The Explorer’s Club: Traversing Uncharted Territory

By Kenneth Gambill

Photo by Josh Gragg

“I’m addicted to staring at the ocean,” says Jason Brewer. “It has a mighty power, and it’s a very inspiring thing. When you see the ocean, you see just how massive and powerful it really can be. It’s also sort of a parallel to real life with all of its changes and shifts.”

The kind of inspiration Brewer derives from the ocean is inherent and undeniably noticeable in his poppy songwriting. When he first came to writing songs, Brewer was trying to steer clear of the Brit-Rock sound. With influences such as The Beach Boys, Phil Spector, Harry Nilsson, The Zombies and The Association, Brewer and his bandmates are now bringing the 1960s psychedelic pop sound back to life. “I wanted to try something different that was familiar but something that hasn’t been done in awhile,” explains Brewer.

Most people would never accuse the singer and lead guitarist of being a dictator when it comes down to his leadership in the Charleston band The Explorers Club. In fact, the rest of the band considers him a conductor. He records the band, writes the majority of the songs, fills in with other bands around the area for extra dough, yet he doesn’t come off as pretentious in the least.

“I tend to bring parts to the band and hand them out, but I like the idea of everyone having their say,” says Brewer. “I may be somewhat of a conductor onstage while someone else is fulfilling their own purpose.”

The guys decided on the name The Explorers Club after the Bill Murray film The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. “With a name like The Explorers Club, you can have a lot of fun with it,” says vocalist and man-of-all-instruments Dave Ellis. “We even have an idea to include an Explorers Club membership card.”

Ellis is the self-proclaimed audience link to the band, but they all seem to embody their own unique performance. “We try not to be the same during each of our shows,” says vocalist and guitarist James Faust. “We like to get the audience involved and give them a good show,” adds Brewer.

Ellis was the last member to join the group, but felt like he had to after hearing some of Brewer’s songs following a brief encounter at a guitar store. “I was really impressed with what Jason had come up with,” says Ellis. Ellis soon became the filler that the guys had been looking for. “I round out the sound,” says Ellis. “It’s been a wild ride from the beginning.”

After meeting in college at Charleston Southern University, some of the guys dropped out to pursue the band full time. Though only together for about a year-and-a-half, the guys seem to gel when it comes down to making tight music together. Ranging from their early to late 20s, they all have a deep appreciation for that full musical sound that incorporates as many instruments as possible without sounding overbearing.

“Most of us are multi-instrumental and four of us share vocal duties, which helps out a lot,” says Brewer. “It’s like having six people taking the role of frontman and sharing the limelight instead of one.”

Having a six-person band isn’t as conflicting as one would think. “We have to respect each other because we understand that if this is going to work at all, everyone has to be on the same page,” says Faust. “We leave our egos at the door and get along better because of it.”

Along with drummer Neil Thomas, bassist Wally Reddington and keyboardist Stefan Rogenmoser, the guys have been playing their instruments for a number of years, with Reddington having over 16 years of musical knowledge. With so much experience, it makes for a smooth process of writing and recording music.

The Explorers Club’s music is something that is easily accessible, with many poppy hooks, clever transitions and bouncy rhythms. They have quickly become a staple in the Southeast, playing sold out shows in their hometown of Charleston, as well as in Athens, Nashville and Atlanta.

The sextet recorded with good pal Matt Goldman at his Atlanta studio, Glow in the Dark. Brewer lent his hand in co-producing the band’s self-titled EP. Brewer’s approach to the recording process is simplistic, yet smart. “I try not to let one instrument stand out but to make it all blend together so that it creates its own unique sound,” he explains. Even though their five-song EP was independently recorded and recently released, the guys have been moving upwards and have some very promising things in the works. “We are working with a yet-to-be-named management company and have also been in talks with a couple of labels,” says Brewer. “We are weighing our options and things are definitely on the up and up.”

But in the studio is where Brewer takes control, overseeing everything. “I take a melody first and add chords to them later,” says Brewer. “Then, sometimes, I’ll collaborate with outside sources on lyrics or I’ll come up with something on my own.“ Brewer insists that even though the majority of songs that they perform are love songs, they focus more on the melody and the swelling of the mixture of sound rather than the lyrics. “We take our songs very seriously, and onstage, everybody makes sure that their performances are executed just as well as the recording,” says Brewer. “Our recordings and our live show are two different things, and I’d hate for our band to be a band that would just stare at you or at each other.”

Brewer and the boys are more focused on playing out and getting airplay. “We have been getting play in L.A. and Radio One in the U.K. and actually have a 7” single that came out in the U.K. in December,” says Brewer. The band has been touring throughout the East Coast and has even hit the West Coast a few times, all the while meeting all kinds of musicians. “A lot of groups we’ve encountered on tour seem to loosen up after we have opened for them,” says Brewer. “We have a strange effect on the bands we play with on tour where they are either scared of us or they like us a lot.”

One stop along the way was their recent gig on Little Steven’s Underground A Go Go tour. “That show was a lot of fun,” says Faust. “To hang out with all of those legends was a dream come true.” The guys were treated as equals and got the chance to share the stage, as well as a vegetable tray, with their influences. “Sharing a snack tray with one of your idols is a pretty cool thing,” adds Brewer. “Everyone was a lot less rock ‘n’ roll than you’d think.”

While the ocean is the start of inspiration for Brewer, he revels in the reaction of his bandmates, as well as himself, when a song is completed. “It drives me to write better songs,” explains Brewer. “I want people to enjoy the music, and I want to put a smile on their faces.”

After playing a show in Los Angeles this past year, Brewer was approached by a young female fan who proceeded to praise Brewer’s band for restoring her faith in music. It just goes to show that hard work and good songwriting will be heard as long as people give a band a chance. With The Explorers Club, there’s never a point in which they don’t give people a reason to listen.

www.myspace.com/explorersclub