ARTIST / BAND: THE EPOCHS
SONG (MP3): Giving Tree
FILE UNDER: Indie Pop
INFO: For brothers Ryan & Hays Holladay, the craft of songwriting has
always been closely linked with that of recording. From their
earliest days of musical collaboration in elementary school, they
employed computers and tape machines to not only document
their songs but to begin sculpting their sound. A sound that could
be called a distant relative to pop music. A sound that would later
become the musical foundation for The Epochs (pronounced ee-poks).
The two continued to write and record together after moving to New
York City. By 2000 they had amassed a sizable collection of recorded
material, some of which was included on a self released CD titled
'Ten Billion Light Years of Solitude'.
In Spring 2004, The Epochs, having expanded to include bassist
Kevin Smith and drummer Kotchy, began translating the recordings
into songs that could be played live. After performing multiple
residencies at such New York venues as the Knitting Factory and
Nublu, the band decided to relocate to Seattle. For over a year, they
called an abandoned 3-story building in downtown their home, out
of which they developed their live show and adjusted to recording
as a four-piece. Local radio station KEXP began playing the demos
they slid under their door which helped The Epochs develop a
following and attention from local press.
Since returning to Brooklyn in September of 2006, the band has
finished producing their self-titled debut. It is a big, varried
sounding record. Ranging from the bombastic electronics on
'Opposite Sides', to the seething orchestration and manipulated
guitar of 'Mouths to Feed', to the playful ryhthms of 'Giving Tree',
it never stops in one place musically long enough for it to be
pigeonholed into a category. And it is this restlessness that
gives the group its unique sound. However, a consistent thread
can be found amongst the genre exploration. The shared vocals
of Hays & Ryan, their lyrics and layered harmonies help give this
sonically eclectic work its continuity. The record was mixed by
Hays Holladay in the Spring of 2007 and is scheduled for release
later this year.
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