I first came across this group from South Lake Tahoe at last summer's Mountain Vibe Music Gathering. It was my first time attending the event and also my first time performing so it seemed like a lot was going on in my mind.....that is until I heard Lavish Green start playing. I stopped what I was doing and ran over to the stage. After watching a few of their songs, I was hooked by their entire being. This was a very tight reggae outfit with the energy of a high octane rock show, and they genuinely seemed to be feeding off of one another. At the end of the set, I was most impressed by their ability to be able to have so much fun on stage. Lavish Green is a great group musicians that play reggae rock and and an even better group of friends, both on and off the stage. It is with great pleasure to announce that Lavish Green is this week's SF Solid Gold Artist of the Week!
I had the pleasure of sitting down with Joel from Lavish Green for an interview, and here's what he had to say. Cheers and enjoy!
What is your name and role in Lavish Green?
"My name is Joel Gruneich, guitarist & songwriter for LG. Assistant in marketing and websites."
And really quickly, how did you come up with the name Lavish Greens?
"It's inspired by an irie rooftop breakfast, eating green omelettes while overlooking the lavish Tahoe scenery."
How did the band get created?
"In the winter of 1994, atop the Sierra mountains, two high school buddies (Sanchez & Wheeler) started to realize they could jam together. One on drums & one on guitar, and they would jam for fun each while just free riding along like the snowboards they just got off of. At this time, it was purely exploratory with skill not even born. It wasn't until spring of '95, after each suffering foot injuries while skateboarding that left us both on crutches, did the real "jam" start to conspire. Both laid up with nothing else to do, one laid on the bed & foot on pillows with guitar on belly while the other was on drums with a cast on his left foot....it began.
Playing punk rock rifts for as long & fast as they could, the skills started to hone. After a couple of weeks & some really tolerant roommates, a friend came over with a guitar player, a bass rig & a P.A. It all perfectly crammed into the bedroom. They taught us a couple songs & three days later on July 3rd, 1995, it happened. We took the backyard stage for the first time. Rob Guistina, aka Robby Jah, the man who envisioned this escapade, fronted our newly formed band as we ripped the crowd into a frenzy!! Oh, it was on now!!!! Fittingly, we called ourselves THE GIMPS! Very shortly after this & changing our name to Lavish Green, we were blessed to find the man, the myth, the legend.....Joel Gruneich. A schooled & dedicated guitarist who thankfully guided myself and Chris to writing songs & setting goals. To this day, the undying "THREE CORE" continues to write songs and perform for friends & family alike. This July 3rd 2015 marks the TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY of that glorious evening in that little backyard stage. Man, time sure flies when you're having fun, right?"
If you could describe your band in only one word, what word would you use?
"Family"
Why did you start playing music?
"I started playing guitar at around the age of 14, mainly because I had been watching my older brother & friends play guitar. Then I saw Metallica live during their And Justice For All Tour, and that sealed the deal for me on what I wanted to do."
Who or what band has been your biggest musical influence? Are they still an influence in your playing today?
"I'd have to say that Pearl Jam has had a huge influence on my playing, and they continue to inspire me to this day!"
What's your favorite song that you have written?
I'm gonna go with "Mom Song." The lyrics are about Rob's mom and remembering all the times we had with her over the years & all great memories we share with her. She was a mother to us all! The way Chris wrote the lyrics, I feel that anyone can relate it to their mom as well. We are all proud mamas boys!
So what's one album you could never get tired of listening to?
"The Who's Quadrophenia album. It's a great story, and I can listen to it from start to finish."
If you could jam with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be?
"I would have to build a band. Those not with us anymore: Jimmy Hendrix, Randy Rhodes, John Bonham, Freddie Mercury. Those still here: Dave Grohl, Joe Satriani, Flea, & Eddie Vedder."
What would you say has been the best concert that you've attended?
"For both myself & Chris, it would be The Mars Volta at The Greek Theater in Berkeley, CA. The first four songs were 45 minuets of uninterrupted music."
Best band moment, on or off stage:
"For me, it was the chance to record with Grammy award winning producer, Saliva Massy, and stay at the studio for over 2 weeks. For Chris Sanchez, it was in the bathroom pissing next to Angelo Moore (front man for Fishbone) when he said to him that they were the only band around here to get the crowd to their feet and dancing before they played. We have played with them over a dozen times and are playing with them for our 20 year anniversary."
