When you hear of a musical group called Manchester Orchestra, you may be compelled to think of a series of ritzy instrumentals heard only by fancily dressed audiences in an over-decorated theater. Don"t be fooled. In reality, Manchester Orchestra is a unique indie rock band with an unforgettable sound.

Manchester Orchestra is Jeremiah Edmond, Anthony Hull, Chris Freeman, Robert McDowell, and Jonathan Corley. Originating in Atlanta, the band was "very blessed with supportive families,” but did not get immediate success in its hometown.

"We really weren’t accepted into any sort of scene in Atlanta at first,” said Edmond. “We had to go out on the road and make a name for ourselves that way, and then when other places started paying attention to us Atlanta fans finally started to wonder what we were about and started coming out to shows. The fans we finally made in Atlanta have been amazing though. We love coming home and playing shows now.”

Though Manchester Orchestra loves playing at home, they’ve been spending lots of time on the road. This year, the band went outside of the usual United States touring schedule to make a stop in the United Kingdom. “March was the first time we had been as a band. Some of the guys had visited before with family. It was my first time ever.”

With tour after tour, the band has had the chance to meet and befriend many other musicians in the music scene. “Colour Revolt and Anathallo have been great friends since the beginning and helped us get our start. Brand New and Kevin Devine are some of the best friends we have made since then.”

In fact, the band has received some great comparisons to well-known bands they enjoy. “We get a lot of comparisons to Brand New because most people first heard of us when we were touring with them. We also hear Death Cab For Cutie, R.E.M., and a few other random ones,” Edmond says. “One guy said we were like R.E.M., Flaming Lips, and Sparklehorse on record, and My Morning Jacket and Led Zeppelin live.”

"It is always nice to hear things like that," he says. "Sometimes you get stuck in autopilot when you talk to people because you hear the same sort of comments and questions over and over, but then you quickly snap out of it and realize how crazy it is that anyone even knows who you are or has taken the time to listen to your music and it means a lot."

The compliments don't get old, according to Edmond. In fact, he says if Manchester Orchestra could cover one band for a night it would be My Morning Jacket, a band that they find themselves compared to often. They recently covered songs by the Annuals, the band they are currently touring with, for a special 7-inch vinyl record sold only on the tour.

With so many live shows, the band has learned to deal with the stage fright they may have had in the past - mostly. "I think we all have moments where we freak out a bit, but for the most part we are all really comfortable on stage. We probably feel more comfortable on stage than in a lot of other situations."

They feel so comfortable on stage that they've even begun throwing parties while other bands are in the middle of a set. "On the last night of the Say Anything/Saves The Day tour we had a birthday party on stage during Say Anything's set. Saves the Day set it all up and we walked on stage with a full table and chairs, cake, piñata, party favors, noise makers, everything. We sat and ate cake and hung out and had a party for three songs."

Some of their antics have even been caught on tape. While on tour, a friend of the band, Sam Erickson, shot a 40-minute documentary entitled What's Left Behind, chronicling the band's love/hate relationship with tour life.

"When we are on the road we can't wait to be home and sleep in our own beds and be with our families and girlfriends and all that. When we are home we are itching to be on the road playing and moving. After a little while of each you are ready for the other."

The band has been showing their clever film in major cities along their tour route, and they have some future entertainment projects in the works. "We will continue doing our podcasts and other video stuff. We just got a new camera and editing software so we can step up the production of them."

The band keeps things light-hearted while on tour, but their music deals with a much more serious subject—spirituality.

“We all grew up in Christian families so we all have certain core beliefs that we base everything around,” Edmond says. “There is a whole lot of room for debate after those core things. I think we are all probably in that spot of trying to figure that stuff out and realizing that we never will.”

A career in music was not always the life he had envisioned for himself either. “I was working as an engineer and producer before I joined the band. That’s what I will end up doing long term whenever this crazy ride is over,” explains Edmond.

Despite a crazy ride, the band is learning to find their perfect sense of balance in the music business. “You have to know that it takes a lot of hard work and you have to know when to work and when to have fun. Luckily, most the hard work in being in a band can be fun as well,” says Edmond. “In the end, you are doing something not many people get a chance to do, and that is doing what you love to do.”

You can check out the band at www.themanchesterorchestra.com.

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k   |2007-11-18 15:05:50 Such a great band. They're all so genuinely nice, too. Reply 0   0

bluej   |2007-11-04 11:50:58 I like these guys! Reply 0   0

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