Em and the MotherSuperiors

It’s no secret that Oklahoma spawns talented musicians. Month after month, new bands form around us and solo artists strengthen their craft. We would be amiss to meet and discuss online culture and influence without paying homage to some of the art that makes the chaos of the internet bearable. Our soundtrack for Confluence 2013 will feature some of the best acts in the OKC area.
Em and the MotherSuperiors bring roots music and meaningful songwriting to a brilliant, energetic crossroads. Emily Alexander of Oklahoma City turns out melodies bluesy enough to be born of a crossroads bargain. Her beau Scott Wade straps on his semi-hollow body electric, and the pair produces the type of musical love story that can only be the product of a match made in Memphis (err, heaven). Framing the sound are Nathaniel Alexander on bass, Tim Jennings on Keys, and Paulo V. on drums. No two shows will ever be the same and no song will ever be played the same as it was before due to the changing cast of supporting musicians. They have performed as a duo and as a seven-piece band including drums, bass, baritone sax, trumpet, synth, keys, and harmonica. The live shows always present the band with opportunities to dress up for the ensemble/venue/setting in multiple ways. The MotherSuperiors have been superheroes, Ninja Turtles, masked men, and businessmen. The band named their sound as Psychedelic Soul Music due to the soulful-dark voice of Emily and the manic electric sounds from Scott's electric noise guitar. -

A five-piece of former “Motherbitches” gathered around its communal kitchen table on a Monday afternoon, indulging in stories of drunken fan squabbles, Oklahoma City’s finicky music scene and the romance that started it all six years ago.
Now known as Em and the MotherSuperiors, the psychedelic soul outlet opted to drop “Motherbitches” from its name shortly after dropping its EP, Sorry If I Gleeked on You …, in 2011. Although it had the consequence of 200 fewer “likes” on Facebook, the freedom to re-brand exemplifies an advantage of being a “total do-it-yourself band,” guitarist Scott Wade said.

A classical guitar instructor at U.S. Grant High School, Wade keeps daily tabs on at least 10 music marketing websites, researches available venues and festivals for shows, and maintains the group’s in-home recording studio.

“We’re able to be a poor man’s band and have actual jobs and support what we really want to do,” said his wife, lead vocalist Emily Alexander. “So technology is on our side in that sense.”

Despite their day jobs, Wade and Alexander frequently convene on music they’ve written together and separately, which spans power struggles, politics and the occasional love song.

“It’s cathartic, right?” said Tim Jennings, the band’s “No. 1 fan” turned permanent pianist.

Cathartic could be one word to describe the indie act’s live performances. It seldom uses a set list and formally rehearses just as rarely, despite living in the same Portland Avenue abode, Jennings said.

Instead, Alexander said, Em and the MotherSuperiors rely on instrumental and vocal improvisation to give audiences an originally imperfect performance.

“The energy of it is so off-the-cuff, and it’s unpredictable,” Jennings said. “And the crowd really feels that.”

The band will play EP favorites and tracks from its first full-length album, Churches into Theatres, at Friday’s show at Kamps 1310 Lounge alongside two fellow local groups with female lead singers, Feathered Rabbit and Honeylark, a husband-and-wife duo.
“We’re pretty much friends and family,” said bassist Nate Alexander. “We’re really just wanting to play music, so everybody can have fun with us.”

They’ll continue debuting songs at various gigs, including the inaugural OK Woodstock Music & Camping Festival, scheduled for Aug. 3-4 in Sparks, approximately an hour’s drive from the metro.

Wade and Alexander hope that Churches into Theatres, expected around Aug. 15, will allow them to take to the road, with stops in Tulsa and Colorado before hitting both coasts.

“We were born and raised here in Oklahoma,” she said, “and we’re just ready to get out there and live our dream.” - OKC Gazette

A five-piece of former “Motherbitches” gathered around its communal kitchen table on a Monday afternoon, indulging in stories of drunken fan squabbles, Oklahoma City’s finicky music scene and the romance that started it all six years ago.
Now known as Em and the MotherSuperiors, the psychedelic soul outlet opted to drop “Motherbitches” from its name shortly after dropping its EP, Sorry If I Gleeked on You …, in 2011. Although it had the consequence of 200 fewer “likes” on Facebook, the freedom to re-brand exemplifies an advantage of being a “total do-it-yourself band,” guitarist Scott Wade said.

A classical guitar instructor at U.S. Grant High School, Wade keeps daily tabs on at least 10 music marketing websites, researches available venues and festivals for shows, and maintains the group’s in-home recording studio.

“We’re able to be a poor man’s band and have actual jobs and support what we really want to do,” said his wife, lead vocalist Emily Alexander. “So technology is on our side in that sense.”

Despite their day jobs, Wade and Alexander frequently convene on music they’ve written together and separately, which spans power struggles, politics and the occasional love song.

“It’s cathartic, right?” said Tim Jennings, the band’s “No. 1 fan” turned permanent pianist.

Cathartic could be one word to describe the indie act’s live performances. It seldom uses a set list and formally rehearses just as rarely, despite living in the same Portland Avenue abode, Jennings said.

Instead, Alexander said, Em and the MotherSuperiors rely on instrumental and vocal improvisation to give audiences an originally imperfect performance.

“The energy of it is so off-the-cuff, and it’s unpredictable,” Jennings said. “And the crowd really feels that.”

The band will play EP favorites and tracks from its first full-length album, Churches into Theatres, at Friday’s show at Kamps 1310 Lounge alongside two fellow local groups with female lead singers, Feathered Rabbit and Honeylark, a husband-and-wife duo.
“We’re pretty much friends and family,” said bassist Nate Alexander. “We’re really just wanting to play music, so everybody can have fun with us.”

They’ll continue debuting songs at various gigs, including the inaugural OK Woodstock Music & Camping Festival, scheduled for Aug. 3-4 in Sparks, approximately an hour’s drive from the metro.

Wade and Alexander hope that Churches into Theatres, expected around Aug. 15, will allow them to take to the road, with stops in Tulsa and Colorado before hitting both coasts.

“We were born and raised here in Oklahoma,” she said, “and we’re just ready to get out there and live our dream.”
- OKC Gazette