Have ever had an embarrassing moment on stage?
"We were supposed to play The Boardwalk in Sacramento for the first time. We were driving from the Bay, and we stopped for gas. At the last second, our drummer at the time, Chris Lovering, got out to get a Pepsi. When he stepped out of the store, he watched us pull away as we left him behind. We did not realize until we were pulling out gear at The Boardwalk, and needless to say we didn't play."
Where do you see yourself 2 years from now, and where do you see yourself in 5 years?
"I want to be playing with LG & still playing guitar with my best buds, just a little more grey."
Who are some bands that you play around your area with?
"Trey Stone, Livitz Livitz, Hemlock, Planting Seeds, and Forest Day just to name a few."
Where can people go to follow your progress and find your music?
"We're on Facebook and Reverbnation. Also have CD's so just Google us. We are all over the interweb."
Well is there anything else you would like to say before you go?
"We're really excited for our 20 year anniversary! Also stoked for Mountain Vibe, Live at Lakeview, and especially the Hard Rock in Tahoe with Fishbone. That's July 3rd, 2015. 20 years to the day! Really happy to be joined by our new drummer, Danny Barnes!"
Well thank you for chatting with me today. Congrats on 20 years of success, and her's to 20 more years of Lavish Green! Before you go, I have one more question. If you could have written any song in history, which song would you choose, and why?
"For me, Happy Birthday for the royalties. hahaha Just kidding. I would have to say "Make Yourself" by Incubus. I love the music and lyrics. For Sanch, he said Mr.Crowley, arrangement was way before its time. Piano & organ is amazing, not only that it's made its way into undying hearts that will always pay off fan wise, as well as royal tea."
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Do you like your music loud, heavy and aggressive? If you answered yes to either category, you are in for a treat. I decided to go in a much darker direction this time for our Artist of the Week feature. Ladies and gentlemen, meet Among The Torrent. Based out of San Jose, this metal group is keeping the tradition of in your face riffs and pulsating rhythms alive by creating super heavy songs with the attitude to back it all up. After hearing just one of their songs, I immediately was taken back to the early 80's when metal ruled the land. Among The Torrent has that classic metal sound, along the lines of Pantera and Metallica, but they have brought the style into the modern day by making every song that they write heavier than the last one. I got to sit down with some of the members of Among The Torrent a while back for an interview and learn more about these metal masters. If you would like to be one of our featured artists, please fill out the submission form at the bottom of the page. Enjoy! What are your names and roles in Among The Torrent? Mike - Guitar/Vocals Kiera - Guitar David - Bass Where are you based out of? "We base ourselves out of the San Francisco Bay Area, but we really region out in San Jose." And how did the band get created? What did you hope to achieve by starting this project? "Among the Torrent (AtT) was formed in San Jose, CA in the winter of 2011. Material immediately began development once Mike and Adam (Former Guitarist) came together. We were able to get our ideas recorded using a drum machine since we didn’t have a drummer." "Mike soon contacted Dave, who was the former bassist for Exordium, to join the ranks. Material continued to progress during the hunt for a drummer. We ended up recruiting Zach (former drummer) and was able to enter the show circuit with Mike and Adam on Vocals and guitar, Dave on Bass and Zach on drums. "This line up continued for about 3 years until Zach and Adam exited the band for career reasons. We soon recruited Kiera on guitar, and Mike then took over all vocals. At the time of this interview, we are still-hunting for a drummer. We are still in the show circuit and are using live drum samples for our set. We can’t stand the idea of allowing the absence of a drummer to slow our progress and exposure. We keep moving forward!" I love the determination that you guys have. It must be tough not having someone to play those parts live, but that doesn't stop you. That's dedication to the max!. So if you could describe your band in only one word, what word would you use? "We would say "Relentless" is a good choice." When did you all start playing music? Mike: "At the age of 12, I began playing guitar. As a kid, I use to love movies that had epic sounding musical pieces during emotional sections of the script and of course…video games have always offered some of the most fascinating electronic pieces. Listening to bands like Metallica, Green day and Smashing Pumpkins made me pick up the guitar and want to start learning. The bands that got me into the metal scene were Opeth, Diecide, Dimmu Borgir and Decapitated to name a few. Music essentially was and is an emotional outlet that allows me to develop in so many aspects in my life and as a human being." David: "I started playing