Once upon a time in the vibrant music scene of Los Angeles, there existed a band called Bluebird, known for their organic sound and amazing live shows. After seven years of playing with the intense energy of Amen, I found myself joining this eclectic group. Bluebird took me on a journey unlike anything I had experienced before – no tour buses, but a van we all took turns driving all over the US.
We traveled the world with our DIY attitude, playing alongside amazing bands and soaking in the diverse musical landscapes. But as life tends to do, our paths eventually diverged, leading me to focus on my time at Sound City.
However, the story of music is one of constant evolution and collaboration. As I ventured into freelance work, my brothers in Bluebird, Jim and Bryan Brown, embarked on a new musical project called Holloys.
The project took shape in a compound nestled in Echo Park, where the Browns had their rehearsal space affectionately dubbed “The Hole.” It was a humble setting, but within those walls, magic was created.
Holloys was Jim’s vision, a project that begged to be fleshed out and brought to life. When they reached out to me for help with the recordings, I couldn’t resist joining them on this musical adventure.
With limited resources but boundless creativity, we pieced together a makeshift recording setup. My trusty editing rig, a powerful Mac Pro, along with a Digi 002 and an Alesis AI3 became our tools for capturing the raw energy of Holloys.
This was a magical time, the lineup consisting of Derek Wood handling synth duties, and the extremely talented late Alvin Deguzman (The Icarus Line) on additional bass. We put a lot of work into this record called “Nowhere is Now Here.” Eventually Jon Gonelli (The Rye Coalition) would send his guitar parts form the UK, the final touches to this amazing record. Jim just recently created a video for “We are Powers,” an exciting visual interpretation of our music.
Jim continues to create, and if you get a chance, check out his new musical venture ‘Coyotes on Peyote’. The spirit of Holloys lives on, forever echoing through the halls of time.