Something to Believe In: That Midwestern Attitude

People are surprised at our ‘everything will work out in the end’ attitude. Being from the Midwest, we keep that positive attitude with us.”

Ian Anderson and the rest of One For The Team, Minneapolis’ best-kept secret, carry that attitude with them everywhere they travel—even while navigating their van through the lunch break traffic of New York City. That is where I found front man/label founder/author/over achiever Ian Anderson when I called him for a discussion on his indie pop group.

The band is in the middle of a four-month tour, in a year that they are playing 180 shows. Two-thousand-and-eight has been a busy year for Ian and the gang.

I spoke with Ian about growing up in the Midwest, his tireless work ethic, relationships, and The Replacements. The band was coming off a day in New York City where they recorded an in-studio performance at the Spin Magazine headquarters in the morning and performed at the Cake Center in the evening.

Even while the band tries to keep up with their hectic schedule, Ian has thrown himself into other successful endeavors.

He runs the day-to-day activities of his record label, Afternoon Records, from his seat in the tour van between shows.

Aside from music, Ian has even found time to earn his English degree from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn. When asked, however, if he uses his degree he responds, “Heavens no.” (Later during our conversation I found out he just finished writing his first book.)

After talking with him for a few minutes, one has to wonder: what doesn’t Ian Anderson do?

The new album, “Build It Up,” documents a band perfecting infectious choruses and cheery, upbeat lyrics. This is the sophomore effort from the group and their first on the budding indie label The Militia Group.

The optimistic Midwest outlook shines through in songs such as Hey Kid when Ian sings “Watch yourself when you’re lonely, you’ll learn a lot about your scene.”

Many of the songs revolve around that good old Midwest attitude that even in the middle of the worst of situations, hope is not lost.

Ian explains that during the writing of the record he was “sorting out a serious relationship.” The songs, he says, are really about the highs and lows of his relationship. “I was going through a difficult relationship. It (Build It Up) is really a documentation of that process,” he says. The frustration and confusion from his relationship are on display in honest fashion in “What Are You Gonna Cry About” with the line “I politely win you over when I start to cough your name. I never asked you to stick around but you stuck it out anyway.”

Even through the darker moments on the disc, the listener is left with a feeling of hope. Appropriately, the disc closes on a song titled “We Can Work It Out.”
How does One For The Team conjure up these gleamy, guitar-driven tracks? All of the songs begin in Ian’s bedroom with just him and his acoustic guitar. He then brings the skeleton versions of the songs to the rest of the band where they then “put their own spin on the song to make them into rock songs.”

The Minneapolis scene has had a tremendous influence the band. “We worship The Replacements,” says Ian. Their very name is a direct quote from a Dillinger Four song. They even have Minneapolis to thank for their deal with The Militia Group. The label first connected with the group when representatives flew out to Minnesota to watch the band play a show at the Seventh Street Entry.

This indie pop band will have you believing that things will get better even through the darkest of situations. Not only will you believe in yourself, you will also believe in One For The Team. With performances for Spin, a relentless tour schedule, and wonder kid Ian Anderson at the helm, one has to believe that this band is just getting started.

If You Go

What: One For The Team with Boxcar Satan and Fine Young Knives
When: Tues, Oct 7, 10 pm
Where: The Aquarium
Info: 701.235.5913