Thursday 20 Jun
 
 

Kanye West — Yeezus

Try as you might, but there’s no escaping Kanye West. Turn on the TV, radio, computer — hell, take a stroll downtown and you might see his mug projected on the side of a building. It’s an undeniable fact of life in 2013: Kanye West is bigger than Buddha, Krishna and The Beatles (today, anyway) and he’ll be the first to let you know about it.
06/18/2013 | Comments 0

John Moreland — In the Throes

With the soul of a poet and the look of a Sons of Anarchy extra, Tulsa’s John Moreland has been gifted the sort of gravely, booming voice that does Bruce Springsteen proud and a similar understanding of the universal human experience. It’s made for some fantastic records — both as a solo artist and with his dissolved Black Gold Band — and In the Throes is his best yet.
06/19/2013 | Comments 0

Jumpship Astronaut — Lights Burn Out

Oklahoma has never been the haven for electronic rock music that it is for country, folk and, as of late, psychedelic pop, but from the sound of Lights Burn Out, Oklahoma City upstart Jumpship Astronaut seems intent on changing that.
06/12/2013 | Comments 0

Various artists — Reaching Out

Like so many Oklahomans, the local music scene has responded with generosity and grace in the wake of last month’s tragedy in Moore. In the weeks since, droves of local musicians have banded together for benefit concerts and radio marathons to raise funds for the relief effort, and with extraordinary results.
06/04/2013 | Comments 0

Progress in Color — Get Well

It’s been a long, bumpy ride for Glenpool’s Progress in Color, which saw a record deal with Epic evaporate before even one record could come of it, but it’s led the outfit to where it was supposed to be.
06/04/2013 | Comments 0
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Home · Articles · Music · Music · Combining members of a dozen...
Music

Combining members of a dozen local projects, Oklahoma City's Eden Sharmaine drops its debut album


Emily Hopkins April 8th, 2010

Eden Sharmaine with Pretty Black Chains, For the Atlantic and more8 p.m. Saturdaythe Conservatory8911 N. Westernwww.conservatoryokc.com879-9778$7  Anything goes for Eden Sharmaine. The band soaks in t...

press8
Eden Sharmaine with Pretty Black Chains, For the Atlantic and more
8 p.m. Saturday
the Conservatory
8911 N. Western
www.conservatoryokc.com
879-9778
$7
 
Anything goes for Eden Sharmaine. The band soaks in the diverse stylings of practically every musical genre: rock, folk, pop, even the "raw, rocking music" of Charlie Parker, and churns out a sound that's completely new.

With more than a dozen previous projects among the act's six members, it's easy to see how creating a uniform sound would be somewhat tricky, but that's just how the Oklahoma City group likes it.

"We all have so many different takes in our music, but we can pull it in a general direction for a single idea or song," said lead guitarist and vocalist Jon King. "That's the greatest part of this band: that no design or conception gets thrown away."

Formed from a mash-up of side projects through bassist Adam Myrick, Eden Sharmaine initially focused on reworking songs that each member had been writing separately.

"Things started to take an interesting turn when we decided to add Josh (Simpson) on saxophone and Cassie (Neahring) on violin. It seems like things just fell together for us to create what we have now," said frontman and guitarist Evan Crowley.

The group had a big break in August when it won the University of Central Oklahoma's 2009 Battle of the Bands. The members were so shocked by their win, they were unable to get out of their chairs and had to be called up to the stage a second time. A second opportunity came in December's Jingle Jam, opening for chart-topping crunkcore duo 3OH!3.

"That kind of gig is my favorite," Simpson said. "Playing with bands that just got signed really encourages us and our music."

Because Eden Sharmaine is self-managed, gearing up for Saturday's album release show has been nothing short of a full-time affair. The 10 tracks on "Our Fathers," while diverse in approach and style, cohesively intermingle. Like the band itself, the driving factor behind the work is generally unique for each member.

"For me, most of the song lyrics are about where we are in society and how we got here, literally through our past and our fathers," Neahring said. "There's an underlying message of taking control, of change and of recognizing these issues as a generation and doing something about it."

Six songs are downloadable free on www.edensharmaine.com. The album will be sold for $5 at Saturday's concert, which the band members said will be nothing less than "an epic spectacle that no one will ever forget."

"We put so much effort and heart into our shows because we're focused on leaving a lasting impression on the audience," Crowley said. "Concertgoers can expect lively energy, interesting stage props and art, and unexpected theatrical additions to the music they've come to enjoy."
 
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