{"id":68832,"date":"2021-04-24T19:58:29","date_gmt":"2021-04-24T18:58:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/?p=68832"},"modified":"2021-05-01T22:32:06","modified_gmt":"2021-05-01T21:32:06","slug":"out-of-time-rem-influenced-dupont-circles-release-debut-album-30-years-in-the-making","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/essentiallypop.com\/epop\/2021\/04\/out-of-time-rem-influenced-dupont-circles-release-debut-album-30-years-in-the-making\/","title":{"rendered":"OUT OF TIME – REM-Influenced Dupont Circles Release Debut Album 30 Years In The Making"},"content":{"rendered":"

Washington DC psych-indie outfit The Dupont Circles <\/strong>are celebrating the release of what must be one of the longest awaited debut albums in musical history.<\/h4>\n

The band is teaming up with Canadian label TBM Records\u00a0to deliver In Search of the Family Gredunza <\/em><\/strong>– more than 30 years after the band first got together.<\/h4>\n

It’s a story that surely brings hope to journeymen part-time musicians everywhere and should once again shine a light on a group that first caused a stir with a scattering of recordings in the ’90s.<\/p>\n

Matt Catchpole\u00a0<\/strong>caught up with guitarist\u00a0Michael Bennet<\/strong> to find out why it’s taken so long to get that difficult first album over the line.<\/p>\n

\"The
An early Dupont Circles line-up<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Starting out as\u00a0The Spills\u00a0<\/strong>in 1988,\u00a0The Dupont Circles <\/strong>were formed by Michael with\u00a0Bob Primosch\u00a0<\/strong>on drums and vocals and\u00a0Kelly Ross<\/strong> on bass.<\/p>\n

The trio put out a debut single\u00a0Sarah The Weathergirl<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0on Michael’s own imprint Cara Records <\/strong>in 1995 and three years later followed up with the\u00a053 Bicycles EP<\/strong><\/em>.<\/em><\/p>\n

Michael says those early releases made “a small ripple,” but failed to attract the attention the band was hoping for and Kelly left shortly afterwards.<\/p>\n

“I guess I was probably inspired by the punk DIY ethic in doing the initial self-releases,” Michael remembers. “I didn\u2019t think a label was going to be interested in putting something out by a totally unknown band [but]\u00a0 I knew people who had put out 7\u201ds and it seemed doable.”<\/p>\n

Kelly was replaced on bass by Michael’s old college pal Mike Kerwin<\/strong> who’d played alongside him\u00a0 “in a postpunk instrumental combo” called\u00a0Lost Barbecue.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Both Kerwin and Bennet spent time in England and were influenced by bands on Alan McGee<\/strong>‘s Creation<\/strong> label, along with the psych-indie of bands like The Television Personalities<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“I’m a total anglophile,” Michael admits. “Mike, Bob, and I are all record geeks and have absorbed tons of British music, from Merseybeat, freakbeat, and UK-pop psych, through punk, postpunk, Britpop, and beyond.<\/p>\n

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Anglophiles – Cover art for The Dupont Circles debut single on their own Cara label<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Contemporary reviewers likened the band to Chronic Town <\/strong><\/em>era REM<\/strong> – an inspiration Michael readily acknowledges.<\/p>\n

“Starting out, our influences were REM<\/strong>, Robyn Hitchcock<\/strong>, Flying Nun,<\/strong> Creation Records, along with a smattering of ’60s garage.<\/p>\n

“Some of the covers we used to play in the early days included songs by the Sea Urchins, Primal Scream, The Byrds, Flaming Groovies, Go Betweens, and, like virtually every band of that era, the Velvet Underground.”<\/p>\n

After those early single releases, the band looked to expand their profile by contributing to various compilations.<\/p>\n

They also expanded to a five piece with the addition of\u00a0 Amit Chatterjie<\/strong> (keyboards) and second guitarist Jonas Carnemark<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

The Circles also began playing more live shows at venues like The Red and Black\u00a0<\/strong>and the\u00a0Rock and Roll Hotel<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

“Our big compilation appearance was on the seminal March Records<\/strong> indiepop compilation, Pop American Style<\/strong><\/em>, which was what really got the band known – to the limited extent that anyone actually knows who we are in the indiepop world,” Michael explains.<\/p>\n

Released in 1995 Pop American Style <\/em>featured the DuPont Circles’ song\u00a0Everwhere Girl\u00a0<\/strong><\/em>alongside contributions from bands such as\u00a0Verbena<\/strong>, Dune Buggy <\/strong>and Rocketship<\/strong>.<\/p>\n