Moon Taxi || Put Em Up

October 3, 2017 Scrimshaw Collective

It takes a unique blend of lyricism, pure energy and and instrumentals to transport a person through music, to another place entirely. Watching and listening to Moon Taxi, the 5 piece band hailing from Nashville, made me feel cool and electric and all at once, put me in a Southern Trance.

It’s a rare feeling when you listen to a band and not only feel a range of emotions but also experience a memory – that hasn’t yet happened. Songs about eternal wanderlust, the ups and downs of love, the beauty and color in life and sharing some whiskey with best friends over a southern sunset, are more than just emotions that Moon Taxi stirs, they are experiences. They are music. They are life.

“By and by, I thank the sky for lending an ear to hear me crying out. And it’s just us two, but it rings true somehow and I’m the only one who sings about those...Whiskey Sunsets.”

Outside of their lyrical depth, the band (Trevor Terndrup – guitar/lead singer, Spencer Thomson – guitar, Tyler Ritter – Drums, Wes Bailey – Vibraphone and Tommy Putnam – Bass) absolutely shreds and puts heart and soul into each song. Not to mention they have a freakin Vibraphone!

With three studio albums under their belt and a single release this summer (Two High), you can expect big things on the horizon for Moon Taxi. Do yourself a favor and go see Moon Taxi on their current Put Em Up Tour or turn them loud on your headphones. It’s time to get back to the roots of live Rock & Roll with epic jamming, raw vocals and energy that will put you in a Southern Trance.

Donavon Frankenreiter || The Waves to the Studio

June 12, 2017 Scrimshaw Collective

Scrimshaw recently got a chance to chat with Donavon Frankenreiter, a man who embodies all things creative. Discussing and shooting the breeze on everything from surfing to music to favorite breakfast foods, Donavon solidified himself as effervescently cool. Between his newest album "The Heart", which is at the focus of his upcoming Solo tour, to his collaborative project, Jamtown Band, Donavon's music and style is an ode to what he finds true and dear in this world. Ahead of his upcoming shows at the Belly Up on June 19th & 20th for his solo tour, as well as his Jamtown performances, we encourage you to read along, turn up his tunes, and see the depth and fluidity to Donavon's music and surf style.

Scrimshaw (Bold): Trying to get a sense of where it all started for you, where did you grow up and how did you get involved in the music and surfing scene?

Donavon: So I grew up in Southern California, surfing and living the San Clemente and San Diego scenes. I was just kind of everywhere in Socal and watching all the surfers always inspired me. Watching them all do their thing in the water just incredible.

Yea, the talent in the water was probably insane.

It really was and it was such a cool thing to be a part of.

So between surfing and your music it seems like you always have these creative collaborative projects. Recently you have been working on Jamtown Band. Can you explain what that project is and how it started?

It’s funny, for the past 15 years I have been talking to G. Love about making this acoustic BBQ-esque record. Two of us, sitting around one mic and create something amazing that fits our vibe. So we started this idea, working with Cisco Adler, and he was like, how about you just make all new songs and see how that sounds. Fast forward to recent months and within 10 days, the whole record was done with 10 new songs and Cisco ended up producing as well as playing on it. We ended with this album and were like…shit, we should make a band with this. Through this happenstance it just became a beautiful coincidence. Never truly planned; just natural.

That’s so awesome, so creating new music, especially in a collaborative place…do you have a preference of recording in a studio or playing the live experience? Where do you find you get your creativity flowing best?

I really just like to keep it fresh. Creativity flows when you play live. But on the other side, I feel like a song that you write was never really written until you record it. You have the birth of these songs but they never become anything until you actually put them down and record them. There are just so many processes and so many different ways to make a record and each one is different and unique and can generate something so beautiful. But, when you play live, you adapt to what you did in the studio, so they really build off each other. But this is a great question because to me, they both are forever changing. Like I can never go into a studio or a concert and be like…yup I’ve done everything I can do here. That’s what I love about music.

Yea it's so true! Your music is held near and dear to us (Wes and Will || Scrimshaw Co-Founders) because some of your original tracks from your first record are on our first surf mix CD (Summer Surf Jamzzz), which I still have in my car!

Haha that’s so great!

Ha but between then and your most recent solo album, the Heart, how has your inspiration and how you write music, changed?

Every record is completely different. That’s just the thing, you are always just growing as a person, a musician and a songwriter. The songwriting process is just such a beautiful mystery. It’s like this unknown letter that you receive and when you open it, you never know what it’s going to say. In music, you never get to a place, or never want to get to a place, where you feel like you’ve arrived. You just keep evolving in music. You never really master the instrument to a point where you can’t learn anymore. It’s the same with surfing, no matter what age you are, you are always learning something about boards and fins and waves. It’s an exciting thing, and I never get bored with it. If it wasn’t for that element or factor, I don’t know if I would as enthralled with this process as I am with surfing and music. But because they have that factor, I am addicted. It truly is an addiction. They are just forever changing fueled by your emotion and feeling.

