Argo

By Rob Bergquist
Photo by Donna Benson

Every band should have a spaceship to transport them to and from shows. Failing that, they should have an RV and name themselves after a spaceship - as was the case with Seattle's dreamy indie pop band, Argo.
"That motor home was a big part of our culture in the early days," says vocalist/guitarist Justin Benson. "It was called 'The Jamboree' and had this decked out '70s décor on the inside." While on the road, The Jamboree became something of a home away from home where Benson, vocalist/bassist Jon Wooster, and keyboardist/multi-instrumentalist Matt Benham would store gear, sleep and party. But the RV fun had to come to an end.
"We took a trip to San Francisco that took much longer than we anticipated," explains Benham, "and it was then we realized that if we were going to be touring more, we needed to get rid of the RV and get a van." It was time to get serious.
The addition of drummer Adrian Van Batenburg to the group helped this process along. A plethora of changes behind the snares and many nights of wondering whether they would ever find a drummer capable of achieving what they wanted, Argo found Van Batenburg, a graduate of the jazz school at the University of Northern Texas. Even though the drums tracks on Argo's latest album Attack of the Firebots were written and recorded well before Van Batenburg joined the band, he brings an energy to those songs that translates to the band's live shows.
"I think that we bring a lot of intensity when we play live," says Wooster, "and Adrian is a big part of that." The many lineup changes over the last few years play a thematic role on Attack of the Firebots as well. The band exhibits a tremendous amount of faith in one another and that trust lyrically takes the form of a ship's crew under siege during the song "Water's Red." The lines, "We can't fail / This boat is made of steel," rally the fictional shipmates, who, listeners come to find out in "Alternate Ending," seem to have survived the attack.
Much like the metaphorical crew, Argo the band has survived and now gets to eat the fruit of adversity - prosperity. Their unique sound - spacey, hook-driven pop with moments of full-tilt rock - burrows a niche that is sure to promise them an extended lifespan in the crowded Seattle scene. Finally, after years of doing their own publicity for shows, trying to prove their drawing power, and calling local radio stations begging for airtime, Argo has the chance to sit back and let someone do the trench work for them. "We are in the final stages of hiring a manager," Wooster explains, "and we have established a great working relationship with Ana-them records."
The band members attribute much of their success to their commitment to each other and the local music community. Even though Argo's sound is starkly different than much of the music being created in Seattle, the band plays with almost everybody, almost everywhere in the city. "We are very conscious of the fact that when you play a show, you need to stick around and support everyone else playing through their sets," Wooster says. "We are always in the front row rockin' out because then, it becomes like a great big party. Every time we play, we either make new friends or play with old ones."
Ultimately it comes down to the music. Argo believes so strongly in their songs, that through all the lineup changes and cancelled tours, they remain committed to making it work, and have a third album in the works. "We just have to remind ourselves not to get too excited about the new music so we don't play out the next album before Firebots has run its course," comments Benson.
"Our goal with this album was to pepper the Northwest," Wooster says, "and we hope that we are beginning to do that." Unlike The Jamboree, Argo is a ship built to last.

www.argotheband.com