Cast Spells: SXSW 2010

Posted on Mar 10th 2010 3:00PM by Nada Alic
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When you're something of an architect of feverishly paced experimental prose, you're bound to fill your mental reserves with enough music to start a side project. And that's what Maps & Atlases'/Hey!Tonal frontman David Davison did. His burgeoning ideas accumulated as Cast Spells, a 28-song project recorded in seven days in the basement of his childhood home. Davison, along with producer Jason Cupp, carved out six songs and let the rest hibernate for another day. His debut EP, entitled 'Bright Works and Baton,' follows dense and imaginative narratives, and is comparatively minimalist pop. Currently on the road with Hey!Tonal in Europe, Spinner caught up with Davison to talk about the magical project, in anticipation of his stint at SXSW.

Describe your sound in your own words.

A concise pop experiment.

What are your musical influences?

Cat Stevens, David Bowie, Elvis Costello and lots of other music that was always playing while I was growing up.

How did the project come about?

I had been writing and recording music that I really wanted to play but that didn't quite sound like Maps and Atlases songs. Finally I recorded a bunch of songs quickly with Jason Cupp and selected the six songs from 'Bright Works and Baton,' which was the official beginning.

How did you come up with the name for the project?

Firstly, I wanted to have an action-oriented name that didn't seem overly serious, but that also didn't seem too wacky. I hadn't really heard many band names that were commands either, which was appealing. Most importantly it just seems to fit the tone of the project.

This is the first time you'll be playing at SXSW under Cast Spells. Do you anticipate that it will feel any different than when you're with Maps & Atlases?

I'm not really sure what to expect. It is always kind of a crazy scenario during SXSW, and I am just looking forward to seeing a bunch of friends I don't always get to see and have a fun time.

How do you prepare for something as chaotic and unorganized as SXSW?

I just try and go into it with the perspective that it is about fun and visiting with friends, and anything beyond that becomes a bonus. I think that you have to be flexible in any festival situation, because it is always different. Sometimes you are using equipment that you're not used to, sometimes set changes need to be really fast and you just need to adapt to make it work.

Your songs have a whimsical element--a distinctive youthfulness. Do you have a favorite childhood book?

I don't have a book that I remember as my childhood favorite but I have always loved making up stories.

It seems all the members of Maps & Atlases are involved in some kind of creative side project [films, other bands, DJing etc]. Do you ever come into conflict, or are you all just really supportive of one another?

Everyone is really supportive of one another. When we originally started playing together we were all still in school and had a lot of different projects and conflicting work schedules and all that, but we learned from the beginning how to figure it out and make it work.

You're currently on tour in Europe. Any memorable tour experiences to share?

This entire trip has been interesting and memorable, especially traveling to countries that I've always wanted to experience like Poland and Denmark.

What's next for Cast Spells? Are you planning on an LP in the future?

I am planning an LP! I'm very excited about it. I'm not sure exactly when it will come out or be done, but I'm excited to record it and I'm excited for people to hear it.

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