Album Art by Pri Andrade in Porto Alegre, Brazil

People With Bodies is a self proclaimed genre-fluid band hailing from Reno, Nevada. The band consists of three human members with human bodies: Emily Pratt (she/her) playing guitar and singing, Fil Corbitt (they/them) on drums, and Mark Nesbitt (he/him) playing bass guitar. The band has released a handful of musical recordings dating as far back as 2016 with their self-titled 4 track EP, a full length album titled “Con Cuerpo” in 2018, some singles, and even short films. Their latest full length release “Field Notes” is certainly a musical journey I can guarantee you have never been on before. It is unlike anything I can pinpoint I’ve heard before, which made this such an exciting listen!

We begin this musical journey with a quick 9 second string arrangement that leads us right into “Seer.” The exciting melody/drum combination makes your ears perk up a little bit, curious to know what is about to happen next. “What if I wasn't who I thought I was?” Who hasn’t thought that 100 times before in their life? The album continues on showcasing very strong music technicality and writing skills. Midway through, we get to “My Death in America” which has that fun “breaking the third wall” feel to the song that has been demonstrated before by bands such as Green Day, Just Friends, or Illuminati Hotties. I love when bands make their albums stand out this way. The Bardo is named after George Saunders' book Lincoln in the Bardo. It's a book that is narrated by a hundred ghosts, all repeating themselves and their life stories, and this song is inspired by that idea.

Track 6 “Ode to Mountains” makes me believe that this one was inspired by the bands’ recording environment in the mountains of Yosemite. This Fleet Foxes-esque song can really paint the picture in my head of the scenic views on a mountain top.

The entire record consists of beautiful imagery, and synth tones that I don’t think I have heard before. Each song, completely different than the one before. Closing the adventure with the banjo forward “Crow Brain” was a great way to get off this environmentally friendly, impactful roller coaster of an album.

Stream “Field Notes” on Spotify
Instagram
Twitter
Bandcamp
Youtube

“Field Notes is all about the environment that surrounds the body. It was recorded in winter outside of Yosemite, California and at one point during recording a tree fell through the neighbor’s barn - a victim of a serious beetle infestation brought on by drought and global warming. Much of the record is about the beauty and awe of the earth, and also about our impact on it.”

— Fil Corbitt

How did you put together a tour to Argentina and Brazil? What was it like? What were some of the biggest obstacles accomplishing that?
It was really incredible. Emily and I (Fil) toured Brazil in 2016 as a 2-piece and made a bunch of friends just by booking through Bandcamp. Then when we went back in 2017, it was just so cool to return to these friends and play with their bands again. The audiences were so generous and receptive to our music and it was really inspiring just to see the role music plays in Brazilian culture from the corner samba bars to kids drumming on the street. We added the leg to Uruguay and Argentina in 2017 which meant we got to meet a whole bunch of new folks.

I think the biggest obstacle was probably gear. We were traveling by public transit/bus the whole time so we only brought guitars and drum sticks which meant we were borrowing amps and drums from the other bands. So that could vary a lot making every night a new challenge.

What was the first album/CD you ever bought for yourself?
Emily: Meteora by Linkin Park and Fallen by Evanescence.

Fil: Velvet Underground and Nico

Mark: Enema of the State by Blink 182

Dream tour - If you could book your ideal dream tour to open for any 2 artists, who would it be?
Emily: Man Man and Devo

Fil: Buzzcocks and Neil Young

Mark: Charles Bradley and Third Eye Blind

Album Review: People With Bodies "Field Notes"