The Morning Benders Release Big Echo Out Today, Announce Tour Dates

Big Echo, the second full-length record from California's Morning Benders dropped today on Rough Trade Records. Lead singer/guitarist Chris Chu took production credit this time round, along with Grizzley Bear's Chris Taylor (talk about instant indie cred). Chu's songwriting is always so interesting-while it may sound like "just a power pop song," at first, let it breathe if you will, and run it a couple more times-Chu consistently turns quite a phrase amidst the musical complexities that the band brings to a track.

The Benders start out on tour tomorrow through April in support of Big Echo. Their acoustic SXSW show with Ben Gibbard for Stereogum at The Parish is slated as the hottest ticket this year for sure.

The Morning Benders Spring 2010 Tour Dates
March 10th: Jonny Brenda s, Philadelphia, PA*
March 11th: The Black Cat, Washington DC*
March 12th: Local 506, Chapel Hill, NC *
March 13th: The Drunken Unicorn, Atlanta, GA*
March 13th, 6pm: Criminal Records Instore, Atlanta, GA
March 15th: The Bottletree, Birmingham, AL*
March 17th Brooklyn Vegan Day Party at Emo s Austin
March 17th Rough Trade Records Showcase at Emo s Austin
March 18th Mess With Texas Party Austin
March 18th FADER Fort Austin
March 18th True Panther Sounds Showcase at Ms. Bea s Austin
March 20th Stereogum Range Life at The Parish (acoustic set) Austin
March 23rd: The Rhythm Room, Phoenix, AZ
March 25th: Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA#
March 26th, 5pm: M-Theory Instore w/ Surfer Blood, San Diego, CA
March 26th: Casbah, San Diego, CA#
March 27th: Detroit Bar, Costa Mesa, CA
March 28th: Muddy Waters, Santa Barbara, CA
March 30th: The Independent, San Francisco, CA%
April 1st: Holocene, Portland, OR
April 2nd: Crocodile Café, Seattle, WA
April 3rd: Media Club, Vancouver, Canada
April 5th: Club Velour, Provo, UT
April 7th: Hi-Dive, Denver, CO
April 9th: The Vaudeville Mews, Des Moines, IA
April 10th: The Maintenance Shop, Ames, IA
April 11th: Huckleberry's Pizza (Presented by Daytrotter), Rock Island, IL
April 12th: Schubas Tavern, Chicago,IL
April 14th: The Drake Hotel, Toronto, Canada
April 15th: La Sala Rossa, Montreal, Canada
April 16th: The Monkey House, Winooski, Vermont
April 17th: TT The Bear s, Boston, MA
April 18th: Hamilton College, Clinton, NY*
April 22nd and 28th*: The Mercury Lounge, NYC

*Acrylics, #We Barbarians, %the Mumlers
Miniature Tigers will be supporting the morning benders on all dates.

Check out our interview with The Morning Benders from early last year here.

Sound and Vision: My Interview with The Morning Benders

I discovered The Morning Benders after SXSW last year when I stumbled upon the slew of great indie bands out of the Los Angeles and Northern CA areas . Based out of Berkeley, CA, theirs is a sound that is most comparable to sunny Britpop but with a distinctive edginess.

Lead singer/songwriter/guitarist Chris Chu started the band by himself initially, armed with just a computer and a guitar. He then added drummer Julian Harmon, a childhood friend, and guitarist Joe Ferrell, whom he and Harmon met when they all worked at Disneyland in southern California. "Julian ran Mr. Toad's Wild Ride," said Chu, "Joe worked Pirates of the Caribbean. I was in the yogurt shop that was the only
place where you could buy pineapple yogurt." Bassist Tim Or is a more recent addition, though they claim Tim was a Disneyland worker as well. "He was maintenance," said Chu with a laugh.

Though young (all are in their early 20s), the Benders are that kind of contemplative smart that normally comes with a few years under your belt. You know how some people are said to have an old soul, where they may be young in age but seem to have a sense about them that makes them more mature somehow, sort of wise beyond their years? That's definitely one thing that kept popping into my head when talking to these four guys. I mean, how many members of rock bands typically read autobiographies of yogis and philosophy books by Bertram Russell? And all four have a wry, deadpan wit that kept me in stitches. You know what they say, it ain't the years, it's the miles that matter...

Only on the scene for a couple of years now, the Benders have already become a seasoned touring band, opening on major tours for The Kooks, Ra Ra Riot, and We Are Scientists. Having just finished a great book at about the time of our interview, (Petal Pusher by Laurie Lindeen), about a woman's experiences in a young indie band, I decided to get the Benders insights on whether the whole "indie rock band in a van" experience has changed much in last 20 years. Except for the prevalence of anti-lock brakes, air bags, and cell phones now, I think it's safe to say the answer is "Nope." It's not an easy existence, criss-crossing the country as a touring band, but The Morning Benders are clearly four guys who take their music seriously and settle in for a good laugh about the rest, all the while enjoying the ride.

(Chris Chu)

(Tim Or)

(Julian Harmon)

(Joe Ferrell)
(See the rest of The Morning Benders photos from the Black Cat show here)

((The Benders saying g'bye...)


(The Morning Benders latest release, Talking Through Tin Cans is out now, and they are currently out on tour with The Submarines. They're also playing a tons of places during this year's SXSW.)