guitar around when I was 13. First thing that got me into Metal was Metallica, the first metal album I owned was “…And Justice For All.” on cassette tape. Got into Pantera, Slayer and that’s what styles I wanted to play when I was young. It seemed like I was late in the game though since I lived in Hawaii back then and all the cool tours already happened. I was just in awe from what I found from friends recommending things." Kiera: "I always did at least one extracurricular thing when I was young and had initially played piano from 10 to 12. When I turned 13, I switched to guitar and immediately fell in love with it. No Doubt got me into music but Evanescence got me into alternative music. Eventually bands like Killswitch Engage, Metallica, Dream Theater and Cradle of Filth got me into metal." What band has been your biggest musical influence? Are they still an influence in your playing today? Mike: "It's so hard to choose, but I will go ahead and say that Opeth was a driving force in my overall development in the metal scene. Their ability to be so diverse and bring so many musical elements to life was always something I was inspired by." David: "I would say bands like Metallica, Pantera, Iron Maiden. Their stage presence lit their performances right up, and that's what I like to do. For modern musical creativity, I go with Beyond Creation, Katatonia, & Decrepit Birth. More speed and melody is what I like to listen to." Kiera: "Cannibal Corpse and Behemoth influence my writing the most, along with Dark Fortress for the more black metal riffs. I always felt like Behemoth's riffs sounded good no matter what they did, and I took so much from that style of playing." What's your favorite song that you have written? Mike: I'd say "Lights in Elevation", our new song, has become my favorite at this point. It was simply one of those songs you sit down and write with the greatest of ease. Everything fell into place. Funny enough, I worked completely backwards with this particular song. I couldn't get the outro riff out of my head and decided to capitalize on the riff and just started adding synth/electronics and guitars piece by piece." "Lyrically, I always try to shoot for supernatural encounters/alternate dimension sort of things. This song in particular was based off of the idea of those who claimed to have been abducted by supernatural beings and the struggle they feel when they are released back to live life among peers as a monitored animal of the superior forces. Nobody ever believes someone when they claimed to have been abducted, and they pass that person off as crazy and out of their minds. The thing is, one would never know unless it happened to them and sadly enough....the cycle would continue, and you would then be the crazy one." Kiera: "Proselytize, a song that is still under works but I love it so much because I feel like it has a lot of potential. I love dramatic orchestras and keys and when I started writing that song that's exactly what came from it. Simple harmonies but loud orchestras. It has so many parts that just make me want to head-bang and that's what I want to have in the riffs and songs I write." What's one album you could never get tired of listening to? Mike - Old mans Child - Vermin. It's just got such great composition and solid flow. Tons of classic and catchy riffs David - Hypocrisy – Hypocrisy. It's really the best melodic death metal album & really under the radar for this bands overall discography. I believe they went to space and returned with this masterpiece. =) Kiera - Evanescence - The Open Door. This album is what inspired me to make great orchestral pieces. It's definitely their most "dramatic" album to date and has many haunting orchestral pieces. If you could jam with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be? Mike - "Steve Vai or John Petrucci, both are wizards and have amazing style." Kiera - "Chuck Schuldiner or Pat O'Brien.....because they Shred!!!" David –"Dimebag Darrel & Cliff Burton. To be able to jam with the legends of metal, in my opinion, would be the best thing ever." Best band moment, on or off stage: Mike: "Delivering a successful set with out a drummer. We spent a lot of time and money into getting our programmed drums to sound great live, and we pulled it off with flying colors. Also introduced a new song during this set. It is extremely difficult to pull this off for metal bands." Kiera: "I'm gonna have to second Mike. We somehow managed to play a good show without a drummer, and I'm glad that we were able to do it." David: "I would say touring last summer was a great band moment. Everyone got to know each other "really well." lol. Everyone traded off equally, and traveling/going across the states has to be fun, ya know?!" Have ever had an embarrassing moment on stage? Mike: "I once called a guy in the crowd a girl in New Mexico. I said, "This chick down front is moshing harder than half the guys out here, pretty impressed!" Low and behold, the drummer at the time whispers, "Dude.....it's a dude." I think it was because he had his bangs cut much like a girl would and his face was baby butt smooth. I could only laugh at that