A fresh look
For new EP, Darlingside updates songs left over from last album
On tour, one could experience the difference in weather across the country. For Harris Paseltiner, he’s experienced summer-like weather in San Diego and then a blizzard in Oregon in the past week.
“It’s been an interesting transition,” he says of the weather. “That’s what makes being on the road so fun. You never know what to expect.”
Paseltiner is a member of indie folk outfit Darlingside. The band performs tonight at The Cooperage.
Darlingside began in 2009 and has since released a few albums and EPs.
Its latest EP, “Look Up & Fly Away” was released this year, and the band has been on tour in support of it.
Rounding out the band are Don Mitchell, Auyon Mukharji and David Senft.
On its current tour, Darlingside is performing a good portion of the new EP.
“It’s been really nice to share some of the new songs,” Paseltiner says. “Some of the songs on the EP are extras from our last album, “Afterlife.” These songs weren’t B-sides in the traditional sense. We knew these songs were good. We needed more time for them to percolate before we finished them. Many of the songs were a long time coming.”
Paseltiner, who plays cello and sings in the band, says Darlingside went into the recording session for “Extralife” with 30 songs, and fewer than half made it onto the record.
“After the album was released, we picked the songs that we wanted to continue to work on,” he says. “We followed the tracks down the rabbit hole, and essentially those became the tracks on the new EP.”
Paseltiner says the process for the EP was more difficult than for previous albums.
“Speaking for myself, I think it’s sometimes hard to start an idea and then leave it and come back,” he says. “Oftentimes, returning to an idea will allow a different vantage point. This was the case for me. I came back to the material with fresh eyes and ears, but continuing on the same path was a little difficult.”
When it comes to putting together a set list, Paseltiner says, like every other band decision, it’s a democratic process.
“We’re at a point in our career that we have plenty of options when it comes to a set,” he says. “We look forward to each show being different. That’s what makes it fun for both the audience and us. We never want to play the same show twice.”