Shoot the Messenger an unlikely yet natural collaboration

Last fall, Band X could not decide on a name for their new project. They had a long list of potentials – but they remained unsure of whether anyone would want to see a band called Toejam and the Finger Taffies. Or Birthday Deathbed. Or any of the other names not appropriate to print in a family newspaper.

So they did something unusual: They asked their friends and family to vote on a name.

“We decided we’d have a contest with all our friends, and ask them what name they liked the best. Shoot the Messenger was the one they voted for, almost unanimously,” said Lawton Mann, guitarist and co-founder of the band. “And that’s what we stuck with.”

Shoot the Messenger became official last November, but Mann and lead singer Preston Jarvis had been collaborating together on songs for nearly five years. They seem an unlikely duo at first: Mann lists the Dead Kennedys and the Misfits as favorite bands, while Jarvis is a classically trained vocalist. And yet, they’re a natural pair.

“It usually just starts out with me writing a riff and writing some lyrics,” said Mann. “Then I give it to Preston, and he’s like the creative editor. He takes my jigsaw puzzle and puts it together. And then we give it over to the band.”

Lead guitarist Don Ayers, drummer Mike Shufeld and bassist Chris Brown joined forces with Mann and Jarvis after they’d all played together at open mikes in the area. Despite lots of stylistic differences between each musician, Shoot the Messenger’s sound is remarkably cohesive. Think the driving, modern hard rock of Tool and the Deftones, mixed with the cerebral atmospherics of bands like Explosions in the Sky and Godspeed You! Black Emperor.

“We all have similar interests, but different styles,” said Jarvis. “Don’s really technical. He’ll always come up with some amazing guitar sound. Shufeld’s incredibly tight. Chris is originally a heavy metal lead guitarist, so it’s like he’s playing lead bass. It gives everything a new dimension. And then Lawton’s the rhythm guy and the songwriter, and I’m the melody man. It just works.”

“A lot of people say the music is dark and moody. It’s got a slightly psychedelic edge,” said Mann. “I like bringing in some Celtic or Middle Eastern feelings. We like it to have an edge, though not too much of an edge.”

Shoot the Messenger has quickly developed a devoted Bangor fan base, thanks to a number of successful gigs at local nightclub Fuzion. They’ll play their first show ever at Ofelia’s, also in Bangor, on Saturday. For now, they’re content to play the eastern Maine scene. Who knows where they’ll be in a year, though.

“We have a lot of fun. That’s the biggest thing. We want to have a good time,” said Jarvis. “It’s good to play in Bangor and make 300 bucks for two hours, and get to do something you totally love.”

A demo was recorded this year, though the band is gearing up to enter Green Tent Studios in Bangor next month to record a proper, as-yet-unnamed full length. Maybe they’ll take a fan vote as to what the new album should be called.

Shoot the Messenger will play at 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 20, at Ofelia’s on Central Street in Bangor, with the Bings and Shoes Experiment. They’ll also play a special Halloween costume party at 9 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 31, at Fuzion on Franklin Street, also in Bangor. For information, visit www.myspace.com/shoottm. Emily Burnham can be reached at eburnham@bangordaily

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