point." David: "Hahaha Mike's story takes the cake really, but while running across the stage and kicking the kick drum mic at one of our shows once, I do remember being slightly embarrassed. The kick drum in the mix disappeared as soon as I tripped on the mic. Oh well, it happens." Where do you see yourself 2 years from now, and where do you see yourself in 5 years? Mike: "Signed and touring more aggressively within 2 years. In 5 years, hopefully have 3 albums out by then and be touring with the metal acts that I grew up listening to." David: "Signed, touring, have lots of shirts for sale and hopefully doing well overall. " Kiera: "Getting signed would be great, and touring across the country. I'll also finally be graduating from college in two years." Who are some bands that you play around your area with? Mike: "Couple of great bands such as Anisoptera, Kinnefret, Cyborg Octopus, Flub, and Imperial Omen just to name a few." David: "To add to that list, The Fresno Boys of Evisceration, Logistic Slaughter, & Soon with Crepuscle." Kiera: "Behold the Desecration and Plagues of the Armada." Where can people go to follow your progress and find your music? "Our website, AmongTheTorrent.com, and also on Facebook, Reverberation, iTunes, band camp, Pandora Radio, and about 40 other digital distributors. We are all over the place." Anything else you would like to say before you go? "Stay tuned for the upcoming album dropping late 2015, early 2016. We always encourage bands, promoters, etc, to contact us via Facebook if interested in booking us or simply networking. We are also currently seeking a drummer so if there are any interested candidates in the San Francisco Bay, shoot us some reference material with your inquiry. We've got a So Cal tour in the works and will need a candidate locked and loaded." Last question: If you could have written any song in history, which one would you choose? Mike: "Moonlight Sonata by Beethoven" Kiera: "I would second Moonlight Sonata, but for something else. Rachmaninoff - Prelude in G minor Op. 25 No. 5" David: "S.Y.F.F.U.F. by the creators of South Park, or the intro to Beavis & Butthead. lol" This week's Shutter Showcase features a photographer that reached out to me a couple of days ago. Even though he currently resides in Iowa for college, he has spent the past twenty years of his life living in and loving the Bay Area landscape. This guy is a very talented photographer, and he is constantly working hard to sharpen his trade. Even though he is miles away from home, we here at SF Solid Gold are very happy to promote this Bay Area artist. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the life and work of Black Mesa. Alright lets start off by having you tell us your name and where you are from. "For all art endeavors, I've adopted the name Black Mesa. I used to play the video game Half-Life as a kid and the concept of the Black Mesa top secret research facility always enticed me, in terms of wanting to explore a secret place just like it one day. I only found it fitting to apply that name to my photographic alter ego as I'm always eager to explore. I was born in Miami, Florida, but moved to the East Bay Area as a young child." What initially made you get into photography? "It's pretty ironic actually. I initially always wanted to paint, but I can't seem to draw even a stick figure right. Growing up, I used to see kids draw some of the most creative and beautiful things, and I was almost envious that I couldn't even sketch anything legible. Never did I realize that perhaps it simply wasn't my medium. I took a digital photography class during my freshman year of high school and absolutely hated it. My teacher would consistently give me C's or even D's on every single thing I turned in so it turned into something that I went into with a lot of frustration. It's not like I ever detested the process of photography. I just hated how she would give me horrific grades on a daily basis without ever helping me understand why. It frustrated me enough to pretty much throw in the towel and give up on photography. I don't detest failure, but I detest being unable to adapt and stack up better for next time. I firmly believe that class never showed me how to do anything but fail and be disappointed with my results. Later on, in my junior year, my auntie had bought a DSLR. She had absolutely no idea how to use it. Therefore, I volunteered to try to figure out how to help her utilize it. I took it home for a week, and let's just say I fell in love with photography that weekend so she didn't end up getting her camera back until I bought one of my own!" Who have been some of your favorite photographers that you've come across? "Oh man, that list is extensively vast but I'll try to keep it short so I'll just shoot ya a few. I'd say 13th Witness and Trashhand have always been huge to me, in terms of bigger names because I feel like they pioneered the urban exploration field pertaining to the art of exploring everything. Not only are their photos gorgeous, but their work ethic has always been something I've idolized. After watching Trashhand's skill-share sessions and seeing how early