire of Brad Jacobson's lap steel guitar.
By the time they swung into that old Bo Diddley beat for "Man in the Benz," the small but fervent crowd at the Fire didn't want the Great Unknown to leave the stage. - Philadelphia Inquirer
Discography
LP - 'Tonight, Let's Pretend' (self-released, available on iTunes and CD Baby)
EP - 'The New Skin EP' (self-released, available on iTunes and at digital.thegreatunknownmusic.com)
What they're saying:
Fogged Clarity - Featured Album review
"A nuanced and cohesive offering that melds folk and alt-country, The Great Unknown’s “The New Skin EP” is a disciplined collection of songs that explore hope and longing, and demonstrate why the Philadelphia band has become one of their city’s favorite acts."
Deli Magazine Philadelphia
"Tonight, Let's Pretend is a work of meticulous beauty. The Great Unknown, four local Philly gentlemen, have always been good at making folk rock something stimulating and fresh, which, considering how tired the outfit is, is no small feat. This full length album of songs is no exception, and demonstrates a fine level of craftsmanship. The orchestration of the multitude of string instruments is fantastic, smoothly forming that feeling of rolling the windows down on a long ride through the country. Banjoes, acoustic and electric guitars, bass, and lap steel interplay for a dreamy southern twang - swelling and slowing with emotion. Military beats can sometimes be heard, and in other instances, a clear and driving force of drums as well as other percussions that give the music the perfect accent. A sense of loss can be found amidst the tunes in lyrics written by the whole band. "I'm Not Listening," for instance, which happens to be my personal favorite song on the album, contains a message of loneliness after separation: "Earthquakes and hurricanes, the ruins spell your name, I'm not looking." Heartbreaking lyrics such as these add a whole other element to Tonight, Let's Pretend. The endearingly sincere vocals heard throughout this album make it so much more relatable, making you feel every word intoned. It's an honest album, with no glitz or glam, but by relying on pure, raw talent, The Great Unknown have written one of my favorite albums of the year." -James Sanderson
Citypaper (Philadelphia)
'"I Can See Forever Up Here" is a romp through Jay Farrar territory, and "Votra Notra Dom" hints at the gritty Delta boogie of Little Feat. But the true strength in West Philly Americana quintet The Great Unknown lies in their moments of restraint. Check out "Shrapnel," a simmering hymn rooted in a rickety cello duo. Dig the breezy whistling and bango-led campfire harmonies on the flawless "The Weasel & The Worm," which closes their self-released debut Tonight, Let's Pretend.'
-John Vettese
Compilation - "I'm Not Listening" featured in Paste Magazine New Music Sampler (Dec/Jan '09, www.pastemagazine.com) and on Milkboy Live Volume 1 (available on iTunes).
Compilation - "Shrapnel" is featured on How to Make An Arrow - Philly Comp. One
Radio - "I'm Not Listening" and "I Can See Forever Up Here" receive airplay on WXPN Philadelphia, "The Loft" on XM Radio, and WRFL Lexington, KY
Photos
Bio
In a big 2010 for The Great Unknown, a quickly rising Philadelphia alt-folk band, they self-released a critically acclaimed EP, toured the midwest and east coast, shared the stage with such bands as Dawes, These United States and Good Old War, and finished the year with a 900+ audience performance at the legendary Theater of the Living Arts in Philadelphia.
For the Philadelphia group The Great Unknown, being in a band extends far beyond simply writing a handful of songs – it's about instilling everything they do with their own singular personality and distinct point-of-view. Case in point: when they were invited to play "God Bless America" during the 7th inning stretch of a packed-to-capacity Phillies game, the band chose to completely reinvent the song, transforming it from a too-familiar national staple into a call-and-response country number that was wholly their own. For their first record release show, they decorated the venue with leaves they'd collected, stocked the bar with their own home-brewed beer, and served the audience food they'd baked. For them, music isn't just professional – it's personal, a method of communication that's a natural outgrowth of being human. In fact, when drummer Jordan Berger auditioned for the band, he strapped his drum set to his body, walked it over to the house where the other members were practicing, and set up shop in the living room. "We take a lot of pride in doing things ourselves, explains frontman Todd Henkin. "We like to set up a space that's personal to us that we can invite our friends and other people to come share in."
This fall, they took that desire for personal connection even further, when they embarked on a tour of elementary schools, writing songs that emphasized individuality and self-worth with students from third to fifth grades. The band led the students through a series of exercises – brainstorming, free-writing, guided conversations – gradually turning the ideas they suggest into songs. "We wanted to show them that anyone can do this. Writing a song and recording it – that’s something that everyone can do." The group also visited urban farms and spent days in a row at several stops along the tour, all in an effort to bridge the gap between performer and audience.
"We're trying to rethink the concept of touring," Henkin explains. "We're trying to move away from just showing up at a venue, drinking a couple of beers, playing a show and leaving. We want to stay for a couple of days and meet people in the community. I feel like if you build relationships in a town, those people are gonna be willing to open up. You’re gonna have people who are doing awesome things, who are motivated – people who you genuinely want to be around. It becomes so much bigger than just traveling once every few months through a town."
That desire for connection and community is reflected in the group's songs as well, which mine the classic American country and folk traditions. Drawing influence from everyone from Leonard Cohen to Bill Callahan to blues legend Taj Mahal, the group creates rich, moody music that speaks to the fragility of the human condition. There's perhaps no better reflection of those concerns than "High Grounds," a glimmering slice of alt-country that finds Henkin, over ringing lap steel and taut, brittle percussion, considering the marvel of the human body and the centrality and unassailability of the human heart. That theme emerges again in "Iyla Grace," a song written shortly after Henkin was attacked and bitten by a pitbull -- an incident that intersected with the first time he met his infant niece. The song carefully considers the notion of having "new skin," using it as a metaphor for human vulnerability with a deftness that recalls some of Henkin's literary heroes -- Pablo Neruda and William Butler Yeats. Henkin had the opportunity to play the song for a group of recently returned veterans of the Iraq war, several of whom approached him afterward to tell him they were moved by the song's message.
In the four years since their inception, the group has grown together, making music that reflects their disparate personalities. "Matt is a classic rock guy, he comes from listening to tons of classic rock and tons of Black Sabbath and Metallica," Henkin explains. " Brad comes from more of a Wilco, Smog, Akron/Family background. But so much of being in this band is about bringing a song and losing your ego. It's our song." Through it all they've kept focus on the human connection – placing communication and community at the forefront of their music.
"I think people come to our shows and they feel something," Henkin says. "And thats what I like about making music. It’s an emotional experience for us. I think that other people -- even if they don’t know exactly what we’re singing about -- they can feel that."
The Great Unknown has shared the stage with Dawes, The Carolina Chocolate Drops, Budos Band, Chatham County Line, Cotton Jones, Go
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