MOUTHY ISSUE TWO
May 2003
NICE BEAVER
interview by Ian C Stewart

My new favorite prog band, Nice Beaver, was formed in 1997, when members of two bands, Scotty! and For Cryin' Out Loud, joined forces. Now. About this great band name.

"The name Nice Beaver is a joke from the movie Naked Gun, where a game is played with perceptions and expectations. Sometimes things are not what you perceive them to be, but sometimes, what you see is what you get. A similar game with reality and our expectations can be heard in the music of Nice Beaver. Deceptively simple rhythms turn out to contradict the melody, while the most complex patterns produce groovy tunes," explains singer and guitarist Erik Groeneweg.

Their complex and varied songs come together during jam sessions. "Lyrics or concepts just seem to pop up inspired by the music and are completed and arranged later. Were influenced by prog and symfo of the 70s, lately bands like Spocks Beard, Porcupine Tree, Pain Of Salvation, Tool, Echolyn and everything else, also non-prog that's worth listening to."

Nice Beaver isn't concerned with playing to huge audiences. "Big is not very relevant in our genre. It's the reputation of the gig that counts. So the biggest gig we've played was probably one of the festivals last year. Rotherham Rocks in the UK, Planet Pul and Progfarm in Holland, and Dutch Prog Night in Verviers in Belgium were all between 100 and 500 people."

Now what? "We're writing new material for the next CD. Hopefully we can start recording this year."


www.nicebeaver.nl


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