ArtsEtc.

Rocker ‘says hi’ to Madison, Herald

Packed into a brand new music venue, a crowd largely composed of coffee shop-esque 20-somethings received a tight, unemotional set of guitar and synth-driven indie pop gems Thursday evening. Although the modern art lining the walls hinted at nights filled with ambient indie-pop tunes, at times, indie band Say Hi still managed to rock the freshly established Project Lodge considerably harder than what might be expected in the small space.

Say Hi consists of songwriter, guitarist and singer Eric Elbogen and current touring drummer Westin Glass. The band has undergone large changes in the last few years, all of which Elbogen seems to be very content with. Elbogen sat down with The Badger Herald before the show to discuss the new state of the band and the current indie music scene.

“There are a bunch of really great indie labels in Seattle and lots of musicians,” Elbogen said, now a Seattle resident after residing in New York for several years. “There’s definitely a community. It’s actually a tighter community than New York. [In New York] there are just so many bands. In Seattle there’s a lot of bands, but I feel like a lot more so than in New York I’ll go out to shows and run into the all the same people at the same shows.”

After the bands somewhat disappointing, vampire-themed 2006 release Impeccable Blahs, the move seems to have reenergized Say Hi’s pop hooks and compelling lyrics.

“I think moving to a different city in general jumpstarts your awareness and makes you sort of appreciate your surroundings because they’re so new,” Elbogen said.

Elbogen explained that this and other shifts in his life are a major influence on Say Hi’s newest album, The Wishes and the Glitch.

“Some of the songs on the record are about that move, some are about turning 30, which I did since my last record, and I guess the reasons behind wanting to move out of New York I think you can hear a little bit on the record.”

These alterations also included a name change. Say Hi was formerly known as Say Hi To Your Mom, but Elbogen felt this move had been long overdue.

“I had been wanting to change the name for a while, and I sort of used all that as an excuse; like, well if I’m changing everything in my life I might as well go for the gold.”

Say Hi To Your Mom was relatively well-known in the indie music community, but this has occasionally posed problems for Say Hi. Earlier on the current tour, Say Hi was momentarily prevented from setting up because the management was still waiting for the touring band Say Hi To Your Mom to set up first.

“I was like ‘Yeah, it’s the same band,’” Elbogen recalled.

However, the changes have been made considerably easier by the fact that Say Hi is on Elbogen’s own label, Euphobia. While he says it does occasionally interfere with the music side of the band, having his own label has clear benefits as well.

“It really functions like any other record label just in terms of the business side of things, but it’s really nice because I can do things the way I want to and when I want to.”

Elbogen no longer records his music to a self-made computer, but Say Hi still has not soared to fame and fortune. While he says the right label could be out there and an arena tour would be nice, he’s satisfied with his career as it is.

Say Hi will probably never sell out the Kohl Center, but at the Project Lodge Thursday, everyone was content just where they were.