But the constant process of tinkering and editing didn't end with the release of the EP in 2008. Key tunes from the record have remained works in progress that the band hopes to expose to a wider audience on its forthcoming album. "We literally recorded that EP three times before the release and scratched it," Hoke confesses with a note of weariness in his voice. "We're still recording it, for crying out loud," Heckman adds with a laugh.
Part of this continued attention to detail stems from the group's constant contact. The Epilogues follow a living model they picked up from another Denver success story, the Photo Atlas. Living together in a house in the University of Denver neighborhood has given the guys an added proximity, and it's also helped them create a do-it-yourself model when it comes to merchandising and promotion.
anthony camera
Jason Hoke (from left), Chris Heckman, Nate Hammond and Jeff Swoboda are the Epilogues.
Location Info
Details
The Epilogues,Westword Music Showcase, with Chromeo, Yo La Tengo, Del the Funky Homosapien, the Sword, Murder by Death, Young the Giant, UME and hundreds of local acts, 12 p.m. Saturday, June 18, 11th and Acoma, $25-$75 ($30-$100 day of show),
westword.com.
Related Content
More About
"We got home off of our last tour only because we sold enough merch in Bakersfield, California — that we made," says Hammond. "We were going to have to open credit cards and take out debts. To be able to do that — it's just an example of how unique the scene is."
Having a cottage-industry approach to the music has helped the band keep rooted as it considers signing with different labels and taking the next step in its career. "If we're fortunate enough to be one of those bands that really pops," Swoboda says, "we want to be the guys who rep Denver."
The hometown connection was clear during a Denver show the band played with the Photo Atlas earlier this year, as a capacity crowd at the Gothic Theatre sang along to "Hunting Season" following its rotation on KTCL. "I have video on my phone where you can hear the crowd screaming," Hoke recalls. "It gave me goosebumps."
The model of a native scene has driven the band to consider starting its own collective as a way to support its fellow musicians. The mission of the Inca House Collaborative Collective would be to create an incubator of sorts, a common space for musicians to exchange ideas, similar to other local efforts like Hot Congress.
"We can have a core group of people with each others' careers in mind," Hammond says, "rather than just our own careers." As the members draw up their designs for their future in Denver and beyond, they've kept the basic keys to their success close to their hearts. In their shared house in south Denver, there's a steadily growing number of synths and keyboards, tools that continue to steer their sound and their experiments.
"Between Chris and I," Hammond notes, "we have fifteen keyboards in our band, in our house. I can say I'm going to have a goal of trying to find a new sound. You can literally get lost for an hour and a half looking for one new sound."
