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SeattleNoise: Westerly
Seattle PI By MIKEL TOOMBS, Sunday August 17, 2008 Link: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/385644_postcard31.html WHAT: Westerly won a KMTT-FM listeners' contest for the opening slot at last summer's Mountain Music Festival. With strong songwriting and a twangy performance, the band -- singer-songwriter Josh Schramm, bassist Bob Hyde, drummer Andrew Squire and guitarist-singer Kory Nagler -- showed up some veteran performers on the Marymoor Park bill. ORIGINS: "We mainly came to Seattle for school and jobs. Plus, I didn't mind leaving the heat of Sacramento summers behind," says Schramm, who grew up in Alaska. "Andrew and Bob were friends in high school in Albuquerque, N.M. ... Kory is from Sequim so he didn't have to come far, and in fact he is back in Sequim right now commuting out for shows and practice." BY ANY OTHER NAME: Westerly originally was known as Radio Affliction. "I know, I know, bad name. 'Radio Affliction' was a song I wrote in 1998 about the idea of being infected by the overly simplified stories in mainstream pop songs on the radio," Schramm says. "Originally I wanted it to be Western Avenue, because that's the street I worked on at the time." INFLUENCES: "The band draws influences from bands of the '60s and '70s. Artists such as Bob Dylan, the Band, Tom Petty, the Byrds, and Buffalo Springfield," according to the band's sites, myspace.com/westerlyseattle and westerlymusic.com. "At the same time, connections can be drawn to modern alt-country acts like Ryan Adams, Wilco, the Drive-by Truckers and the Jayhawks." RELEASES: "Rodeo," Westerly's first full-length CD, was issued last year by Sacramento's You Alive Records. The band just recorded 13 songs for a follow-up: "We're going all out this time," Schramm says, "recording analog on 2-inch tape and using a variety of vintage instruments and microphones." NEXT SHOW: 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Tractor Tavern, 5213 Ballard Ave. N.W., with Zoe Muth and Ryan Purcell. Tickets: $6, 21-plus and up. Information: tractortavern.com Local Roots Artists Rock Mountain Fest Seattle Sound Magazine By Kim Ruehl Sunday, August 17th, 2008  It may have been the hottest day of the year for sitting in a field, watching live music, but everything kicked off swimmingly at the Mountain Music Festival Saturday at Marymoor. Local alt-country quartet Westerly swung the showcase into motion at 4pm. The band had been voted into the lineup by Mountain listeners, after singer-songwriter Landon Pigg pulled out of the festival to appear in a movie.Fronted by guitarists Josh Schramm and Kory Nagler, Westerly played a 40-minute set that delighted the numerous listeners who voted them into the slot. The harmonies were tight, the rhythm section nailed it down hard. The band’s live energy has increased considerably, even since Sound caught them at Folklife back in May. Admitting that playing the Moutain Music Festival was a highlight of their career thus far, Westerly rocked hard enough to ensure it’s only the beginning. Read the rest of the article at http://www.seattlesoundmag.com/2008/08/local-roots-artists-rock-mountain-music-festival/ Mountain Music Fest Review Seattle PI By MIKEL TOOMBS, Sunday August 17, 2008 Seattle's Westerly, voted onto the lineup by listeners, opened the six-hour concert with a strong set of twangy originals. Declaring this "the biggest day of our career," the band impressed with Jayhawks-quality harmonies on songs both laid-back (the moseying "Wild, Wild Wind") and spirited. Read the rest of the review at http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/pop/375341_brandi18q.html?source=rss |
