Will any band ever break up?

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:00:00 +0000

The thick scent of eucalyptus and pollen drifts upward from a downtown Los Angeles flower shop to an upstairs rehearsal space: The five-piece band Spain, on a hot July night on a dodgy street, are launching into “It’s So True,” a brooding early number, following it with “Ten Nights” and “The Only One.” Intricate, understated lines coil from the lead guitar while the drummer plays brushes, jazz-style; the rhythm guitar summons the Velvet Underground’s spare, eerie third record, and in some of the structures you can hear the ghost of ‘50s country, thanks to leader Josh Haden’s family roots in Missouri’s Ozarks.

A good Spain song is like falling into a trance: It’s a blend of disparate, vibrato-rich sounds that, when played right, sounds inevitable. It’s also a sound very few people have heard lately: This band broke up more than a decade ago.

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Will any band ever break up?