Espers - Biography
By Nick Castro
Espers are one the premiere groups of the indie-rock folk resurgence sometimes called freak-folk or wyrd folk. This Philadelphia group started as a trio in 2002 by musicians Greg Weeks, Meg Baird and record collector Brooke Seitinson. Influenced not only by current indie groups and friends' bands but also by records from Pentangle and Clive Palmer they wanted to form a group which played mainly acoustic instruments. Weeks was already released a string of indie acoustic solo records when the three decided to formalize their group. It was not long after the release of their first record that they officially added members Otto Hauser, Helena Espvall and Chris Smith to round out the sextet.
Hauser had been playing with a slew of other indie rock groups and experimental soundscape artists, including a very early high school gig backing Chuck Mangione, before joining Espers and moving to Philadelphia from his hometown of Rochester, NY. He now plays full time with Vetiver.
Espvall had moved to Philadelphia from her native Sweden to be with her husband who is a well known muralist. She spent most of her life playing classical and avant garde cello as well as brazilian guitar. She is responsible for much of the Espers' warm psychedelic blanket of sound. The contrast of playing can be heard between her wild outbursts of fury and cellist Margie Weink, who plays on the first album and has a more subdued classical sound. Espvall now releases experimental recordings under her own name.
Baird is the main voice of the group, along with Weeks, and comes from a family steeped in the folk tradition of eastern Pennsylvania. As a child Baird sang folk songs with her sister and father and these days Baird plays live both as a solo artist and as a duo with her sister under the name The Baird Sisters. Her voice is high and clear with tinges of appalachian balladry. She lends her sense of authenticity to the band to give them a touch of traditonal folk sound.
This sextet first released their self-titled debut, Espers (2004 - Locust), to a well receiving indie media which quickly began to garner them attention and acclaim. This album featured Kevin Barker of Currituck Co. and Margie Weink of Fern Knight playing guitar and cello respectivley. They were helped along by Arthur Magazine and Devendra Banhart, when they included them on their compilation The Golden Apples Of The Sun (2004 - Bastet), and by Chicago's Million Tongues Festival who featured Espers on their mainstage as well as their CD compilation Million Tongues Festival (2004 - Arthur Magazine). Hauser would later back Banhart on recordings and live shows. They have since recorded an EP, The Weed Tree (2005 - Drag City), of covers by Duruttu Column, Nico and others. The next year saw their third release simply titled II (2006 - Drag City) to denote their second full length release of original material. This last record is much more indicative of their current line up and their live sound. Rich and textured with all musicians playing at all times is their trademark. They can also be heard on the compilation Folk Off (2006 Sunday's Best Records).
Stories have circulated widely about frustrations and tensions within the group along with full-time careers being the cause of their near absence from the live music scene. Espers gigs are quite rare and even more so in recent years as Baird has been pursuing her solo career and Hauser is often busy touring with Vetiver. Weeks has opened a recording studio in Philadelphia and started an independent record label to help distribute the bands he records.
