Portland – Struggling between contrasting identities of real and unreal, Insects Vs Robots dives into a realm of manic mystery, constructed from a flurry of multi-instrumentals and an attitude built from a creative nonchalance. The band played a free show for the Doug Fir Lounge’s “Pickin’ Sundays” that saw them playing acoustic. The Venice, CA raised band has mastered the folk genre, whether they wanted to or not. Describing themselves as some form of a psychedelic art rock orchestra, the band uses their quirkiness to their advantage, but their sound is as intricate as it gets.
The eccentric quartet can command a stage, and not just because lead vocalist and sitar/harmonica/keys/guitar player Micah Nelson is Willie Nelson’s son. Growing from their West Coast roots, the band’s sound is far from the surfy lo-fi we’ve come to expect. Instead, Insects Vs Robots has released EPs that capture with unique qualities and have a willingness to make fun of themselves with their lyrics that function more like storytelling—a staple in the folk genre. Fronted by Micah, Insects Vs Robots also owes its musical smorgasbord to violinist, guitar and banjo player Nikita Sorokin, classical guitar player Milo Gonzalez, bassist Jeff Smith and drummer Tony Peluso. They have released 4 EP’s but haven’t put together a full-length yet. Their EP’s show that they are able to sculpt 4-5 songs that always keep the tone and persona of the band alive while constructing something both hectic and beautiful.
Insects Vs Robots shows aren’t just all fun—though they tend to be. A sweet interlude from grungier approaches was “Canaries”, which almost brought me to tears with it’s soaring, melodic vocals and delicate production. Started with a simple acoustic intro and continued with violin and guitar that hints at a more despondent Insects Vs Robots, the song leans more toward a quieter symphonic rock. With a departure from the rest of the song, Gonzalez’s guitar veered off into a space that was made for him and his guitar only. His concentration on fervent strums and movement between chords made his guitar seemingly a part of him.
“Mosquito,” one of the band’s most popular songs, saw the band in their natural element, with Nelson’s moaning vocals taking a backseat to the band’s collective sound hitting a long-awaited crescendo. The lyrics open with Insects Vs Robots’s typical tendency to create a reality from fantasy, with Nelson singing about a mosquito trying to have its way: “So take your time / take my mind / but then please fuck off.” Though the mosquito could be representing something entirely different, it’s just as likely that the song is about a mosquito, which is just another part of the band’s odd charm.
Insects Vs Robots sings about dreams and tell stories; they create a sense of bewilderment in their live show that challenges the norm. The band is able to write songs that don’t have to really mean anything at all, and that’s the fun of it—they don’t take themselves that seriously, though their elaborate sound says otherwise. They played two sets, drank bloody marys, were hastily looking for their bass player and improvising before the show, performed contortions during their last song and moved around the stage like they were absolutely meant to be there. Though Insects Vs Robots seems to be as low-key as it gets, don’t let their happy-go-lucky attitude fool—they are producing music that is masterful.
Insects Vs Robots is currently on a summer tour of the West Coast. Track dates near you here. Purchase their music via their Bandcamp.
Dakota Smith
Follow her on twitter in case she says something funny: @LikeTheStates
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