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Archers of Loaf reissues spur reunion tour
Photo credit: Archers of Loaf
North Carolina's Archers of Loaf are one of the best bands to come out of the alternative-rock explosion of the 1990s.
A noisy, guitar-driven group with witty, sarcastic lyrics, the Archers were often compared to indie-rock stalwarts Pavement, the Replacements and Sonic Youth.The band broke up in 1998, and singer Eric Bachmann went on to record several albums of folk-rock as Crooked Fingers, including 2011's "Breaks in the Armor."
Then last year, the Archers suddenly came back, launching a reunion tour as their albums got the deluxe reissue treatment from Merge Records.
amNewYork spoke with Bachmann about the tour and the band's future.
What made you decide to reunite the Archers? I figured it was now or never. When the albums started getting reissued and the band wanted to tour, I figured I shouldn't be the holdout. And I did miss playing in a loud rock band.
Is it hard to revisit these songs 20 years later? It was easier than you'd think. You change your relationship with the song. Now, it's not about me enjoying singing it. It's about being in a room full of people that want you to do it and are rooting for you to do it. It's really nice to have people scream lyrics back at you.
Do you think there will be a new Archers album? I was interested at first, but I don't know where to write from. I can't write [1993's] "Icky Mettle" again. I don't think the band would want to do that. I've tried to write songs that would work as Archers songs and I've got nothing. Maybe I'm just at a different stage of life.
Once the reissue series is complete this summer, will Archers be done? This might be it. It's a lot to do, especially when you're trying to work on new things that are more interesting to you. My guess is we won't tour again after the reissues, but I reserve the right to be a liar.
If you go: Archers of Loaf perform Thursday night at 8 at the Bowery Ballroom,
6 Delancey St., 212-533-2111, sold out.The band will also perform Sunday night at 8 at the Music Hall of Williamsburg, 66 N. 6th St., Williamsburg, 718-486-5400, $25.
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