Stars of Track and Field Relay

When Stars Of Track And Field, the melodic band from Portland, Oregon, lost its bass player a few years ago, it didn't replace the missing spot with another live bassist, but rather electronic and digital samples. The result of this computerized addition helped the remaining members — Kevin Calaba (vocals, guitar, keyboards), Jason Bell (guitar, vocals) and Daniel Orvik (drums, samples, programming) — expand their musical field, while still keeping them on track with its atmospheric and ambient roots.

Daniel Orvik chatted with Zeeks reporter Karen Bliss about the transition.

Zeeks: As a professional drummer, how did you first feel about having to use samplers, drum machines, and programming? They can put you out of a job.
Orvik: It was bizarre. When I first picked up a drum machine, it was really a result of losing my wingman, my best friend and bass player. I hadn’t even touched one before. I don’t remember feeling animosity towards the whole thing. I just remember diving in and saying, ‘This sounds pretty cool.’ I never read a manual. I just started experimenting. We jammed along with it and it just opened the door.

Zeeks: In the ’80s, when drum machines first emerged, they sounded cheesy. Obviously, that’s not the case anymore.
Orvik: The sounds, the technology, the gear that’s come out in the last few years, are simply superior to the old-school sounds. But some of the songs on the record, the machine (Korg Electribe) that I used was quite old. I think it’s at least 10 years old. It’s kind of like my little brother now. I don’t really use it very much, but it’s kind of what I learned to program beats on, so it has a special place.

Zeeks: Is it true, while your bandmates are writing, you’re all pretty anti-social within the room? The three of you have headphones on and are all in your own worlds?
Orvik: Yes, it’s true. I wouldn’t say ‘anti-social,’ but we were just really very focused, and when we realized what we had to do to make this opportunity that we saw pan out, it required a lot of solo time on everybody’s part. It wasn’t being anti-social for the sake of being anti-social.

Zeeks: When I listen to your album, I find myself getting lost in the music…
Orvik: Funny thing happens to us in the studio; sometimes our songs take a left turn and become more and more chill and more ambient. We’ve taken some songs that started as big rock songs and decided after we got into the studio, (that) we’d yank the rock out of them because it sounded better (going) the electronic route. But at our live shows, we’re still very much a rock band and our songs don’t sound the same as they do on (the) record.