This Will Destroy You is an instrumental band out of San Marcos, Texas. Yes, instrumental, no singing about their feelings with these guys. Keyboardist, Donovan Jones, did take a little bit of time to chat about his feelings however, his feelings on his vintage Crumar Orchestrator synth.

“I saw this keyboard at our friend Adam Barnes music shop and I really liked the brightly colored buttons on it. So I asked to play it and it sounded really nice. I could blend lots of instruments into one sound and the bass was massive.” says Jones.

When you have an instrument—especially a synthesizer—that is over 30 years old there are bound to be some problems. But Jones’ are of a mundane variety.

“I wish I had the top cover for the keyboard so I could lug it around a bit easier, but other than that I haven’t really had too many problems with it,” he says. “It does have to be tuned every other song or so because the pitch likes to slip. I just run it through the bypass of a chromatic tuner.”

This Will Destroy You's Crumar Orchestrator sits atop a Rhodes in the band's studio.

But what are the best and worst parts of this old critter?

“It's called an orchestrator for a reason. There are maybe 10 to 12 different instruments that you can blend together into one cohesive sound. brass, cello, violin, piano, and harpsichord all those blend really nice,” says Jones. “Some of the instruments sound pretty cheesy on their own, but I really like how easy it is to manipulate the overall sound.”

But why use this over something new? Jones has a more practical than aesthetic reason.

“Adam was kind enough to front me the keyboard after I made a small down payment and the shit was cheap. I took it into Congletons a couple days later,” says Jones. “I mean, if I had the money, I’d be using one of those new Moog Taurus foot pedals and some other synthesizer, but I’m ballin’ on a budget. I’ll take what I can get.”

This is basically, for Jones, a studio synth but not exclusively.

“I use this keyboard mostly in the studio, but I’ve used it at two or three twdy shows and at some rap shows with my friend Dustin Cavazos,” he says. “It does take a while to set up all my gear if I bring the Crumar into the mix. Before each song I just have to check or adjust the tuning on it, but that’s really the only drawback.”

This Orchestrator has a jack for an expression pedal but Jones doesn’t currently have one. He wouldn’t mind playing around with one though. But, more important, should you get one of these synths?

“If you can get it on the cheap, this Italian synth go real hard and it sounds kinda dirty.” he says.

This Will Destroy You has been touring extensively in the USA and Canada. They will also spend a month in Europe. Their latest record, Tunnel Blanket, is out now.

“We are also planning on releasing another seven inch with a remix by HOLY OTHER. We also just finished a TALK TALK remix that will be on a compilation released by WARP.” says Jones. “We all have other projects we like to work on in our spare time. Royal plays in Amasa Gana, deejays and runs that label light lodge. He and I have been working on some screw tapes lately. Jeremy’s been going to crazytown on some video shit and Alex grows his dollars making records at his studio in Waxahachie. I’m working on some ghetto classical-ish instrumentals with Alex, Screws with Royal and doing some nasty spirituals on my own under the name Black Taffy. We also sell grade school textbooks. holler at us.”

Originally Jones had said they sold meth or something but the band’s publicist felt you might not get the joke. Either that or they really deal drugs. Which Gearwire frowns upon. Just say no kids.