“Pequod” is the debut release from Sky Village, the musical project spearheaded by Wichita’s Ben Chambers.
After Chambers’ previous band, NGNK, was forced to put its plans on hold in March 2020, the multi-instrumentalist turned his attention to completing and developing musical ideas he’s had but was unable to find a satisfying home for.
Though he enjoyed some of the freedom of working on his own, he also discovered that working without collaborators meant having to steer himself through periods of creative dead-ends and hurdles. And although he had intended to turn his full attention toward Sky Village, his work as bassist with the band Rise Again saw him devoting a great deal of his time to that endeavor.
Despite that, he was able to complete “Pequod” with the assistance of engineer Jason Catlett and collaborator Scott Spriggs, who helped bring the collection into harbor. (Vocalist William Bloom also contributed to the recording.)
In the end, Chambers wrote the music, played guitar and bass, and composed 80 percent of the lyrics heard on the record.
Chambers recently spoke with KMUW about the creation of “Pequod” and of Sky Village. “Pequod” is available on digital streaming platforms beginning Thursday, Aug. 10.
This project started at a little bit of a down time for you.
Yes, it definitely did. There was a previous band that I had; we had an EP that we were trying to release, and we were going to have a release show for that in March of 2020. So, everyone found other things to do during the pandemic when there was nothing to do.
There’s definitely a learning curve there where you learn your own perspective. When I started Sky Village, I did the bass, I did the rhythm guitar, the lead guitar; I did about 70, 80 percent of the lyrics. It changes the way that you write music when you kind of look at it, step back and see a broader perspective. There was definitely growth as a person and as a musician.
You did get some help on this.
I absolutely did. As much as I like to call this a solo project, it is very much a collaborative project. I needed help filling in where I fall short. I decided to reach out to different people, and I feature a different artist on each track. I can’t tell you how happy I am to do that. The album was recorded at Magnitude Studios with Jason Catlett, was mixed and mastered by Scott Spriggs, and both of those guys are super supportive. But, maybe more notably, they both have music that’s released specifically online only.
Sky Village, if I focus it as an online-only music production sort of thing, then I’m not restricted by people, I’m not restricted by genres, and I can just make and release anything that I want. I can collaborate with anybody that I want. There’s so much talent in Wichita that I feel like, “I’d love to be in this person’s band. I’d love to be in that person’s band.” Just invite them to be on a song. Hell, yeah! [Laughs.]
Tell me about releasing music online. What are some of the challenges? Obviously, a big challenge for any musician is just being heard.
You’re fighting for attention on social media and that can be a hassle, but I think the biggest hurdle is probably going to be the financial one because the cost to produce music versus whatever you receive from streams, that’s minimal at best. For me, it’s not about the money. It’s about the message and it’s about how I want to relay my feelings in a musical way. For that, it’s priceless.
What’s it like when you get to hear this thing front to back for the first time? Not just individual pieces.
I’m not sure. I feel like it definitely tells a bit of a story. The whole album, front to back, feels like … it takes you on a journey. You have a start and a finish, and you feel like you finished. I’m really hoping that it’s all properly conveyed to the audience. Even if it’s not, it feels good to get it off your chest, you know?
