The Musical Anthropology of MARSUPIAL CREAMPIE

Jumping Into the Musical Pouch of One of the Most Original Sounding Bands in the Land

    icon Mar 21, 2018
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mar·su·pi·al    märˈso͞opēəl/. ZOOLOGY. Noun 1. a mammal of an order whose members are born incompletely developed and are typically carried and suckled in a pouch on the mother's belly

In order to fully appreciate the musical phenomenon known as Marsupial Creampie, it’s important to closely examine their origins, which began five years ago when lead vocalist Andy Hahn, acoustic guitarist & vocalist Amelia Jo, electric guitarist Lennard Zimmerman, and percussionist Terry Poirier collectively came together to nurture their sound and incubate their musical ideas that today have evolved into a completely original and hybrid genre of Electro-coustic Reggae Pop infused lyrically with a tasty blend of Hip-Hop & Rap sensibilities.

“It all began when Amelia Jo and I got together and started covering songs written by Ween with a taste of The Dirty Heads mixed in,” states Andy. “We got Terry on-board playing percussion, which added a lot of dynamics and then Lennard came on two years ago; but really it was Amelia Jo who came in with the idea that gave us our musical edge and caused us to realize we could really do something special collectively.”

“I would go out and see thee Rock ‘n Roll bands,” explains Amelia Jo, “and notice how all the girls would get up and dance during the break songs when the bands weren’t performing. So, I thought, let’s learn the Break Songs because they’re all very rhythmic and if we could keep that rhythm going regardless of what song we were performing, we would definitely be on to something. As long as the butts are moving we know we’re keeping it smooth and in the pocket.  Our first gig was at Bemo’s and it went over really well, so ended up being a real band after that.”

Regardless of their self-deprecating honesty, each member of Marsupial Creampie brings something truly special to the table. Amelia Jo has been playing guitar for 20 years now and released a solo album in 2006 called Tools, Guns & Jewelry.  “I really enjoyed that period, but playing off other people is more fun for me,” she notes. “I started playing guitar with Lennard when I was really young, jamming in my basement with no technical training; but developed my own strum and like the rhythmic slapping that I mix in, so basically I approached the instrument with no pre-conceived notions.”

For vocalist Andy Hahn, who also plays trumpet and kazoo with the group, audiences are usually transfixed not only by the strength of his admirable vocal range; but for his penchant for reciting long and lilting melodic chains of words together to construct his lyrical tapestries. 

“I started singing in a band with Terry called Venomous Lemon about 10 years ago; and before that I sang in choir in High School and would hit various bas around town in the super-heyday of Karaoke,” he reflects. “My vocal style is to both sing and rap and blend the two together, because those are the two places I come from. I like lyrics a lot, which is why I’m drawn to hip-hop because there’s more verbosity going on there; but I also enjoy singers – especially those that can move in higher upper ranges like the Hair Metal singers from the ‘80s – anybody with range and raw emotions.”

For percussionist Terry Poirier, who has played in numerous bands throughout the region over the years, what impresses him most about Marsupial Creampie is the way it throws people for a loop. “We’re very minimalist and everybody still wants this big production with a huge P.A. system and lights, but we get our shows set up and are ready to go on-stage in 15-minutes, which is totally unique,” he notes. “Our song selection in itself are what sets up apart from most bands out there; and the hand drums that I use help make our rhythm sound unique. Most acoustic groups that use percussion use those electronic box things, but the hand drums give our sound a unique flavor.”

Last but not certainly not least is Lennard, who has played guitar for 40 years now. A retired electrician who’s played in many bands over the years, he claims he’s never has so much fun performing as he has with Marsupial.  “Amelia Jo is my niece and I’ve known her since she was born,” he explains. “Everybody listens to one another and pays attention to the audience and in terms of guitar-interplay, we instinctively know where we’re going to go with a song at this stage, having played together for so long.”

While Marsupial Creampie is known for splicing together unique mash-ups of artists ranging from Moby to The Allman Brothers, the group is currently working on an original CD of their own material. “I’ve always been into originals and am getting Andy on-board by showing him the recording process,” explains Amelia Jo.

“I have a little studio set up so we have more control over everything and from my experience recording at other studios, producers always want to change the sound and add a bunch of stuff into the mix. I’m a minimalist and I don’t want people messing with my sound. I’ve learned the recording process on my own and maybe one day we’ll get to our Sgt. Pepper phase, but that day isn’t here yet.  One of the originals is called ‘Where You’ve Been, Again’ another is called ‘Almost Over You’, and another original called FU has some pretty explicit lyrics.”

Marsupial Creampie is adamant about keeping their sound fresh and constantly evolving. “Our philosophy is always leave them wanting more, which is why we perform at many different venues, but not to the point where we’re over-exposed in the market,” reflects Amelia Jo. “We always push adding five or six new songs a month into the mix and probably have about 180 songs together now that we can draw from.  As a band, we can look at one another unspoken and know where we want to take the set. People feel that and grab it so if feels effortless – it’s all about the flow.”

When asked about their most memorable gig, Terry references the first Parkapalooza concert in Sanford, which is the first time they performed before a huge crowd; and also, the Free Music Fest in Freeland. “That was the first time we had someone run sound for us and it felt real fancy.  I remember the stage crew came up to me and asked if we needed help getting the rest of our equipment, and I just looked at him and said, ‘This is all our equipment.”

Marsupial Creampie will be performing at the 32nd Annual Review Music Awards on Sunday, April 15th at Lumber Barons in Bay City.  Check out their website and these pages for other upcoming shows.

 

 

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