he leaves the house to go shoot, I've been truly motivated to get out in the field more instead of cherishing my personal beauty sleep. The photographic work of Kostennn has also been extremely motivational to me after hearing a little bit about his story. I mean, the kid is a few years younger than I am and began shooting with a broken kit lens but still never made any excuses about his lack of equipment preventing him to get out there and take good photos. I believe that kid will be the definition of self made. I could go on and name photographers forever that inspire me, literally forever but you get the idea. It's vital to look at the work of other photographers to get inspired and learn. Some people consider those in their field competition, but that's absolutely silly and distasteful. A healthy artistic mind should be always eager to learn and encourage their fellow photographers." Where would you like photography to take you in life? "I'd just like it to take me to places and spaces, really. I like seeing new environments and can't sit in one place for too long so I suppose I just would love to keep traveling. A lot of people see that as unreal and will lead to an unstable broke lifestyle, but fuck 'em. You don't go into this field looking for stability, and you don't go into it with anything less than a head full of dreams. I hate it when people only see the sure fire problems with artistic life. I haven't had any yet thankfully. My biggest dilemma everyday is whether to murder my diet with a bag of flaming hot Cheetos or a Snickers bar so I'd say my mentality is fairly relaxed. My entrepreneurship teacher told me recently, "Yes, that dream job is difficult to get, but if you don't try to get it someone else definitely will." I'd like to try my hand at it before giving up. As long as photography keeps me on the move and fatigued, then hey, I see that as a lifelong fun problem to have." Do you have a favorite subject in particular that you like to shoot? "Urban architecture for sure. Living so close to San Francisco growing up gave me butterflies for big cities. Currently, I'm attending the University of Iowa for my undergraduate education so being trapped in a small town can be lackluster after you've seen city lights." If you could travel anywhere to shoot photos, where would you like to go? "Japan, Japan, Japan! Every single time I stumble upon a picture of Tokyo, I drool, truly. The architecture, the food, the blinding lights, it's just all so beautiful to me. Perhaps it's also ideal for the urban things I like to shoot so it just makes perfect sense. I'm crossing my fingers trying to send a letter to Sofia Coppola to beg her to first of all make a Lost In Translation sequel. Secondly, allow me to star in it because I don't know how the hell I'm going to get out to Japan otherwise. Third, she should totally bring Scarlett Johansson back as my co-star but not because I think she's pretty or anything. I hope Sofia Coppola can see what an ingenious yet only slightly selfish idea this is." What's one album you could never get tired of listening to and why? "Hmm, that's a hard one. I'd probably have to lean with J Dilla's "Donuts", and I really like The Misfits "Static Age". What's your favorite concert that you have ever attended? "Rock The Bells. I saw the Wu-Tang Clan. Enough said." What would you say is your best photo that you have ever taken? "Realistically, I hate all my work after roughly 24 hours. However, if there's one photo I have a good memory to I would say that it was my first time taking a long exposure at Grizzly Peak of the San Francisco Skyline. It's a extremely cliche photo but I'd say that was the first time I really explored anything roughly noteworthy. It started this chain of just trying to find new spots and different views." Where do you see yourself 2 years from now, and where do you see yourself in 5 years? "Oh dang, I really don't know. My mother always grills me on this very question because she's scared that I'm obviously not going to be an engineer at Google and to her that's kind of the holy grail of jobs. I like to just take one step at a time and tackle opportunities as they present themselves to me. The future is too scary to worry about. I'd like to think that by giving it 100% everyday, instead of thinking too far ahead, things might just work out for me." Where can people go to follow your progress and find your photos? "I'm working on building a personal website, but for now to keep up with my daily explorations and beautiful Ryan Gosling-esque face, blackmesaphotolog.tumblr.com works just fine." Anything else you would like to say before you go? "Explore, explore, and explore children. Oh, and his quote by Rust Cohle that I've always found beautiful. "Life's barely long enough to get good at one thing. So be careful what you get good at." Awesome, thank you for your time man. Before you go, I have one last question for you. If you could have written any song in history, which song would you choose and why? "Metallica's "Fade To Black". It's cool and hard at the same time." To be featured for a Shutter Showcase, please click here. Thanks for reading!
