“It’s a very visual record,” says frontman Tim DeLaughter. “Probably the most cinematic record we’ve made to date.”
DeLaughter is no stranger to incorporating visual elements into his music, and not just because the Spree has contributed to the soundtracks of several films and TV shows. This interest dates back to his original band, Tripping Daisy, who were known for including psychedelic elements in their music videos and live performances.
“If you ever saw Tripping Daisy back in the day, we always did visuals,” DeLaughter says. “It’s always been a part of my aesthetic with the music.”
To him, Salvage Enterprise and its accompanying film are full-circle moments and the work he’s most proud of.
“You hope to get one of these in your lifetime,” he says of the record.
When speaking about how his present state of mind made this experience different, DeLaughter talks about his creativity like it’s a force entirely separate from himself.
“I have a life where I dip my toe in the muse, and if it’s there, then great. And it unfolds some songs and I can kind of grab something,” he says of his songwriting process. “When it’s there, it’s there, and when it’s not, it’s not. And it hadn’t been there for a long time.”
Like many people, DeLaughter was deeply affected by the isolation of the pandemic. The loneliness and depression as well as the triumph of overcoming it are what inspired the story of the new record.
“I was kind of going through a bit of a depression,” he says. “COVID happened and there was this isolation that happened. It kind of forced me in a situation where I was, you know … I couldn’t really be around anybody.”
DeLaughter explains how he was experimenting with Logic, an audio software he had never used before, and how he found his muse again during the learning process.
“I started recording some chords and started to do what I do,” he says. “And before I knew it, it was like perfect timing. Everything just kind of flowed, and I recorded a few songs. That was pretty much the springboard for the overall record.”
With this newfound creative energy, and with help from his partner, manager and Spree-cofounder Julie Doyle, DeLaughter found clarity in everything he had experienced, even returning to ideas he had abandoned and finding a place for them in this new project.“I have a life where I dip my toe in the muse and if it’s there then great. And it unfolds some songs and I can kind of grab something. When it’s there, it’s there and when it’s not, it’s not. And it hadn’t been there for a long time.” – Tim DeLaughter
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“The songs were kind of all under the same umbrella and in the same world. It just worked as a collection of work,” he says.
DeLaughter emphasizes that Salvage Enterprise is a concept album and is meant to be experienced as a whole from start to finish.
“You can’t help but follow the story of the record,” he says. “It’s sequenced in a way that is a story.”
DeLaughter has been adamant in creating experiences to help listeners hear the album the way he envisioned it. Last year, he traveled across the country in a sprinter, organizing guerilla pop-up listening experiences. The setup was simple: arrange speakers in a circle and invite fans to lay out a blanket, look at the stars and listen.
DeLaughter describes this process as very DIY and impromptu.
“First place was in Joshua Tree. I spent a couple days there,” he says. “That’s where I started. And from there I just kind of said, 'Hey, does anybody know where would be a good spot in California to go?' Someone sent me to Ojai, so I went there. There was no rhyme or reason, which was great. It was very spontaneous. It was kind of wherever the spot would be conducive to where I wouldn’t get busted.”
He laughs at that and then clarifies: “Try not to get busted.”
One location that unfortunately eluded DeLaughter on this trip was the famous Meteor Crater National Landmark in Arizona.
“I went out there and tried to coerce them into letting me go down there … ” The sentence trails off into laughter for a moment. “Or on the rim, but they wouldn’t let me do it so I kind of got vetoed on that. But at least I got to visit the crater.”
With the film, DeLaughter and the Spree are taking that experience to the next level.
“Basically the same thing I was doing with making the circles and bringing people out, we’re basically going to do that in planetariums but with films,” he says. “Different animators and live action directors for each song threading together this film. People will listen to the record and look at the film. It’s something we’ve been working on for about six months now.”
But you won't catch a screening with the Spree performing live alongside the film — not just yet.
“I’m sure the Spree will play some of the premieres,” DeLaughter says. “Most planetariums are pretty small, you know. Anywhere from 80 to 150 [seats]. Some of them have 350. But once you’re in there, it’s just all seats. [...] There’s no, like, big spot where you can put the band. It would be kind of difficult.”
He has considered an alternative.
“What would be more feasible [would be] playing outside the venue just to play some songs into it and give the vibe of it," the singer says. "And then people would go in and actually experience the film and listen to the record.”
But wouldn't that just be the band opening for themselves?
“Yeah, more or less," he says with a laugh.
Salvage Enterprise will be released on Nov. 17, and The Polyphonic Spree will play the Granada Theater on Nov. 22.
