Whirled Peas
Whirled PEAS is a surf music band formed in 1992, in Austin, Texas. They took their name from a bumper sticker reading "Visualize World Peace", which they twisted into "Visualize Whirled Peas". This led to bumper stickers with this phrase on it instead. The band released two albums in the mid 1990s, and played the Austin, TX music scene before breaking up in 1996.
History
Members of the band first met at an Austin, Texas apartment complex in the summer of 1992. Robert Hembrook had just finished his service in the Army and was moving into Sandstone Apartments east of the University of Texas Campus in Austin. George Pestana was living in the apartment complex, and offered to help Hembrook move in. Part of Hembrook's belongings included a bass guitar and amplifier. Pestana noted that he was a drummer and knew a guitarist, Christoph Borst. Pestana suggested they all meet up to play & start a band. Hembrook had access to the Geology 100 Lecture hall on UT Campus, so that became their rehearsal space through late 1992. The style favored more metal, led by Borst. These early efforts, along with attempts to add a second guitarist, did not gel, so Borst suggested the rhythm section continue with another guitarist, Ted James who might fit better stylistically.
James started first band, Rattletrap, in 1992, playing bass. He moved to Austin in October 1992 from Huntsville, Alabama. James was a huge fan of Surf Music, a style made popular in the 1960-1965 time frame by such artists as Duane Eddy, The Ventures and [...] Dale and the Deltones.
James brought several arrangements to the band, and they began working on such tunes as [...] Dale's Misirlou. Coincidentally that tune was used to open Quentin Tarantino's movie Pulp Fiction. The band hoped that releasing this song as a single would lead to some local success, but initial cassette and vinyl releases were met with little fanfare.
James was the songwriting force behind the band, bringing in the basic chord sheets and working out leads. Hembrook & Pestana arranged their own parts. Hembrook took on the role of frontman, introducing the songs and providing chatter between songs, while changing INSTRUMENTS or tuning, etc.
Studio work began on the first recording. This was released on cassette in 1993 as "Visualize Me Baby!" The recording was done by Hembrook, using rented equipment in a spacious North Austin practice space. The initial run of cassettes was sold at local gigs and attempts were made to get them on the shelf at local indie record stores.
In 1994, the band went to Snooty Fox Studios in South Austin to record ten songs for what would become "War and Peas." War and Peas was recorded on 16 track ADAT, with 4 tracks for drums, one each for bass and guitar (dry) with additional tracks open for guitar effects and vocals. Jennifer Summers was featured on a vocal arrangement of the Daniel Johnston song "Walking the Cow."
War & Peas also did not make a splash in the Austin Music Scene. Whirled Peas continued to gig in Austin, supporting various members of the instrumental/surf/ska-punk scene.
In March 1995, Pestana moved to Dallas. James & Hembrook decided to call it quits. James went on to found such instrumental bands as Squid Vicious, Johnny Vortex and currently The Nematoads. Hembrook & Pestana reunited in 1998 to form the rhythm section of Id, Ego, Superego which played South By Southwest in 1998 and then broke up soon after. Pestana later played on and off with James, and currently sits the kit with The Nematoads.
MusicAL Equipment
Ted James
Guitars
Fender Thinline Telecaster
Paul Reed Smith
Hembrook handmade instruments
Amplifiers
Fender 1-12 Super Reverb
Fender Concert
Robert Hembrook
Bass Guitars
Westone 5-string
Handmade instruments made by Hembrook himself in 4, 5, and 6 strings
Amplifiers
Peavey Mark VI Head
Peavey 2x15 cabinet
Dean Markley Head
Carvin Pro Bass 500 Head
Hartke 1x15/1x5 cabinet
George Pestana
Pearl Drums & Pedals;
Zildjian cymbals;
unknown Roto-toms;
Remo heads
Various sticks & brushes
Discography
- Visualize Me Baby (1993)
- War & Peas (1994)