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Ambulants steers clear of mainstream sound
By JOHN BENSON
Some bands hope to appeal to the mainstream, but Kansas City-based act Ambulants isn’t one of them.
Instead, this psychedelic-minded quartet aims so high that its members could care less if the music goes over the audience’s head.
“I understand why some people would be afraid of being over-eclectic, but I’m not afraid of it,” said Ambulants singer-acoustic guitarist Eric Schuman. “I think in the modern world, everything to an extent is highly eclectic. Some people might think it’s over-eclectic and they might not understand it all, but from where we’re coming from, we see all of the influences and other things going directly into the music.”
He added, “I think there’s a certain level or maybe a certain type of listener that will understand it, but it goes over our heads, too. That’s what we like to think. It just keeps it more exciting for us.”
Those influences — from Pink Floyd and The Mars Volta to even jazz and folk sounds — can be heavily heard on the foursome’s new debut effort, “The Muse-Mother’s Mantra,” which includes the complex “Asunder, All and Sundry” and the moody “The Holy Infinity.”
However, Schuman hinted the band already has matured past its debut material with a new focus on, well, exploring the groove. If you’re thinking Ambulants sounds like a jam band, you’re right.
“Yeah, we definitely have something similar with jam bands,” Schuman said. “And what we’re doing now is even more different from what we were doing a few months ago when we recorded the album. Actually, we have two more albums written. It’s evolving more towards free-form jazz and mostly getting more complicated with time changes and rhythmic qualities.”
Ambulants is mounting its first regional tour, which includes a Friday show at the Lemon Grove Caf . Considering this is the act’s first time in Northeast Ohio, Schuman offered this preview of Ambulants live show.
“It’s not necessarily the catchiest new pop songs,” Schuman said. “I like to think, people when they’re watching our shows, are one-part confused, one-part intrigued and one-part entertained, hopefully.”