Written By: Jacob D. Schmidt All Photos By: Black Mesa SF Solid Gold We live in a weird era of music. The stuff on the radio isn't getting much appreciation from it's listeners anymore, and if you're not creating music through a turntable or a Macbook, you're probably not getting the attention that you deserve. In this age where everything seems to be more of a remix of their predecessors work, it's nice to find original songs that cleanse the pallet. With music that is constantly filled with bass drops and Travis Barker remixes, it's refreshing to hear bands like Youngest of Elders getting back to the basics. Youngest of Elders is the brain child of singer/songwriter Jesse Gale. Based out of Concord, CA, Jesse and his outfit are definitely a group to keep an eye on. By combining simple folk elements with the rich and full style that is known as "dream pop", they are bringing high quality musicianship back to the Bay Area music scene. They have created these very dynamic sounding songs by building off of simple structures, but don't let the word simple deceive you. Simple in their concepts, but their music showcases them in a way that is very powerful and comforting. After listening to just one of their songs, I felt completely consumed by the music, and it came with the reassuring sense that everything was going to be just fine. It's a rare occasion to have a song genuinely make me something deep down inside, but Jesse and the gang seem to have figured out the key to connectivity. Because of their originality and high quality songwriting skills, they are this week's SF Solid Gold's Artist of the Week. I got to talk to Jesse and learn a little more about this group of musicians, enjoy! -JS What is your name and your role in Youngest of Elders? "I'm often referred to as Jesse Gale. I write down words, sing the aforementioned words, and make noises with my guitar." Where are you from/based out of? "Straight outta Concord, but since most people aren't familiar with that town, let's just say the San Francisco East Bay." How did the band get created, and what did you hope to achieve by starting this project? "This project started in of May 2014 when I was going through old songs of mine from the last decade or so that I had never done anything with. I then started reworking them into what I think they should've sounded like back then. After working on about 20 or so songs, I realized that certain ones had a lot in common. So, the plan was to release them as a "concept EP" and/or full length album to try to tell some of my stories. Whether or not people pick up on that is totally up to them." If you could describe your band in only one word, what word would you use? "Melodramatic." When did you start playing music? "I started playing music back in my single digits with the piano, since my mom wouldn't let me learn drums. Like an average kid, I got bored of that and then wanted to learn guitar at around age 12, which made my guitarist father ecstatic. After a few months of learning and playing, I didn't get bored of it, and I wanted to see what sounds could be made with it. I think around age 17, my good friend Adam started a band called The Catholic Comb, and they were a huge inspiration for me to finally form a band. Soon enough, I got together with my friends Nadair, Eric and Eric's cousin Brian. We started Earth Itself, which was sadly shortly lived. Then again, we were kids that got bored easily." Who or what band has been your biggest musical influence? Are they still an influence in your playing today? "Narrowing it down is pretty tough, but Pedro the Lion is probably my main influence day in and out. Lyrically and sonically, I'm constantly in awe of what they've done and what their former front man, David Bazan, continues to do on his own." What would you say is your favorite song that you have written? "That would have to be the song "Fiction". A few years back, I was involved with this girl for a couple of years, and the whole relationship made me question the meanings of trust, loyalty, vulnerability, and ultimately, love. I sat down and started with (what is now) the chorus: "I'll believe in you, if you believe in me, let's just wait and see how far we can push the envelope." After that, the rest came pretty naturally with the mindset and mood I was in at the time. The song is about thinking really hard about love: be it platonic, crushes, true love, etc. I think it's the one song that I completely get lost in myself whenever I play it, it's that personal and my most openly vulnerable song. People have told me it's their favorite too because of its lyrics, so that's always reassuring. hahaha" Vulnerable is a perfect word to use when describing the music that Jesse writes through Youngest of Elders. For example, the song "Fiction". This song is what I hope to hear on the radio when I start my car to go to work in the morning. "Fiction" is a great example of the balance of light and dark tones that can be featured in songwriting. It's both light/airy in tone and heavy in how it's composed. The progression of the song is pleasing to the ear and seems very well rehearsed, but that quality