2019 was year three for us at KBOR Records, and it has been an exciting adventure in DIY madness! We’ve met some rad new friends, put a couple thousand miles under our wheels, witnessed some fantastic shows, and sent some great new music and art out into the world.
We kicked off the year in Phoenix, AZ, for the Indie Film Fest, in which my music video debut (“Western World”), directed by Darwin Serink, was an official selection. It was a great time, and an honor to be featured alongside some wonderful independent films and music videos.
Days later, I officially relocated to Los Angeles with the family, set up shop at the new KBOR Studio, and quickly discovered an inspiring musical community downtown, surrounding historic DIY venue, The Smell.
I cannot thank Jim Smith enough for welcoming me as a volunteer sound engineer at The Smell, and for providing a safe and free space to play and see shows. I fell in love with The Smell right away, upon experiencing such diversity in sound, people, and ideas, I knew I wanted to be a part of it. I’ve been volunteering regularly ever since, and it’s been a pleasure to see so many performers, and help them to get the professional quality live sound they all deserve. Thanks to all of you for sharing your art with the world.
I released my debut solo album in July. “Autonomously Yours” is an album that I conceived about a year before its release, during a time when my former group, MSD, was disbanding. I wrote, recorded and mixed the album, but I did not know how to master an album, nor did I have the budget to hire a mastering engineer. In the end, I learned how to master, and effectively became a one-stop-shop for producing a record, an exciting accomplishment for me in 2019.
On July 26th, we held the release party for “Autonomously Yours” at The Smell and it was so special for me. I asked some of my favorite performers to play and it was such an amazing night. The ModPods, Plasmic, and The Groans are truly some of the best acts in LA and I am eternally grateful to them for being a part of the release party.
This year, we also found a new home away from home in Denver, CO, as we made two small trips up there and back, thanks to the absolute gems, Meet The Giant, who graciously opened their homes to my little family, and included me on the lineup for a killer show at Thought//Forms gallery with Zealot and The Jinjas.
Another huge thanks to Glasss Records in Denver, who invited me to perform in a roundabout show with some really innovative performers like Brother Saturn, MYTHirst, Equine, Eraserhead Fuckers, and more. Each artist set up in a circle and performed a song each, for one seamless nonstop show.
While in Denver, I checked out a performance by Church Fire, and was blown away. So when they ended up touring through Phoenix, I reached out to my pal, Scott aka Wayward Sun, who was kind enough to include me in the lineup at The Grid, a combined bar-arcade-venue. Church Fire, Solypsis, and Wayward Sun made up an incredible lineup, and I really appreciate them all for involving me.
Another memorable show was at The Smell in September. For several months prior, I had been following a duo known as Secret Mutilator, with a really interesting sound and aesthetic that reminded me of the likes of Atari Teenage Riot, and Suicide. I invited them to play alongside myself, Plasmic and The Darkroads, another terrific band that I stumbled upon out of sheer luck, when I first moved to LA and began seeking out shows. I saw a show that Rocky played solo, apparently his very first, and approached him after the show to talk about playing together. I was really excited to make this happen at The Smell, and the evening did not disappoint in the least.
In October, I released the single “Capitalism” along with the b-side, “Nostalgia For Now,” in a short and sweet ode to revolution, tearing down the old and building anew. Katey created an excellent lyric video to accompany the single. We had a lot of fun playing with the corporate presentation vibe for this video, check it out on YouTube and let us know what you think in the comments. (Always like and subscribe!)
Shortly following the “Capitalism” release, I traveled to the small Arizona mining town of Bisbee for the annual Sidepony Express Music Festival, a three day marathon of music, that takes over the entire historic district. I played one set in a living room at a townhouse-turned-bar, and another set in a comedy club called Chuckleheads. (I got to follow a band who was cut off for being too loud… no pressure.) It ended being a lot of fun playing to a lot of new faces, and seeing a lot of new bands as well as a couple old friends, like The Larkspurs.
In December, I played a really fun show in San Diego, at a local favorite DIY spot called Bow Wow Haus. It was very communal and friendly, and I look forward to returning sometime.
2020 is looking exciting, we’ve got a lot of big plans, a lot of new music to put out, and a lot of great events to host, so stay tuned!