With Bangor roots, and a new album, band ventures north

Though the band Seepeoples was formed in Allston, Mass., and currently makes its home in Asheville, N.C., its roots can be traced right back here, to the good ol’ 04401.

But, like many people (many sane people, you could argue), guitarist and vocalist Will Bradford left the Pine Tree State after graduating from high school (later joined by fellow Bangorian and drummer Tim Haney) because of one big thing.

“Mostly warmth,” said Bradford, laughing. “It’s just warmer. Winters are just too much for me. Plus, once we started to hit the road more, Asheville is closer to more cities.”

Bradford and Haney moved to the uber-hip mountain town of Asheville two years ago, but they’ll venture north and make an appearance with fellow band members Dan Ingenthron (bass) and Peter Keys (keyboards, appropriately) at the Big Easy Blues Club in Portland tonight.

They’re also gearing up for the release of “Apocalypse Cow,” due out on March 20, the band’s third studio effort, and its most mature, confident and eclectic album yet.

“It’s a more natural and organic record. It’s more akin to what we do live,” said the 28-year-old Bradford. “Every time we make a record, we try to make it very different each time. We’re album-focused, which is something I think a lot of bands aren’t anymore.”

Seepeoples began as what you might typically call a jam band – Bradford and Ingenthron were in a band called the Cosmic Dilemma that played around New England in the late ’90s. When that band folded, Bradford knew he wanted to focus his artistic energy in a different direction.

“We got tired of the expectations of what being a jam band is, and what kind of show we were expected to put on,” he said. “We still get a lot of jam band fans and jam band press, but I think we’ve gone past that. We decided we wanted to focus on songwriting. It’s hard to present a song when it has to be 10 minutes long.”

Judging by “Apocalypse Cow,” the jam band classification went out the window years ago. More akin to bands like Radiohead or Pink Floyd, with a streak of reggae rhythm here and there, Seepeoples writes smart, dense, deeply melodic songs. The new album (which the band had initially considered releasing as a double album) further explores the more rock side of the band – there are moments that are borderline psychedelic, as on the first track “Someday Robots,” while others benefit from beefed-up instrumentation, like the string arrangements on “Last Breath.”

It’s also bursting the seams with social and political commentary. They’ve been described as an anarchist band, but Bradford cautions against applying any kind of label to what he sings about.

“We wear some of our beliefs on our sleeves. We don’t try to be a political band, but the best songs, in my opinion, speak to the audience both personally and universally,” said Bradford. “If you’re writing about the world around you, it’s hard to ignore the major events that happen. We can’t help writing lyrics that come across as being political. We don’t claim to have any answers, but when you have a strong feeling that comes out.”

Seepeoples performs at 9 tonight at the Big Easy Blues Club in Portland. “Apocalypse Cow” hits stores on March 20, and will be available at all Bull Moose Music stores. For information, visit www.seepeoples.com. Emily Burnham can be reached at eburnham@bangordailynews.net. Check out her blog at www.community.bangordailynews.com.