of musicianship is present in all of their songs. Another great display of their simplicity in song writing is their track, "Romance." With vocals that bring to mind the early days of Interpol and back up harmonies that add richness to the overall sound of the song; it is almost ghost like in the sense that it gives me the chills when it hits my eardrums. The entire song is surrounded in layers of softness, and it makes for a very surreal sounding type of experience. The group's dynamic qualities seem to be highlighted on this particular track. What's one album you could never get tired of listening to? "That's gonna have to be Joy Division's "Unknown Pleasures". From the opening drums of "Disorder" to the sound of a window being smashed at the end of "I Remember Nothing", you're under their spell. That entire album became so monumental and influential for so many people. The sounds and words and emotions are all so perfectly crafted within those 10 songs. It's one of the first records I heard that had made me sit down and really listen to it, then start it all over again and again to really soak it in. To this day, there are still things that I'm hearing for the first time that gwere cleverly mixed and thrown into certain parts of songs. Ian Curtis and company will always swoon the hell out of me." If you could jam with anyone, alive or dead, who would it be? "Kevin Shields of My Bloody Valentine. The man's a goddamn guitar sound genius. I probably wouldn't even pick up an instrument if we got to jam. I'd just sit there with my mind blown, watching him do what he can do. If people don't know who he is, those folks have some homework to do." What would you say is your favorite concert that you have ever attended? "There's been so many great ones, but it's a toss-up between Mark Kozelek (Red House Painters/Sun Kil Moon) at Great American Music Hall and Slowdive at The Warfield (both in 2014). Amazing performances, company, and memories." Best band moment, on or off stage: "Definitely the last gig at Red House in Walnut Creek, when my buddies from BullyWest joined me onstage for the final two songs of my set. It was pretty tight having a full live band for the first time for this project." Have you ever had an embarrassing moment on stage? "I'm pretty sure everything I do is embarrassing, but from time to time, I'll forget chords and lyrics. That is almost always devastating to my confidence. I'm glad that now I can laugh it off if it happens." Where do you see yourself 2 years from now, and where do you see yourself in 5 years? "I'm working on a new EP that'll be out in mid-June, followed by a northwest tour around the same time. In 2 years, I'm planning on another EP or two and also a full length album. A solidified full band would be nice too. In 5 years, it'd be amazing if I were to be signed by an indie label to help with tours, merchandise and other future releases, but I'm not worried about it. As long as I'm still making music and someone wants to listen to it, I'll be happy." Who are some bands that you play around your area with? "I've always been a huge supporter of the local scene. I'm friends with a fair amount of the people in those bands. I've had the pleasure of sharing the stage with only a few of them, but that would be BullyWest, The Iron Heart, Electric Strawberry, Highway Hymns, Overland, Well Secluded, Wild Imaginaries, Kelley Stoltz, Books on Fate, Mall Walk, Mama Foxxy, The Bilinda Butchers, YesterYear, IV Orpheus, Surviving the Era, The Soonest, WARM (from Orange County, NJ). Would love to do shows, either again or for the first time with that lot." Where can people go to follow your progress and find your music? We're on most of those "social" things. Facebook.com/youngestofelders Music: youngestofelders.bandcamp.com Twitter: @youngestelders Instagram: @youngestofelders Anything else you would like to say before you go? "A huge thanks to my mom, sister, hypothetical future wife and kids, and all of my friends for putting up with me for this long. Huge thanks to SF Solid Gold for taking the time to do this! Last but not least, an endless thank you to all of the people listening to the music and coming out to the shows." Absolutely, you are always welcome here at SF Solid Gold. That just about wraps things up here, but before you go, I've got one last question for you. If you could have written any song in history, which song would you choose? "Definitely "Bread and Butter" by The Newbeats." Thank you for reading! If you like what you saw, check us out every week for a different artist review. If you'd like to be featured as one of SF Solid Gold's Artists of the Week, please go to the contact page and submit your work that you would like reviewed. Cheers! Written By: Jacob D. Schmidt When I reached out to do a showcase for this featured photographer, I was pretty sure that I wouldn't get anywhere with it. So when this fine gentlemen responded with a yes to my review, I was very excited about the opportunity to showcase him. I have been following the work of photographer Adam Montgomery of ShutterBros, for about 6 months now and have thoroughly enjoyed his work. The