It’s a good time to be a We Are Augustines fan.  For a year now we’ve all been able to listen to their incredible first album, Rise Ye Sunken Ships, and now they are about to embark on a tour supporting Counting Crows.  We can only hope that the band, which rose from the ashes of another great band, Pela, gets even more recognition as the summer passes by.

We met them when they were playing the Paradise here in Boston a few months back.  Scrambling for a location at the last minute,  we thankfully were welcomed by the owners of In Your Ear, who allowed us to take up a corner of their store for a little while.  Surrounded by dozens of B-Movie posters, piles of old records, and an odd assortment of portrait paintings (which Eric and Billy arranged to their delight behind them), we set up shop.

It was a memorable shoot for us.  Of course, we were thrilled just to be filming the band, having been big fans of Pela and the new WAA album.  But it was fun for other reasons.  Halfway through a first take of Strange Days, a big pile of movie posters that was peacefully lying against the wall came crashing down on Billy’s legs due to the vibrations from their playing.  They shrugged it off, laughing.  In between each song, a gentleman kept coming up to the band asking if he could borrow some guitar strings.  They kindly talked with the man, who accepted the fact he was not going to get any new strings, but stayed to watch the show.  And then, before performing a beautiful version of Damien Jurado’s Ohio, Billy turned a wall of B-Movie poster titles into an impromptu song, during which we could barely contain our laughter.

Of course throughout our time with them they performed some music as well.  Rise Ye Sunken Ships is an album of stories; each song is a nuanced take on the battles of love and loss, addiction and forgiveness, sorrow and hope.  We were humbled by their performance, welcomed by their quietness, and left feeling like we’d just captured something wonderful.  We hope you agree.

First up, Chapel Song:

Next, Strange Days:

And finally, a beautiful cover of Damien Jurado’s Ohio:  (We have our own set with Jurado coming soon, so stay tuned).

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