Filled with Love Love Love for Avalanche City

with my soul i am free

my journeys a constant dream

that ends in the ocean but starts in the stream

my soul it so longs to be

So sings the poetic voice of Dave Baxter, the man behind Avalanche City, a delightful indie rock group out of New Zealand. They are a group who’s music moved in and took up residence in my heart with the very first listen. As the fates would have it, a mere week after happening upon them accidentally, they came through Austin as part of their first and very brief US tour. They were magical. Their album, Up From Below is a beautiful arc of emotion, ranging from whimsical tunes like Love Love Love to the more melancholy Love Don’t Leave Me or The Citizens. It is delicately balanced, simple but rich in instrumentals, and has a way of lifting my very soul up from below. The use of the “Manjo” (combination of mandolin and banjo) rounds out this sound of wonderful band. I was lucky enough to interview Dave and hope that he and the band will be able to make it for SXSW 2012 (they have been invited!). 

1. Avalanche City began as a solo project. What made you decide to bring on additional musicians and instrumentals for touring?

Well, I loved playing live as a solo artist. It was so easy. All I needed to bring was my acoustic guitar. I've been in bands all my life with big heavy amps and drum kits and stuff, so being a solo musician really appealed to me for that reason. Every now and then I'd invite friends to play live with me and it felt great adding more scope and dynamic to the songs. It was when I started to record my album that I realized I had started to go for more of a band sound with my songs. I then started thinking of musicians to play for me. I love the sound of the band live. They're amazing musicians and each one of them brings something special to the live environment. So now I'm back to where I started, lugging around heavy guitar amps and drum kits.

2. Will having these new members of the Avalanche City "Band" change the way you approach your next album?

Yeah definitely, I've found I approach writing now with more of a band perspective. I'm not just writing everything on acoustic guitar anymore. 

3. I am a big fan of "Our New Life Above The Ground," which seems to have clear themes of love, possibility and adventure woven throughout. What was your inspiration for this album?

Haha, it's nice you picked up on that. Adventure is a big part of what I long for most in life, I think. And at the time of writing that album I felt really trapped and a little in despair. So a lot of that came out in the music, hope and love and adventure. Since then I've had a lot of adventures but I don't think that'll stop me writing about those things.

4. You reference the weather a lot and it plays a key role in the emotion of a song. What is your favorite kind of weather?

Hahaha, my favorite weather is either beautiful and sunny and warm. Or incredibly stormy and wild.

5. You just finished up your first American tour, even though you don't have your album available here yet. How was it? What were you most surprised by?

I was surprised at how much I absolutely loved it! It was great. The States gets a bit of a bad reputation overseas from the media etc, so it was hard to know what to expect. We traveled to a lot of different places over a period of 3 weeks and met a lot of people and I can tell you, the people we met were beautiful and lovely people. It was sad leaving them and I hope I see them again. We ate great food and the landscapes blew me away. 

6. When will your album released here in the States? (she asks hopefully...)

That's unconfirmed yet sorry 

7. It is clear that you area man of optimism, excite for love and adventure. What futures and adventures do you see for your band?

Well hopefully I get to travel more overseas and meet more great people. I'd love to come back to the States again and by the sounds of things I'll be back early this year.

**While their album is not available in the US (yet!), it is worth listening to on youtube. 

Dawes makes the days of Utopa Fest move easy

There is a place called Utopia, TX and not too long ago it was descended upon by artists and music lovers to create an oasis as close to music perfection as one might find. It was away from the reaches of wireless and 3G (because apparently you can't have your Utopia and Google it too) and nestled among the hills where I often expected to glance up and see John Wayne riding by, waving his hat and proclaiming that he's not bad for a one-eyed fat man.

Utopia Fest 2011

It was quiet in the noises of life, rich in the soundtrack of musicians delighted to play beneath the Texas sky to a crowd so delighted to listen and dance. The clear musical highlight of the festival was Dawes, an independent rock group out of sunny Los Angeles. The combination of their talent and musicianship, Taylor Goldsmith’s poetic and poignant lyrics, and their genuine, energetic and soulful performance made for the kind of moments that had my friend shouting, “Why can’t all concerts be exactly like this one!” Hours later, back at our campsite, we sat around with our neighbors quoting lyrics and gushing about their performance. Dawes had certainly made our night move easy. 

Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes at Utopia Fest

I spoke with Taylor after his performance. Standing in the dark by some shrubbery behind the stage, I asked (in a not so subtle homage to Almost Famous), what it is that he loves about music. He reflected, “I like the environment that it creates. Even when we were on stage just now, I was looking at all these silly light up tents and thinking that I’m standing here with 1,000 or so like minded people out in the middle of the Texas mountains, so far away from anything. Here we are getting to know each other better and it’s all because people play music.” 

Taylor Goldsmith of Dawes at Utopia Fest

Those words stuck with me long after our conversation and I thought about these festival strangers who I camped with, shared morning coffee with, on whose shoulders I danced and who helped me change a flat tire at the end a long weekend, all because of our love of music. 

Dawes is breaking out in all kinds of major ways. Taylor Goldsmith has been called “the best songwriter in America,” by Esquire magazine, their video for Time Spent In Los Angeles is climbing the VH1 charts, and last week they played with Mumford and Son’s at the World Cafe 20th Anniversary Concert. And yet, despite all of these major accomplishments, he can still see the magic and joy in a small crowd gathered in Utopia, TX. It is this genuine nature and incredible talent that will take him far for years to come. 

