Band Interview: Now It's Overhead

by Katrina Martin

Andy LeMaster, 28-year-old creator of Now It's Overhead, speaks quickly. It's as if his mouth has a hard time keeping up with his highly imaginative brain and he wants to get everything out before his mind moves on to something new. His voice crackles with excitement--and a little modesty--as he describes his songwriting process, his role as a producer, the history of his Athens, GA-based project and how he came to know Michael Stipe.

LeMaster's talent in songwriting and production is apparent. He is lucky in many ways--he's a self-taught producer and musician who now makes a living at his craft. You won't find him working at the corner gas station and playing gigs at night. Instead, you'll find him at Chase Park Transduction Recording Studio in Athens recording Amy Ray, The Glands, REM and other local bands.

"I'm grateful it worked out that way," he said.

LeMaster got a guitar at 12, taught himself to play and joined a band the next week. In high school he got a four-track and began recording local bands.

"It was trial-by-fire," he said. "Gradually I fell in love with it."

LeMaster combined his production skills with biting, truthful and metaphoric songwriting to create Now It's Overhead's style. His songs emerge through a common thread (the one on Fall Back Open being the subtleties of relationships) and although he generally writes lyrics in one sitting, there's much more to his process because he takes songwriting into the studio.

"I try the songs with different arrangements and that can dictate the flow of the lyrics," he said.

Several songs stand out on Fall Back Open. LeMaster throws a sarcastic jab at the dating scene in both "Wait In a Line" and "Profile." The first examines the club scene -- waiting on line to get into a club and dancing and interacting with others in the hopes of finding a match among thumping beats, liquor and dim lighting. The second reads lines from personals: "5'10", 135, brown hair, blue eyes, light skin, 26, status: negative." LeMaster's disdain toward the process is revealed in the next line: "Just drop me a line / I will get back to you alright in my sweet time / In a dry spell." He said the songs are tongue-in-cheek.

"Both songs share a disgust toward and a sadness about the fact that people feel obligated to subscribe to certain ways of finding a relationship," he said. "But I'm capturing the mood rather than preaching against it. It has both alluring and frustrating parts--it's a contradiction."

LeMaster chose several genres through which to express his feelings and thoughts--his music contains hints of electronica, a tinge of folky guitars and an overall wash of melodic, lush soundscapes. Therefore, the music is difficult to pin down, although LeMaster admits it has poppiness to it.

"It's in the pop music realm -- that's what comes out of me," he said. "It's what I've heard my whole life."

LeMaster formed Now It's Overhead in early 2000. He'd already known most of the key players involved for about five years, and his history with the people behind his label (Omaha, NE's Saddle Creek) goes back three years more. It's no wonder with his Athens and Omaha connections that LeMaster found Orenda Fink and Maria Taylor of Azure Ray, who provide background vocals, bass, keyboards and trumpet on the record. LeMaster's long-time friend Clay Leverett rounds out the group on drums and vocals.

However, though these players have a strong presence on the album and appear in press photos, LeMaster admits the band is more his baby--on the tour the group's lineup will change because Azure Ray are on tour as well.

"It might be safe to say Now It's Overhead is more of a solo project than a band," LeMaster said.

That doesn't mean he discounts the other's roles in the band; rather, he said he respects his band mates and sincerely enjoys working with them. In addition, he invites others onto his records--label mate Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes lends his pipes to the title track of Now It's Overhead's recent release Fall Back Open. LeMaster often plays on Bright Eyes records and is one of the few consistent members of their touring band. Fellow Athens rocker Michael Stipe (REM) also sings on the record. LeMaster produced a song for REM and afterward agreed to add his wistful tenor to "Antidote."

But LeMaster doesn't play up his connection to Stipe. Instead, he plays it off, saying it's natural to meet other Athens musicians because those are the people he spends time with.

Now It's Overhead is currently touring the U.S. They will venture to Europe in May.