The Yarrow

What's the meaning behind the band's name?

That’s a great story. Once, while working as a Camp Counselor for troubled midget youths in rural Alberta, Nick accidentally led the group off the hiking trail and into an abandoned mining shaft. Luckily, several of these troubled rapscallions were able to squeeze down a vent and search for food. The only edible thing they found was Yarrow plants, which provided the necessary sustenance for the group until they were rescued by a Harrison Ford lookalike 26 minutes later. Hence, The Yarrow stands for the nourishment Nick received in a time of need, and now we seek to provide audio nourishment to those in dire musical times.

How the band started??

Each member of the band had a different way of entering The Yarrow. Below is how each member entered the band:

Mitch Mallory and Jeff Harris: Nobody is quite sure how it happened, but Mitch and Jeff were found by South American police in a gutter of an unknown country. As they gradually became conscious, Mitch and Jeff heard Bob Marley playing in the background and decided to start a band due to this bonding musical experience.

Morgan Williams: Morgan responded to an ad on Craigslist, thinking he was showing up to be a physics tutor. He accidentally visited the wrong apartment, knocking on door 128 (Mitch and Jeff) instead of 127 (his tutee). Mitch and Jeff coerced Morgan to join The Yarrow, and Morgan’s life has never been the same.

Kyle Owen: After spending several months at New Bedlam Institution for the Slightly Insane, Kyle was desperate to get back into the outside world. Since Mitch volunteered there weekly, Kyle hatched and executed a plan to escape in Mitch’s backpack, which he managed to do. Mitch, startled yet empathetic upon seeing Kyle jump out of said pack, allowed Kyle to move in and eventually play bass.

Thomas Knight: Tom, who teaches ceramics at a local high school, had several Yarrow band members in his classes and realized they were all doomed to mediocrity in music and life unless he loaned them his skills. So, out of pity, Tom joined The Yarrow.

Nick Dudoich: Being a huge advocate for French rights and playing the French horn, Nick attended a Yarrow show and said they needed “more French-ness.” After several days of painful beatings, Jeff Harris agreed to let Nick play in the band. Nick is now the most popular band member.

What's the message to transmit with your music??

We play for a local charity, Community Action Services and Food Bank. We have given this charity everything we have earned, and we will continue to do so. Our music serves as a reminder to the community that there are non-traditional ways to serve others, such as by playing rock n’ roll.

What's your method at the time of writing a song??

Since we have so many instruments (violin, keys, French horn, hand percussion, drum kit, bass, acoustic and electric guitar, etc) we like to just jam. As something begins to develop, we write words and tighten up the arrangement.

Which are your music influences??

Bob Dylan, Radiohead, Bright Eyes, Arcade Fire, Bruce Springsteen, Brand New, Manchester Orchestra, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, Simon and Garfunkel, The Doors, Modest Mouse, Vampire Weekend, The Hold Steady, The Killers, The Smiths, Gogol Bordello, Of Montreal, Sufjan Stevens, and so much more!

What plans do you guys have for the future??

We are currently finishing our EP, Favor Fire. In fact, if you want to get our first single FREE, visit www.facebook.com/theyarrow and get it! FREE! We plan on continuing to play for charity, as well as organizing a Full House Reunion Tour, complete with the Olson Twins, Bob Saget, and John Stamos.

That we were considered “too obnoxious” and “over the top.” We had passed out kazoos and noisemakers and asked the audience to use them instead of applauding. We had also passed around Mitch’s famous chalkboard guitar and had the crowd write birthday messages to Nick, kicked Kyle out of the band, and had Mitch perform a song from an audience member’s shoulders. Is that too over the top? Apparently so.

Which has been the funniest prank you guys have been or took part while on tour or after a show??

It’s not so much a prank as it is sheer awesomeness. Having been sick all day, Mitch decided to try and play a show they had scheduled for that night. Mid-show, Mitch ran off stage, vomited (a LOT) and returned to perform the last song whilst crowd surfing.

If you guys were stranded in the middle of nowhere after a show or while on tour. The help is 65 miles away from where you guys are, ¿Who would you guys send to look for help? And if while the rest wait, there's no food and the only way to feed yourself is by eating each other, ¿Who would you eat first?

We would DEFINITELY send Morgan. He is smart, witty, clever, and has a way with ladies, so he would surely get us rescued…if he ever came back (and we’re not sure that he would).

As far as eating someone, we’d probably eat Nick first. Why? Well, Nick grew up in the Durrty South, so he’s quite a food connoisseur (he has had a food review published, by the by). He’s tasted more good food than the rest of us combined (Mitch and Jeff lived off the Wendy’s Value Menu for an entire semester) so he’d probably taste much better.  

What are your hobbies?

We enjoy knitting, sewing, crocheting, memorizing and reciting digits of Pi, memorizing and reciting the Periodic Table of Elements, physics, Magic: the Gathering, Dungeons and Dragons, helping old people manage their social media accounts, and Live Action Roll Playing (LARPing). Oh and bird watching, we love bird watching.

Which country you guys would love to play?

New Zealand, Brazil, Antarctica, Japan.

With which bands you guys would love to share stage??

Bob Dylan, Radiohead, and Mr. T…all at the same time.

Are you guys OK, with the direction the band is going actually?

We are so happy. We’re having fun and serving the community. Come on over to our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/theyarrow) and harass us!

* The Yarrow is not guaranteed to make your life 27% more bearable.

Check out more: http://www.myspace.com/theyarrow