images taken by this man always seem to look so crisp and defined, no matter what the subject is. He has a way of shooting photos that is envied by so many Bay Area photographers and even though he has already found some level of success, Adam is constantly trying out new styles and subjects to shoot so that he can always be raising his own bar. It's this level of creativity and dedication to the craft that helps make Adam one of the best photographers in the Bay Area, and it doesn't look like he has any plans on quitting anytime soon. I got to have a little chat with Adam Montgomery last week about his work, enjoy! Also, be sure to check out his Instagram, @shutterbros, and his website, www.shutterbrosvisuals.com for more of his work. So, lets start off by having you tell people your name. "My name is Adam Montgomery, aka Addie or ShutterBros." Where are you from? "I was born in Berkeley, but I was raised in West Hayward, CA." So what made you get into photography in the first place? "I have always been into taking pictures, even at a young age. A photographer who took a photo of my cousin for his mixtape cover when I was 11 years old inspired me. My cousin had Photoshop open and told me to play around with it. I was more into editing and manipulating photos before I really picked up a DSLR and gave it try. I got my first DSLR my sophomore year of high school in 2009 and took a photography class that same year. My first experience of real fine art photography was that same year where I saw the work of photographer Richard Avedon and after that, I never looked back." What was it about Richard Avedon's work that drew you in initially? "His black and white style of photography has molded me to be very precise with my work. He pushes me to make my images equal, as far as tones are concerned." Where would you like photography to take you? "I really want to be known for all kinds of work. There are a lot of people who are known for one type of work. I want to be known for all different styles of work, such as: portraits, product shots, studio work, landscapes, etc. I just want to make it honestly; photography is all I have left. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without it." Do you have a favorite subject that you like to shoot right now? "I would have to say my favorite thing to shoot has to be either landscapes or portrait work. I love to be able to capture moments, which is all that I am about. All the pictures we have in our lives are moments in time, and I want to be able to look back years from now when I have a family of my own and say, "Damn, I remember those days, those people." Those moments are what I live for." If you could travel anywhere to shoot, where would you go? "I would love to go to Europe. I’ve never left the country or have even been on the east coast of the US. I just want to experience different vibes and different culture from people outside of California." I can't say I blame you on that one. Switching topics though, what's one album you could never get tired of listening to and why? "Man, that’s a tough one. It would either be "The Listening" by Little Brother or "Beats, Rhymes, and Life" by Tribe Called Quest. Little Brother has been a huge part of my life mainly because their producer, 9th Wonder, has the smoothest beats around. I could vibe to any music as long as I can bob my head to it, and it's the same thing with A Tribe Called Quest. Their original hip-hop beats have molded my taste in music." What's your favorite concert that you have ever attended? "I would have to say the EarlWolf tour concert with OddFuture. I saw teverything from girls taking their clothes off to people getting laid out in the mosh pit. I lost my sister in the crowd and had no way of finding her until after the crowd had selttled. hahaha" Where do you see yourself 2 years from now, and where do you see yourself in 5 years? "This is probably the most difficult question to answer. I really don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but I hope I’m still doing what I love." Where can people go to follow your progress and find your photos? "People can check out my work on Instagram, @SHUTTERBROS and on my website, www.shuttebrosvisuals.com." Anything else you would like to say before you go? "I want to give a huge shout out to my boy, Meez. He's got tough love for me, but he just wants to see me do great things. I love him to death. Also, shout out to Roamsy too. My little bro is going to be doing great things one day." Last question, man. If you could have written any song in history, which one would you choose and why? "Easy, I gotta go with "In Rememberance of Me" by Blu from Blu and Exile. It just fits my life, check it out sometime." Thank you so much for being a part of the website. The door is always open at SF Solid Gold for you, man. Best of luck in all of your future creative endeavors! Written by: Jacob Schmidt
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AuthorJacob Schmidt is the lead guitarist for the Bay Area band Overland, an amateur photographer, and an avid writer. Archives
November 2015
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