Excerpt: “Amateurs are much more about creating soundscapes than many of their indie-folk peers. They offer a nice balance of accessible ’70s countrified a.m. radio rock with their other more sonically ambitious tracks. With a debut LP this strong, I don’t expect to see them unsigned for much longer.”
We are very excited to show you this mini-documentary our good friends at Groundcontrolmag.com put together. It features some live footage of us in the practice studio and an interview where we talk about the recording of “Speak Easy.” It looks incredible! Enjoy!
We are coming to a town near you! Hopefully we’ll see you all in your town. Check the shows page for links to more info at all the venue websites.
Jun 12 - Burt’s Tiki Lounge - Albuquerque, NM
Jun 13 - Blue Note - Oklahoma City, OK
Jun 14 - Record Bar - Kansas City, KS
Jun 15 - Oleaver’s - Omaha, NE
Jun 17 - 7th Street Entry - Minneapolis, MN
Jun 18 - Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL
Jun 22 - Midway Cafe - Jamaica Plain, MA
Jun 24 - Arlene’s Grocery - New York, NY
Jun 26 - The Khyber - Philadelphia, PA
Jun 27 - The Red and Black - Washington, DC
Jun 28 - 305 South - Durham, NC
“Speak Easy” gets reviewed on the Buzz Bands column of the LA Times.
Amateurs, “Speak Easy” (self-released): L.A. quartet Amateurs can’t quite decide what they want to be, except good. Their first album nods to classic rock, folky ’70s radio fare, modern indie titans and maybe even prog rock band or two, if they used strings. Whether you hear a lot of Wilco or a little Fleetwood Mac, Fairport Convention or the Band, it’s the emotional range that makes Amateurs’ an impressive debut. Its melodic bounce, gorgeous wedding of harmonies with Shannon De Jong’s strings and smartly spun vignettes by singer-guitarist Keith Waggoner give “Speak Easy” a warm, organic sheen. It’s folk-rock that doesn’t need to resort to gimmickry or conscious deconstruction.
Our release party for “Speak Easy” is on Tuesday May 29th. We’re playing with our good friends Parson Redheads, Merle Jagger, and Light FM. It should be a spectacular night. Join us!
An interview I did with Patrick Ogle of Gearwire.com is up. If you’re a gearhead, you’ll love this one! Part 1 of the interview was just posted.
Q. Do you have any special pieces of gear or techniques with gear you use in recording?
A. No. It’s my feeling that any piece of gear or technique is as special as the next if you decide to put it in your recording. I like mojo pieces as much as the next guy, but the mojo piece is no better than the workhorse piece in the sum of the parts and either should be used where appropriate. It’s dubious to say X is special because at the end of the day, what you put through it still matters most.
Amateurs show with Secretary Bird on May 22 a recommended pick on Rockinsider.com
One of the lesser known residencies going on in Los Angeles this month. The Amateurs sent me their CD in the mail the other week. Fantastic record. Very upbeat and fun. If you’re up for some new music I’d recommend this show.
