Ahh Los Angeles - the city of Angels and socialites; vanity and veneer. So it’s surprising to find in this wasteland of self righteousness a humble act. Enter the four piece Great Northern and their full-grown brand of indie pop/rock. With the re-release and label treatment of their since filed freshman effort Sleepy Eepee atop of last years acclaimed Trading Twilight for Daylight, they are seemingly poised to bring some much needed maturity to pop rock reminiscent of the early nineties. We have a candid conversation with vocalist/guitarist Solon Bixler about becoming a band on other’s terms.

Pensatos: What were some of the hurdles on taking the four track EP recordings and making improving on them for the full length Trading Twilight for Daylight?
Salon Bixler: We spent a lot of time on those songs [laughs]. At first we had never worked with anyone else. We recorded all our stuff ourselves so that was the first thing that took some getting use to. The guy we worked with, Mathias Schneeberger was great and easy to work with. He pushed us to try things we wouldn’t have otherwise or were scared to previously.

Schneedberger worked with Queens of the Stone Age. How did he incorporate his sound with you - or ‘push’ you?
Well our music is kinda relaxed and can be mellow. So we had a couple of songs that were written going toward rock a bit more. He kinda met us half way. He’s a believer in pushing us to go all out. [Schneedberger] is a believer in just making it beautiful in trying different instruments. Sometimes we’d record and go home while he stayed in the studio until four in the morning trying different instruments since he’s a musician as well. That was something different for us. This was the first time as a full band. A lot of our earlier stuff was recorded by just Rachel [Stolte] and I. Everyone got to play their part and write parts which made it great.

That’s something we try to focus on is write something that actually means something. You can sing it, perform it for a long time, and try and sell it so you better believe it.

Was it tough moving from your own recording space to a controlled environment? Nothing spells the big move moreso than recording four tracks in a space used by Granddaddy and then moving to a big studio with a semi-established producer.
Yeah, it was nerve racking. More in the sense that you want to make this music that your friends would like. But having [Schneedberger] there definitely made us think outside the box more. But we still found comfort in it.

There is definitely this melancholy underline to your sound but you also straddle a line that, on the other end, you have more of a robust rock sound. The writing has an almost [surely to get flogged for this] Elliot Smith moments of prose.
Wow. Thanks. [laughs] That’s a pretty… I mean if there is anyone to strive for, he would be it. Wow.

And that’s just it, I mean you get beaten down by others when you compare a sound like yours to someone established.
Anybody that chooses - I’m not compairing ourselves to him - but I think its anyone who tries to be truthful and really write from the heart instead of something that just sounds cool. That’s something we try to focus on is write something that actually means something. You can sing it, perform it for a long time, and try and sell it so you better believe it.

…its one thing to hear it on the record but when you see them perform it. And if you are intuitive, you can tell if its coming deep within their soul and that it takes a pulse with the people. I really respect their work. It’s something we strive for.

So do you find your work more introspective then?
Rachel and I usually start out where I would begin with the music and then we would write the lyrics together. Other times I would write one verse and she would take over the next and the similarities were startling. So we tend to compliment each other that way.

But as far as pensive; your sound is deep inside somewhere like Band of Horses - where you feel an emotion shared by the singer at times.
I saw them play once. You can tell a lot by watching. I mean, its one thing to hear it on the record but when you see them perform it. And if you are intuitive, you can tell if its coming deep within their soul and that it takes a pulse with the people. I really respect their work. It’s something we strive for.

It’s gotta be hard to get everyone to strive for that same goal. The band has always been in different incarnations from the start. It was you and Rachel at first…
Yeah it was always Rachel and I and some drummer or another. You write this stuff and hope everyone else in the band respects it as much as you do because it’s a part of you so it takes awhile to trust them with it. We finally settled with Davey [Latter] on drums and then there was Ashley later on who we met from a long time friend. It’s great to be in a band where you laugh on the road together and writing together. I mean, if you are a band that can actually write together, instead of just an individual doing all the writing, then maybe it helps the songs to move around more and not so thin. The next record has to be different - whether that’s now writing as a band instead of just Rachel and I [like much of Twilight] or moving forward to the next level.

Sounds like you are already thinking ahead. Twilight had been done for some time before it was released - albeit in different forms.
Most of it was, yes. Some were a mess until we all met in the studio and retooled them to what they are today. But now we are touring and yeah we are writing and recording constantly… constantly [laughs].

+ review: Great Northern - Trading Twilight for Daylight

+ video: Great Northern ‘Home’