As a listener, we are always interested in seeing what's next in people’s style and production so we can hear the “new”. It goes for surfing also, you feel like you never know what to expect. Some days are rad and some days you feel a little worse, but its exciting to experience an unknown in something that is consistent in your life.

So true, it’s amazing! You can get one good wave and it keeps you coming back for more. It’s just like a great song. When you make that one song that like totally clicks, you are like…I need more of that. It seems like it can be an easy thing, thinking to yourself, all I need to do is write 10 songs and I can make a record? But the process is never easy. You look at the prolific songwriters and it’s like where the fuck did it all come from? Sometimes you get this spark where it just keeps coming out of you and coming out of you. But, when you don’t have those moments, there is this real complexity in your craft. To me, it’s like looking at a piece of art. Like a Jackson Pollock and you hear someone go “Oh, it just looks like splattered paint on a canvas” and that’s CRAZY to me because I want to say, well, why don’t YOU go try. You hear and see things that seem simple but when you really try and dial in and hone your craft its like, holy shit. You learn to love and really appreciate the process.

Well said man. As we come to a close here we have to know...in this world of uncertainty, we all know for certain that breakfast is always incredible. But, for breakfast what would you rather have…a breakfast burrito or an acai bowl?

Ha, that depends on what happened the night before! If I could do it…I would be healthy and have that acai bowl every single day. But, some days you have to be like, screw it, I need a breakfast burrito. But if I’m anywhere in San Diego… a breakfast burrito is a must.

Rad!! Keep a look out for our upcoming photo gallery on Donavon's Belly Up Concert on June 19th and 20th! Get your tickets for his solo shows (here) and Jamtown shows (here). We promise that you will be jamming with a smile on your face all night long!

Liza Colby Sound || True to Rock & Roll Form

May 25, 2017 Scrimshaw Collective

I’ve come to learn that having a singular talent, like a beautiful voice or the natural gift to play an instrument, isn’t all you need to be a great musician. It may seem obvious to say that, but what I mean is there is a difference between an objectively great musician and one that has a commanding stage presence, where the only two words you can say, as the musician visually entrances and audibly seduces the crowd is, "o shit". This is The Liza Colby Sound.

The Liza Colby Sound is all that is beautiful in the rock & roll world. The four-person band (Liza Colby-Lead Vocals, Tom McCaffrey-Guitar, C.P Roth-Drums, and Alec Morton-bass) is something of an ode to true rock form.

From the electric and bass guitar riffs, to the percussion backbone, Liza projects with such power and raw emotion that the band is forced to rise to another level. To me, she is the definition of a badass and uses her strength in drive and love of her craft to embody what it means to be a true rocker. With this love and Liza’s stage presence, unparalleled beauty, and electric vocals, she creates a lasting experience for the crowd.

The Liza Colby Sound resides in the Lower East Side of Manhattan and can be frequently seen tearing up your local venues. Currently, the band is on their West Coast tour until the end of May (get your tickets now)! Her shows are a must (especially if it’s an intimate venue) and will have you amped and wanting more. This is the Liza Colby Sound through Scrimshaw’s eyes.

Kaleo || Way Down We Go

April 28, 2017 Scrimshaw Collective

“Little things that make you smile, dancing barefoot in the dark. If only I had strength to change your mind, Oh for what you need, you will not seek. Choose your words before you speak. Can you see that all you’ve got is time?”

— Kaleo

There is true beauty in a band that can layer a southern rock sound with a rich Icelandic heritage, over silky guitar riffs and smooth (sometimes falsetto) vocals. Scrimshaw recently got the opportunity to photograph the band, Kaleo, in all their rock and roll glory at their recent concert between Coachella performances. Outside of the fact that Kaleo, as a whole, embodies the true masculine handsomeness of a modern day rock band, it is their crisp sound and talent range that makes them truly impressive.

Kaleo is made up of front man JJ Julius Son, drummer David Antonsson, bassist Daniel Kristjansson, and lead guitarist Rubin Pollock. They hail from Iceland and draw inspiration from American blues and classic southern rock. This may be why their recent studio album, A/B, is such a creative ode to the band’s style.

When listening closely, their first half of the album has a heavier rock influence (which they absolutely ripped in concert) where the second half of the album is more acoustic oriented. This plays into the title, A/B, and how it’s meant to be listened to on vinyl, where each side has a different feel.

Besides the fact that Kaleo is the PERFECT spring/summer outdoors music, they are a must see in concert. They were full of electricity and left everything they had on stage. If the fact that the front row was filled with gorgeous women singing along to every single song doesn’t get you to this concert, then take comfort in the band’s ability to seamlessly transition between rocking blues and lyrically gorgeous acoustic songs. Kaleo is the real deal, so go plug in those headphones, crank the volume up high and join us…oh Way Down we Go.