The Coffee Guest     Bonnie Nish interviews ~ Liars of Orpheus The Vancouver Poetry scene is absolutely exploding. Everywhere you turn a new open mic or featured poetry event is turning up and it is a poet’s dream come true. Now about to be added into this already exciting mix is a dynamic group called The Liars Of Orpheus. Comprised of Johnny Frem, michael sean morris, James Mullin and Nathan Matthews, these men are preparing to add a whole new dimension to the spoken word scene with their innovative musical talent. Walking into Johnny Frem’s living room (the founder and continuing force behind the ever- expanding and incredibly successful Bolts of Fiction) you would never realize the kind of imagination or energy these men possess in order to make it all come together. Leaning back in an easy chair Frem blows away on his trumpet a recognizable tune, while morris accompanies him on his newly-acquired djembe drum. (Mullin and Matthews couldn’t be present at the time of our interview) They have been jamming together for the last hour and I take a moment to listen, record (too bad I can’t share it here) and get a feel for what is about to erupt onto the already hopping Vancouver Literary World. What are these dynamic four are all about? With Frem on trumpet, morris on precussion, Mullin on mandolin and Matthews on guitar and bass, the focus of the group is to accompany readers, bringing out the underlying tones of any piece of writing. Coming together as they have was more about timing than anything else. They were all ready for something like this, and timing influences everything they do. Right now their jam sessions are two-fold. The men are building up a repertoire from which they can draw various pieces that would set any given mood the writer might call for. But most importantly these sessions are about getting to know each other like a well-thumbed book. With just a few chords that anyone of them starts, they can easily slide into any given riff at any given time. . Yet it is not just the fact that they are all musicians, which sets them apart from other groups. They are writers as well, something which Frem, who has been playing trumpet since he was a teen, holds as essential to what they do. “ We are all writers,” emphasizes Frem.” So we all are totally clued into the words. Musicians, if they are not writers don’t hear the words.” For Mullin (whom I talked to later by phone from Tanglewood Books where he is a bookseller), it is very much about the words. “I bought my first mandolin at 17 and I have been playing on and off since then.For me the music is a secondary role to the writing.” Morris who is the newest to the musical end of things purchased his drum for his birthday last November. He has been listening to the big bands of the Thirties for a long time knowing that they have the kind of tightness he believes the group can achieve while putting a modern edge to it. “ What you put in you get out!” beams Morris who is obviously committed for the long haul. After all they have lots and lots of new ideas for growth, always incorporating and staying within the main theme of what they are about-- backing up the spoken word. “ I can see us adding videos and or even dance,” says Frem as he quickly adds, ” but it has to thematically imply the poem. At all times we accompany the words. We are literary back-up” What other kind of literary back-up do they see themselves doing? If someone is having a book launch, know Liars of Orpheus are for hire. They will fill the dead air time when people are arriving and leaving as well as play along with the reader to set the mood. They will work with the reader beforehand, either in person or over the phone to build a sense of what is needed to create the right atmosphere. Other plans include incorporating a large number of musicians being brought into their ensemble over time. They will become interchangeable, allowing for any given four to six being called upon to perform at any given event. Along with this they know at some point there will be CDs and touring. In the meantime they are working on some set pieces, such as a Coleridge poem, a Frank Zappa number and a few songs, which Morris has written. But what of their name, the question begs asking. Mullin says that it was Frem and morris who came up with the idea for the group while he and morris came up with the idea for the name. “Orpehus was an ancient Greek poet so it just seemed perfect for this bunch of guys. And the ancient Greek bards played lyres. It seemed funny to modernize it, spell it like liar.” But Orpheus also went into the underworld to try to bring back his wife Eurydice after she was killed by a serpent. His beautiful songs convinced Hades to allow him to bring her into the living world on the condition that he not look back until they had reached the surface. Just before he reached his destination, Orpheus turned to make sure she was still there and in that very instant she disappeared. “ Writers experience things and write about them so others don’t have to.” You can tell by morris’ quick reply he has experienced a lot in his life. “They go to the deepest part of themselves. I instinctively knew the name would be right. I have trouble with lying. I funnel it into my writing so I can be more honest in my life. It's a poet thing.” And what of the future now that they have covered the past? They are burning up the pages with their vision to grow. morris best sums up the whole process of which they are now in the mist of. “This is all a part of life,” he muses. “A fusing together into a bigger whole, like stained glass coalescing.” And that is exactly what this group is about to do to the Vancouver literary scene. With their hot innovative ideas and fresh jazzy tunes the whole thing is going to become one beautiful stained glass window reflecting, back onto the world how truly dynamic Vancouver has become, all brought about with the passion and the raw energy these renaissance men exude. Look for The Liars of Orpheus when they debut with an open mic for poets, and accompany the launch of John Moore's latest novel "The Flea Market" (Ekstasis Editions, Dec.2003) on February 9th read by Kate MacDonald of Trans-Siberan Records 7pm. El Coal Previous Interviews: Estelle Bogoch ~ Re: Crosswords for Gardeners Byron Sheardown ~ Re: Quills Canadian Poetry Magazine Home