The beauty of public libraries is they can be many things to each individual: a place for young readers to explore new worlds of imagination; a welcoming spot for families to gather; a hub for research for students and scholars alike; an access point to the internet for those in our community without one; an easy target for one to attempt to spread their own bigotry through book banning (which suuuuuucks); a community gathering place for book clubs and meetings; a setting for Keanu Reeves to fight an NBA center (John Wick 3, anyone?); a spot to access a treasure trove of media; or simply a place to escape the noisy hustle and bustle of the world for a few minutes and find some quiet.
That quiet is key. If there's one thing that's been drilled into our heads through the thousands of harsh librarian shushes throughout pop culture, it's this:
Don't make noise in the library.
But don't tell that to Spokane chamber folk band Heat Speak.
In order to craft its latest album, Heat Speak headed to the new recording studios at Spokane Public Library's Central branch. The resulting 10-track LP, de bouquet ok, captures the best of what the group has to offer.
The opening track of de bouquet ok — "ICSYMCWTSD" — provides an ideal introduction for those unfamiliar with Heat Speak. Earthy, sparse guitar plucking soon gives way to progressively building layers, including string arrangements and a variety of eclectic percussion, with the folky jam timbre of singer-songwriter frontman/bandleader Dario Ré's voice serving as a welcoming guide to make the whole package go down easy. Among the album's other highlights is "Song for a Fisherman," a longtime live favorite that hadn't made it onto a proper Heat Speak album before, but showcases Ré's rootsy and poetic impressionistic storytelling lyricism. The group excels at making the collective seem cohesive, as evident on "Cupboard of a Grand Fir." It's a delicate song, and while the players add loads of layers, they never overwhelm its tender core — instead morphing it into something simultaneously intimate and majestic.
The band will further up its library noise-making ways by celebrating the new album's release on Friday, Jan. 12, with a free all-ages show at the Central Library.
While an array of upgrades arrived with Spokane Central Library's renovation in summer 2022, the addition of a professional recording studio made the space stand out from other book-lined havens. Library card holders could suddenly book one- to three-hour blocks to self-record in the space or reserve four-hour sessions with in-house audio engineer Andy Rumsey to work on their musical creations. Considering that booking a professional studio can cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, the library studio instantly became a wonderful resource for the local musical community with an unbeatable price — free.
And for the more ambitious artists? Well, they can apply to be granted 40 hours of free recording time with Rumsey to work on an album in exchange for volunteering.
When Ré heard about what the Central Library could offer, he knew it'd be a fit for Heat Speak.
"Just as an opportunist creator, I caught wind of the new studio and learned of their application process for larger projects and was just like, 'Well dang, I've got music, and I've got collaborators. And this seems like an economical way to record,'" says Ré. "So I just jumped in early in that process, got accepted and ran with it."
Instead of having to rush through recording because of budgetary concerns, as had been the case on some past Heat Speak recordings, the durational nature of the band's stay at the library helped its creativity flourish. The time is especially important with a band of Heat Speak's size. While the group is somewhat modular around Ré, de bouquet ok features 12 players: Ré (vocals, guitar, piano, accordion, etc.), Andie Daisley (vocals), Michael Starry (bass), Phil Pintor (violin), Caroline Bickford (cello), Tim Gales (cello, mandocello), Terri Parrish (keyboard), Ariana Colts (drums), Zack Zuniga (djembe, congas), Jules Smith (percussion, guitar), Shawn Duffy (guitar) and Lane King (lap steel guitar). Managing so many moving pieces can understandably be chaos, and not having to rush through takes allowed Ré to be more comfortable holding the reins.
"Taking a bit more of a producer role on my end was new," says Ré. "Typically our studio sessions have just been like the band performing, and I'm included in that. And for this session, me and the rhythm section were able to track pretty much the whole album in the first two days. And then I still was there for all the sessions throughout the week, kind of overdubbing the string parts, the percussion, the texture, the harmonies. So for the last three-quarters of the process, I wasn't even performing. I was just acting as producer and organizing all the players who were coming in to record. So that was a really beautiful experience for me, because definitely my heart sits in that role."
The album's title — de bouquet ok — came about visually at first. While looking at a painting hanging on the wall of Ré's abode — one by local artist Oana Barac-Matei of a bouquet in a vase — he realized it should be a Heat Speak album cover, and the actual title came shortly after.
"Bouquet — that, to me, evokes the method — the kind of collaboration between so many players from different backgrounds, but also with the library system. Everyone's sort of contributing to that," says Ré. "So this concept of like, coming from a bouquet, just from like, a wealth of love, really spoke to the collection of songs as well as the method."
While Heat Speak remains a Spokane-based band, Ré has actually moved out of state. He and his partner had dreams of owning a plot of land and last year found one in Sandpoint, allowing them to live on the land while still staying connected to their Spokane roots. And while the band members may be slightly more distant, there are some benefits. For Ré, the scarcity of Heat Speak shows now makes each a bit more special and also better fits with band members' day jobs and other commitments.
With that in mind, Heat Speak is playing two shows in Sandpoint this month (at Pend d'Oreille Winery and Heartwood Center) in addition to the de bouquet ok release show in Spokane. And it's undeniable that concluding the full circle journey at Spokane's Central Library will be a special evening for the band.
"Having a free, all-ages show as the album release was not part of the stipulation by any means. That was just kind of a way that I wanted to give back and utilize that space even more," says Ré. "When I got in there and started recording, within a day or two it was like, 'The release is happening here.' I could just feel it. So that was a no-brainer. I do think it's going to be one of our bigger Spokane shows. I'm hoping it's our biggest show, and it kind of feels like it's going that direction."
At least for one night, making noise in the library will be highly encouraged. ♦
Heat Speak: de bouquet ok Album Release Show with Traesti Darling • Fri, Jan. 12 at 7 pm • Free • All ages • Central Library • 906 W. Main Ave. • dariore.com
Heat Speak • Fri, Jan. 19 at 5 pm • Free • All ages • Pend d'Oreille Winery • 301 Cedar St. Sandpoint • powine.com
Heat Speak, Mama Llama • Sat, Jan. 27 at 6:30 pm • $10-$12 • All ages • Heartwood Center • 615 Oak St., Sandpoint • dariore.com
