Search - The Wars of 1812 :: Status Quo Ante Bellum

or the most part, The Wars of 1812 were born from nothing more than five days spent together in a basement studio. In the summer of 2oo6, four friends united in De Pere, WI to make a record. The group had played and recorded together in various pairings throughout the years, but never together. Over the course of five days, the quartet learned, rehearsed, recorded, and fashioned together a cohesive assemblage of nine songs, which would come to be known collectively as Status Quo Ante Bellum - translating to "as it was before the war." During their short week together, the new friends unexpectedly felt the need to pursue something more than a mere self-gratifying side project. With various ties in different cities, they would not be able to construct a sturdy plan for quite some time and, meanwhile, Status Quo would remain quietly concealed. Almost a year later, the Wars finally convinced each other to leave their homes, full-time jobs, and aspirations for graduate school in order to form together permanently as a band. In August of 2oo7, all four relocated and reunited in Minnesota's Twin Cities, and attempted to create a sound in a music scene they knew very little about. One part Wilco, one part Spoon, and one part harsh Wisconsin weather all combine to produce this warm winter quilt of a record, though, through its cool tint of alt-country twang and beneath its warm, drawn-out pop melodies, Status Quo effortlessly exudes the full array of its home state's seasons. Lead singer and guitarist Peter Pisano's smiley yet sardonic vocals carry the album as the band delicately pushes forward through each song. The instrumentation is that of a typical set-up of guitar, bass, drums, and keys with select textural additives that make for a full, well-executed sound with its altering dynamics and intricacies.