Minus the Bear's Musical Influences Add Up on 'Omni'

May 4th is a big day for indie-rock veterans Minus the Bear. Not only does it mark the official release of their fourth studio album, 'Omni', but it's also the first time the Seattle quintet has been on the road when one of their discs drops.

"Normally when a record comes out, we'll wait a week or two before taking off," guitarist Dave Knudson tells Spinner. "This is the first time we'll all be together like this. We'll be in New York, so we'll probably be out at dinner toasting each other."

Fans may raise a celebratory glass of bubbly as well, since the group's latest effort has been a long time coming. 'Omni' may not be exactly what longtime listeners expect though, given the tone of 2007's 'Planet of Ice'.

"Early on, we had a lot of pop-y and dance kind of tendencies, and I think we wanted to get back to more of that and reincorporate those elements on this record," says Knudson. "With 'Planet of Ice,' we were all super into prog rock and had this big ambitious concept kind of a record in mind. This record has a lot more soul and an underlying groove, and is a little bit less frantic and antsy than the others."
"I think people will really appreciate this," he adds.

Knudson and his bandmates take the time to shuffle through the cannons of indie rock on this latest effort, dabbling in synth rock ('My Time') and breezy feel-good pop ('Summer Angel') before trying electro psych on for size ('Animal Backwards').

"The title 'Omni' is kind of a reference to the mix of influences on this record," says the guitarist. "We were kind of on a journey while we were writing it and didn't know where exactly we were being taken. We all had different influences that were brought together, so the record is really just everything put together into one big pot and stirred around."

Grammy Award-winning producer Joe Chiccarelli, who has helmed projects for the White Stripes and My Morning Jacket, deserves much of the credit for funneling these various touchstones into one cohesive vision.

"This was the first time that we had someone from the outside working with us, someone who didn't really have any preconceived notions or expectations of what each particular player could do," says Knudson. "It was nice and refreshing to have a fresh set of ears listening and it helped us capture more of the live energy vibe of the band."

The act's live performances are where fans have 'gotten the band first,' according to Knudson, so he's excited to have a disc that showcases this side of Minus the Bear.

"We tracked everything all at once and attempted to keep some of that creativity and that spark, which sometimes you miss when you're overdubbing a part in a room with headphones on, instead of being there with four other people all playing."