Meeting Taylor last year at ACL along with Chris Chu of Morning Benders 

Sitting Down with Cowboy and Indian

They are the sound of nights under the stars, simple instrumentals and beautiful harmonies. Their melodies are catchy, often haunting, the kind of music that lingers in the air long after the instruments have been put away. Among the six members of Cowboy and Indian, influences as diverse as Townes Van Zandt, Joni Mitchell, Nina Simone and Disney music are cited. Perhaps it’s this diversity that makes them so wonderful. 

Their start was serendipitous, Jazz Mills calling upon friend, Jesse Plemons to play a SXSW gig she didn’t want to play alone, and calling Daniel James when suddenly a tour was booked and they weren’t quite ready. From this trio has grown a band of six, writing, playing, touring and creating together. 

These musicians each have lives and some have jobs in other cities and so rely on email and iphones for writing music, using them to send lyrics, sound bites and ideas. Jazz reflects, “Jesse will be in LA and he’ll email us a song idea and by the time we meet up with him we have our own ideas or we’ve built off of it. So much of the writing is done while we’re in different places. We’ve rarely sat down in a room all together to write. Everybody’s input is important.” Daniel continues, “Being how old our music can sound, technology is our greatest ally. I don’t think we would be able to bridge all the gaps without it.” 

The group recently put the final touches on their album, which they recorded all over the country as they were able to meet up. “The album is very different from song to song.” Jazz says. If their recent two hour set at Momo’s is any indication, it promises to be great. Their show featured all six members showcasing their many talents in groups, solos, and as a whole band. “It’s a lot of fun being in a band with all different voices working together.” Jesse says. Their genuine enthusiasm and love for each other and of playing music is unmistakable in person and on stage. 

Cowboy and Indian continue to write and tour. “I’m excited to show what everyone can do.” Daniel says. “I knew this was a needle in a haystack. I’m really confident in our group and what we have.”  On their upcoming gig playing at Austin City Limits Music Festival, the band is very humbled. “I’m really moved by it,” Jazz says. “I was really surprised. I mean, we’re really  new. We’re honored.” 

The Bright Light Social Hour: Building a band, bare hands bare feet

Keyboard beaks the silence with its dancing melody. Steady rhythm beats out on bass and drums. Crisp wails on guitar join to round it out and the boys of The Bright Light Social Hour are bursting with energy. Notes fill the air. They are playing Shanty, the first song off their self-titled debut album and the start to every show, “Gotta keep moving, broke down and in ruin, now tell me what are we gonna do?”

Last week I sat down with the boys of The Bright Light Social Hour at their rehearsal space out on the East side. Curtis sat on top of an old trunk, bare foot and legs crossed, reminiscent of a meditative yoga pose. A.J. and Jo slouched back in an old, worn couch, Jack sandwiched between. Just back from their East coast tour and headlining the most recent Blues on the Green, it had been a long day of rehearsing and discussing songs for their next album.

As these boys have discovered, making it in the business is no small feat. Curtis reflected, “To try to become successful as a band is something that’s really hard. Thousands and thousands of bands are doing it, most of them are doing it unsuccessfully. So I think we’re kind of in some senses chronicling how difficult, but also how much fun it is to come together to do something.”

Their self titled album is full of this promise and hope of coming together. “Let’s build a city” they sing, “bare hands bare feet.” And they have begun to build that city around their band as they’ve grown and matured in their sound and success. Jack says “You’re building a little community around you and not only that but also your fans who are growing and the people that you’re interacting with, that you’re building stronger and stronger bonds with. I think that’s definitely the biggest theme. It’s growing as a band and with the people who are involved with the band.”

For a group of boys whose lyrics are laced with idealism and who rock with ease and energy on stage, they are very serious about their music and working together to create it. All songs are a collaboration. “One of us will bring in a concept for a song or a vision of the song or an idea, or we’ll jam a bunch and pull out a bunch of pieces that sound really good and then we’ll all work together. It seems like it takes a really long time.” It’s time well spent. Their album has garnered high praise among critics (apparently there is one bad review out there. I never found it). A.J. leans up from his slouched position on the couch. “What embodies it really is Bare Hands, Bare Feet. Simply put, it’s not just simply that ‘let’s build a city’ but in the sense of good old dirty hands, dirty feet and sweat. We’re just going to do it. Do it dirty and get it done.”

The Bright Light Social Hour as an album is solid, musically rich, and ‘get’s it done’. Each member has played his respective instrument for over a decade, A.J. for almost 2, and that experience and talent shines through in their lengthy instrumentals. They are a rock band that exudes energy and knows how to work a sweet jam. They are all kinds of fun.

Curtis sums up, “As we’re starting to write for our second record it made me think a lot about our first album. It’s somewhat autobiographical. Like, unintended, you know? It’s kind of the joys and the hardships of coming together to do something that’s not easy, to be a band”

So what’s at stake for their next album? “Wild and wooly and road driven,” says A.J. “We have a different kind of wind behind us.” Curtis adds, “a little less innocent and wide eyed.” “A little older” says Jo, and holds up a more risque outtake of their first albums cover.

Whatever the future holds, Curtis, Jack, Jo and A.J. (some of the nicest guys I’ve met) will face it together, building their band and their community, rocking concerts along the way.