Jarvik 7
Words: Aubrey Bramble
Photo: Dana Thompson

Friday January 26, 2007, a few ticks of the second hand before 11:00pm.

Sitting alone at one of the cozy high tops inside of Ybor jewel Fuma Bella, sipping a Guinness and waiting on Mat Bowman and Bill Myers of Jarvik 7 to arrive, the bar is thinly populated and relatively quiet. Moments later, the two musicians amble across the threshold and make their introductions, immediately putting me at ease with their accessible demeanor and lack of "rock star" vitriol.

Jarvik 7 is a true "under-the-radar" act that has existed locally in the Tampa Bay area in some form or another since the mid 1990s. Originally comprised of Bowman on guitar and Myers on bass, Brian Conger on drums, and Chan Leonard on vocals/guitar, the band itself has gone through a number of manifestations before becoming what it is today: Mat (now on vocals in addition to guitar), Bill, and Brian along with newer member Brad Richardson on guitar.

"The first incarnation was silly," says Bill, "It took us a little while to get to where we could play together." Mat chimes in, "Now we have the line-up that we've always wanted." And unlike past generations of Jarvik 7, this line-up has been hard at work in the studio, writing songs and putting together their first full-length album.

"We're definitely a dark band," says Bill. "You have to be a little bit miserable to make our music." Mat jokes that their music is "emo rock for old people." I'm not sure I would agree with him, but Bill is definitely on to something. Their music is complex, layered, and so deliciously thick that it can't help but leave a lasting residue in its magical, muddy wake. Within their compositions I can easily glean influences from the Cure, My Bloody Valentine, and others, but what they are creating is original, unfettered, and superbly well-crafted.

The Jarvik 7 songbook benefits from the diverse musical tastes of its members. No one individual is solely responsible for the song-writing duties, and this sort of collaborative effort is astonishingly present in the fruits of their labor. "We're not trying to recreate a genre or make the next Interpol record," Mat and Bill insist. "There's a place for that, but that's not something we want to do."

Although currently lacking a distribution deal, the band hopes to have their album made available to the public, "sooner rather than later," according to Mat. I can only hope that means before the end of 2007. They also hope to become more of a live presence this year by playing more shows and, as Bill tells me, "to ultimately do a brief east coast tour."

"We try to be brutally honest with ourselves as to where we're at and what we're ready for, " says Bill. Drawing from a long and storied career of playing in local Tampa bands, these guys strive to remain level-headed and realistic about their situation.

"It's really more about how much we like to play music together, and that's all that matters."

An extremely talented group of musicians, Jarvik 7 is on the verge of something marvelous. Undoubtedly, they are changing the face of the Tampa music scene with their boundary-crashing, progressive sound. Savor a morsel of their tantalizing efforts at an upcoming show, or on the internet at www.jarvik7.com or www.myspace.com/jarvik7.