1 Enon, from left: John Schmersal, Matt Schulz, and Toko Yasuda
Kirstie Shanley
Enon
What do you talk about with a band that’s been together for almost a decade and has just come out with what they say is their most stripped-down release yet? Everything from sci-fi movies to Halloween costumes to random naked people.
By Sheba White
Published: November 5th, 2007 | 11:46am
Enon’s drummer Matt Schulz is jokingly disgruntled with the general course our discussion has taken. Schulz rolls his eyes and looks at the drop ceiling of the Thai restaurant we’ve made an escape to after a futile attempt to bowl on what turned out to be kid-birthday-bonanza day at the lanes. Since nestling into the restaurant’s creamy pink vinyl seats, I’ve somehow steered the discussion to favorite movies with Enon’s bassist, co-songwriter, and co-vocalist Toko Yasuda, who has recently rediscovered Dune, the ultimate movie to re-watch — ever — we both agree and try to persuade Schulz. “What a bunch of nerds,” Schulz says, ironically pushing remains of curried tofu around his plate, “Nerdy, nerd, nerds.”
John Schmersal, Enon founder, co-vocalist, and guitarist-keyboardist, jumps in with a story about the compost system that he and Yasuda have set up in their backyard in Philadelphia. His description is complete with creepy faux-imitations of the compost worms they’ve unearthed, which he’s likened to the Dune creatures. “Spice,” Schmersal giddily says at the end of the story, then repeats himself with clawed fingers and outstretched mouth like a Dune character, “The worm is the spice.” Schulz, of course, ain’t buying it, despite the excellent imitation.
It’s the weekend before Halloween 2007 and Enon’s second night opening for the Appleseed Cast at Chicago’s Abbey Pub. The band is only a week into touring the new record, Grey Geysers…Carbon Clouds, released on Touch & Go on October 9, but from all appearances they haven’t stopped touring since their 1999 debut, Believo. It’s not that Enon look ragged or road-worn. In fact, they look incredibly awake for a band that’s been playing consecutive dates back to back while traveling in a van Schmersal and Schulz describe as “not necessarily built for human beings.” They just seem to have mad family juju happening that can only be attributed to spending many, many hours together off and on for almost 10 years. The trio is so relaxed around each other that one finishes the other’s sentences, and the conversation easily veers off-topic.
Schmersal talks about his love of thrifting and the time he bought roller skates on the road for no apparent reason. Yasuda, who is fighting an allergy attack and orders a giant bowl of soup with very healthy green things floating on top, then expresses her disappointment at not being able to wear a decent Halloween costume onstage, because everything would get caught in her bass. “I guess I’ll be a witch,” Yasuda says, charmingly heartbroken. And Schulz finally admits that he has his nerdy moments, particularly his Homer Simpson clock. “I think it’s infiltrated my life in an unhealthy way,” Schulz deadpans. Schmersal laughs in knowing acknowledgement.
The brotherly relationship between Schulz and Schmersal emanates from their long association. They’ve known each other since they were teens back in their native Ohio, where they performed off and on together in various short-lived, impromptu bands. But the two weren’t serious about being band mates until much later, after they had both moved to New York and Schmersal was looking to replace defecting members for his fledgling project, Enon. Yasuda came on board shortly after the release of Believo, having just left as bassist of the Lapse, and soon began co-writing and co-singing, which were new roles to her when she joined.
“I never thought of myself as a singer,” Yasuda says when told that fans continually leave love notes on message boards specifically praising her vocal skills. “I think it’s easier having another person there to sing with,” she adds. Schmersal, who has been equally praised for his flexible vocals and songwriting skills, agrees, noting that if it weren’t for Yasuda, he wouldn’t feel comfortable singing alone. Schmersal and Yasuda’s lyrical and vocal interplay is the first reason why Enon has drawn so many fans over its eight years. Yasuda has a talent for dark and whispery vocals and lyrics that are poetic and haunting, while Schmersal brings a funky, savvy songwriting style and complex but unpretentious hooks. The dichotomy between the two creates albums that are both whimsically experimental and eerily foreboding.
As such, Grey Geysers, an album that Schmersal says is the band’s most stripped down, comes across as the sonic equivalent of a traditional theater mask: both sides expressing divergent emotions, but not lacking in coherence. “It was intended to be a vinyl record,” Yasuda says. “One side is Grey Geysers; the other side is Carbon Clouds.” Although, Yasuda is quick to add that there was no intentional plan to begin the album with Schmersal singing and end with her vocals. Schulz agrees. “It’s not like we said, John you’re Grey Geysers and Toko you’re Carbon Clouds. It just ended up that way.”
Plates cleared, talk soon turns to other pressing topics: CDs vs. vinyl; the films of Cassavetes and Lynch; front-end van troubles; donut plants; and J Dilla’s tragic death. But always the conversation circles back to the mythic romance of New York, where the three spent their early years as a band and the place all three re-visited this past summer. It’s the kind of discussion you’d have with old friends and the kind of discussion that doesn’t seem like it’ll ever end.
That is, until attention is usurped by a Halloween partier who prances by the restaurant’s window and Schulz adds another perfectly timed comment to the mix: “Guy had some new-potatoes necklace on,” he says. “Like red potatoes?” someone asks. “Yeah, like new red potatoes,” Schulz says. “It’s Halloween,” Schmersal replies. “Oh, it’s Halloween!” Schulz recalls. “That’s the thing about New York; you’d see so many people wearing no clothes, just naked. Then you’d go, ‘Oh! It’s Halloween. I miss that.”
Issue #33
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