the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees, the bees,

The Spelling Bees is/are the recording project of songwriter Pearce Dietrich and his sister Liza Dietrich (vocals, keyboard). Formerly known as ...and then depression set in, they recorded four albums. A collection of these songs were tracked for the Agriculture Records release Snake On a Bicycle and reborn as The Spelling Bees. Their first album in two years, titled The Tiger That Ate Me,was just released in October on Agriculture Records.

{ the Naoko voice of questioning in BOLD>>} How long have you two been writing songs and in a band together?

{ the voice of answer, Pearce, is set in Verdana standard >>} I have been writing songs for 8 years and sadly enough not much has changed. I've written pretty much the same song 2,000 times. I had been in previous bands with high school buddies, and to be honest just felt like having to deal with a full band was a hassle. So I bought a drum machine and some equipment and did it on my own. My voice has never been strong so I asked Liza to join. She was just a 15 year old girl living on a telephone so I thought this would be good for her, but more importantly good for me. That was late summer 2003.

The four albums you made while ...and then depression set in, are they available anywhere? And when did they come out?

Those albums are available to download at thespellingbees.com - but I'm not totally certain. I haven't checked it in a while. (we checked - best to go here) Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I am really bad at webspace stuff. It's my achilles heel along with films with retards (mentally challenged, is that the PC term?). If someone really wants the albums they should just contact me and I'll mail 'em. Sad-bastard music was released September '03, Psychic Energizer was released November '03, and Chief Omusa and Lord of Tresserhorn were released February '04. Then I fell in love and was incapable of writing worthwhile music.

Did your parents hate the name of your band when it was ...and then depression set in? My mother would be like "I knew I should have made you continue seeing that therapist!"

Well it's kinda the reverse of that. They made me see a therapist, and once I got better the band started and I named it that. I thought it sounded cool and was just like a funny irony. But the name pretty much came from the Bill Murray movie Stripes. At the beginning all of that horrible crap happens to him and he says "and then depression set in". Then the really sweet musical score sets in (it sounds Randy Newman like minus the silly lyrics). Ultimately the band name didn't work. Everyone hated it. It's too long, it's too sad – basically if you're not successful your name just doesn't work.

With your new album, did it come about differently or did you want to try other things or something from what you have done in the past?

This was the weirdest album I ever recorded. Usually I write a bunch of songs and then sit down for a month or so and record them. Never more than 3 or 4 months. This time I spent a year and a half. I recorded here and there, when I could, when life was shitty. Basically having my heart broken got me off my ass and helped me finish the album. I guess the majority of the tracks were recorded this summer. I tried to write songs differently but I think they are still the same. I've kinda trained myself to write a certain song. If anything at all, I tried to layer the tracks more on this album. Wall of sound style. I think this album is probably the saddest and bitterest I've ever done. I kind of feel bad about that. Like it's a dis album about my ex-girlfriend. That's so lame, but I just wrote it how I felt. But there are some happy moments I think.

Are either of you History majors or something? Seems like things in history come up a lot in your songs. I like that, I love history.

I'm a quasi-history major. I like writing about history but it's tough. Sufjan Stevens is pretty good at it. Me on the other hand, I like to take a fact or two and then just go on my own way. I think history is good for concepts, and helps to get away from the "you broke my heart" songs.

Are you and Liza from Athens, Ohio or is it just for school that you are there?

We are actually from a small town in southwest Ohio called Greenfield, Ohio. It's the home of country legend Johnny Paycheck (he did the cover of "Take This Job and Shove It". He also blew someone's head off in a bar and became a famous country music outlaw). But there's no music scene in Greenfield at all. Just kids with garage bands that go nowhere. Athens is where we go to school.

On the new album you wrote everything, is that how it's always been or do both of you come up with the music and lyrics?

Liza wrote lyrics to a song once. "Modern Man" I think is the name. I believe it's on Snake On A Bicycle. Other than that I do all the songs. She's still young and too shy to write. She has vital input when we record songs. She's more classically trained and understands the melodies and harmonies better.

What are things that inspire you to write the kinds of songs that you write?

Heartache and sillyness. Happy songs and sad songs. I like to mix the two extremes and see what comes out. History too I suppose.

Is the Spelling Bees a project that will hopefully maybe always be around? Bands usually don't stick around, but since you're siblings, perhaps it's a bit more possible.

I think we have more potential to stick around than other bands because or our inherent bond. It just all depends on where my sister and I end up. It has been relatively easy to do these albums with her thus far. I think we will always be willing to work with each other; it all depends on where our lives go. I'm fairly certain we will be together for several more years. It depends on how her solo career goes. I might end up like Tito.

Did you both grow up being really good friends and stuff and that's why you get along musically and stuff? I think it's such a weird thing that siblings can get along and play music together, I guess because of how me and my siblings were. I asked Erik from Woody Whatever about that too, it's just a weird phenomena to me or something.

Honestly my sister and I hated each other most of our lives. We didn't get along until I moved away to college. After that we became friends and matured. We're pretty similar these days and I think that's why it works.

How many instruments can you play?

Um, I can play guitar, and bass. And I can play drums but not very well. And piano wise I can play chords and stuff that I can work into my songs, but I can't read sheet music or play Beethoven. Liza is trained on piano and can play fairly well.

Have you been able to play many shows or do you plan to in the future?

We haven't played any shows. I'm kinda hesitant to do shows, because most of the songs have 30 million instruments and I really hate teaching these songs to a bunch of people. I am toying around with the idea of playing stripped down versions of these songs. We could probably do the acoustic coffee house thing with some songs, but I really despise doing that unless I have to.

Do you feel a closeness to the Von Trapp family in terms of you both being groups of siblings that play music together? Is that why you wrote a song kind of about them?

I like the family band idea. I wish my brother could play drums, but I'd be happy if he just drove the tour bus. I've always liked the Von Trapp thing because my sister was in a big production of it when she was 6 (she played Marta - one of the forgettable characters). So for three months my family's life revolved around Liza and her musical. I guess it's engraved in my head now. I much prefer West Side Story to be honest, or Anything Goes.

You are also in Woody Whatever, is that like a permanent thing and what do you play when you're with them?

I play rhythm guitar and back up vocals (sometimes lead vocals, but I don't like doing that so much). I think it's pretty permanent. I've been in and out of Woody Whatever 3 or 4 times, but that was the past and Erik and I didn't really know each other that well. But now we are pretty good friends and are on the same page. So as long as Erik and I are around, we'll be in Woody together.