Madre pushes 'Parameters' with songwriting

Madre members hanging out in the street are, from left, Stephen Osborne, Alex Melin, Bryan Norris and Andrew Sayne.

KNOXVILLE — After three years of rigorous gigging, Madre has earned a reputation as one of the city's best live indie-rock acts. With the band's first studio experience absorbed and its first full-length album released, the focus has fallen back to writing new material, even as Madre begins intermittent weekend touring. Never an act to stay static, the group members stress their purpose to continue evolving both as musicians and people.

With two self-recorded EPs to its name, Madre began its first studio recording in September 2010 with Eric Nowinski at Rock Snob Studios. The result was the band's debut full-length album "Parameters," which was unveiled May 21. The 12-song release features a wide spectrum of styles, making the band difficult to pigeonhole. Citing Radiohead as a major influence, Madre follows suit in its desire to evolve with each of its early outputs. Cultivating its sound from a launch pad of updated 90s-era grunge that falls somewhere between the crunchy guitar harmonies of Hum and the lilting vocal melodies of Abandoned Pools, Madre has since come into a style all its own.

"It was a learning experience I'd say," says vocalist/guitarist Stephen Osborne of the recording process. "Eric is very professional and has a really nice studio. I'd advise other bands to use it. We like the reputation it has around here, and we like the other bands that have recorded there, some of our favorite local bands. To get where we wanted to be in Knoxville, we wanted to be involved with the system and feed money into the system and keep it local.

"We were originally going to call it 'Expand Your Parameters.' ... " Osborne continues. "After a while we realized that might come off as arrogant - like 'expand your mind; listen to Madre.' We did not want to come across as that at all. It's more about how my fiancee has moved to L.A., for example, and Alex (Melin, drummer) got his Ph.D. and is moving into the real world and a real job. We have all these things pulling at us, and it's kind of meant to tell us to broaden our own horizons. Here in a couple of months I'm planning to go out to L.A. to stay for a couple of months with my fiancee, and it was also kind of about that, exploring other parts of the country."

While Madre's debut was nearly three years in the making, following its inaugural studio session, the group has caught recording fever, already preparing material for its next release. Playing frequently in town, Madre will hit as many out-of-town venues as it can on weekends in support of "Parameters" while simultaneously writing before taking a months-long hiatus during Osborne's trip down Californy-way. The band is learning to pace itself in its ambitious writing process, giving due time for songs to reach their apex. But as the band escalates the level of sophistication in its songwriting methods, the members are also eager to present its latest ascensions.

"I already want to go back into the studio, to be honest," Osborne admits. "I know we've got to give this album time and push it well. I want to take a break here in a couple of months, but I could play with Madre for the rest of my life. My goal with Madre is to explore new ground and surprise ourselves. I think it's an evolutionary thing. Our new songs are going to be another step. I think there are some things coming out that are more danceable. I want to see (guitarist) Andrew (Sayne) and (bassist) Bryan (Norris) dancing on stage, so we may move more in that direction."

Auto-eroto-bots roll out!: Electronic one-man band Fine Peduncle performs impressive dubbed and crustached, Prince-esque eroticism for a one-act bill Saturday at Relix Variety Theatre, 1208 N. Central St. Doors open at 7 p.m. with music to start at 8. Admission is $5.

P-isle of Man: A downsized Dirty Works (Manpile) takes the stage on Wednesday at The Longbranch Saloon along with Hammercocks and DMDP (Doctor Martens Dental Plan) for a night of punk rock. The show kicks off at 8 p.m.

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