Reappear
PFR, which had virtually disappeared for the last few years, is back with a new (sort of) album, featuring remakes of several old songs and three new ones.
by Andy Argyrakis | posted 11/22/2004
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When PFR first introduced its sunny, melodic pop in 1992, it was a welcome break from the mainstream's grunge movement—and something that sounded quite different from the rest of the pack. Their popular Beatles-esque harmonies made hits like "Great Lengths," "Wonder Why" and "That Kind of Love" instant classics. But in 1999, at the top of their game, with strong CD sales and sellout shows, Joel Hanson (guitar), Patrick Andrew (bass) and Mark Nash (drums) called it quits. They briefly resurfaced in 2001 for Disappear, and then promptly disappeared again. But they hit the studio again recently for The Bookhouse Recordings, coming out next week. The new project, revisiting several oldies and a few new songs, came at the prodding of the Fuseic Music label and Family Christian Stores, where the album will be exclusively available. We recently talked with all three guys to get the word on what's up.
Patrick Andrew (left), Joel Hanson, and Mark Nash—together once again.
You guys started out with a unique sound. Where'd it come from?
Mark Nash We came out the same year as Nirvana, and if you went back and looked at other Christian records, we were just doing something totally different. I think that was a result of us living in Minnesota instead of Nashville, which meant we really weren't part of the CCM scene. The benefit for us was we didn't have a benchmark to hit or the desire to sound like someone else, just to put out what was in line with our musical interests and influences.
And it worked in a big way. So why did you call it quits at the top of your game?
Patrick Andrew There were a lot of reasons, but we always said we were going to stop when we didn't have anything else to say. It got to that point where we ran dry and were really spent.
Joel Hanson We'd done four records in five years and spent a lot of time on the road. We just kind of ran out of gas. I don't think we knew how to get in touch with those emotions, or at least enough to channel them into songwriting. Career-wise it was silly, especially because we were selling more records than ever and were playing wherever we wanted. But it was the best thing personally because our lives were filled with disorder and weariness. As hard as it was to walk away, it was the best decision for us at the time.
What was it like going from such a steady stream of activity to having little to do?
Hanson It was a mix of feelings, starting with "what have I just done?" It was like seller's remorse, I suppose! But secondly, it felt like there was big burden lifted off our shoulders, and all of a sudden, there was relief. It gave us all the chance to move around a bit, either around Minnesota, or in Mark's case, to Nashville. Plus we could take more time for our families and focus on writing without any outside commitments.
So what made you decide to come back in 2001 for Disappear?
Nash I was working in A&R at [Steve Taylor's] Squint Entertainment and we were doing the Roaring Lambs record at the time. Steve was like, "It would be great if you guys could do a song for the record," so we got together and gave it a try. Man, did it feel good to get back in the studio then! It all sort of snowballed from there and we said, "Let's just do another record," and decided to put it out on Squint.
Other than the hit "Missing Love," that record virtually disappeared. Why?
Nash Companies are really complicated sometimes. Despite the success of [Squint] groups like Sixpence None the Richer, Chevelle, and Burlap to Cashmere, there was just a lot of stuff happening on the inside where it all fell apart. It's just best described as "unfortunate record label stuff" since it's so far in the past now, but it got to be too much and the plug got pulled, which was incredibly stressful. It not only meant my band's record going without promotion, but also my day job as an A&R guy and then my wife's job [as Sixpence lead singer Leigh Nash].
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