Samuel Locke Ward and The Boo Hoos’ latest album
"Freeze"
Local musician Samuel Locke Ward will release his latest album, From the Privilege of the Grave, with his band, the Boo Hoos, exclusively on 12-inch vinyl.
“Grotto Records wanted to put it out on vinyl, and I was all about it because I like [the format]. I listen to mostly vinyl records at home,” Ward said. “It’s just my first pick of how I like to release stuff.”
The record-release party will take place at the Yacht Club, 13 S. Linn St., at 9 p.m. today; admission is $6. Teddy Boy and Datagun will perform with Ward and his band. Both groups are from Iowa, and the members are good friends of the musician.
The Boo Hoos consists of Grace Locke Ward on drums, Rachel Feldmann on bass, and Kate Kane and Chris Ford on guitars. Feldmann and Kane both play in Lipstick Homicide, and Feldmann also plays in Petit Mal with Grace Locke Ward and Ford.
The band’s name was created when Jason Hennesy, who plays in the band Miracles of God with Ward, was asked to give him five band names. The Boo Hoos was the one members agreed on for this release, although they have gone by other names in the past.
From the Privilege of the Grave is Ward’s eighth album. On it, he recruited his friends around the Iowa City area to help out. Darren Brown who previously has played in Boy Dirt Car, TEXXAR, and Violent Femmes, collaborated extensively with Ward on the record. The cover of the album was manually screen-printed by Josh Mead, who performs with Manhorse and Island Women, and it is limited to 300 copies. Mead also plays on the album with Iowa musicians Bob Bucko Jr. and Rick McCollum.
The nine track album itself almost didn’t get made because of technical, logistical, legal, and financial difficulties. First, Pirates Press, a vinyl-record manufacturer, refused to release the record. Omaha’s Grotto Records then fought for almost a year to get it released.
The style of the music is both unique and lo-fi, and Ward incorporates some interesting sounds within it. On “He’s a Wanted Man,” Brown adds some bells from a past tour onto the recording.
“The bells from that were field recordings from the Red Light District in Amsterdam when Darren was on tour there,” Ward said.
Bucko also lends his talent by banging on sheet metal on the song “Blood Barrel Polka” and playing flute on “Hold Onto Your Hatred.” Throughout the album, simple equipment is used to mix in recorded clips, or sometimes everyday items are used as instruments to create a more experimental sound.
Iowa City native Christopher Jackson said he has seen Ward play in all three bands.
“[Ward] is one of the hidden jewels of local Iowa City music,” Jackson said. “I remember him playing with Ed Gray several years ago, but I don’t know how I would define him as a musician. I’d say garage or new wave because nothing else comes closer, really.”
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