About Me
Paying more attention to the space between the notes than the notes themselves, San Francisco-based trio The Simple Things pursues the art of musical simplicity, eschewing the sticky butterscotch that is bash-you-over-the-head witty pop (not that the band isn't clever, mind you!). The realm of strummy-strum-stum singer songwriters has competition in the form of well thought-out arrangements, minimalist instrumentation, and kite-string melodies. Dreamy and raw, ethereal and intense, The Simple Things’ music represents the meeting place of understated virtuosity, sublime songwriting, and guts. And they can’t wait to share it with you.
Starting as a duo of Kaitlin McGaw (vocals) and Raymond Ruiz (bass), The Simple Things earned the moniker "the punk rock of easy listening" for their musical intensity and short song structure, their DIY approach to everything and their take-no-prisoners ambition. The band skipped the standard bar and club performance scene, opting for dinner parties and art gallery performances to bring their personal, intimate stories to a rapt audience. Staying true to the same ethos, The Simple Things truly came to form when virtuoso pianist Michael Gallant joined the band in 2007 and added a touch of class and sophistication with his jazz and classical roots. In the band's current configuration with Brian Fox on bass, the band brings a hint of bluegrass rhythms behind the texture of the songs.
Songs come from various directions in this band. Imagine McCoy Tyner, Rickie Lee Jones, and James Jamerson coming together for a low-fi, high class performance with all of the rawness of dreams and heartbreaks, and the refined notion that music and its infinite forms will always triumph. A song might take form in late night bass chords and Nyquil inspiration or from Sunday afternoons unwinding the fury of the week into simple, sweet melodies and cascading piano rivulets. Each member of the band claims a musical homeland of varying stylistic soils – and the simplicity of the trio format allows for the interaction of three uniqe musical voices. Together they create music that is unapologetic, sparse, and emotionally vivid. Simple, yet beautiful.
As one sound engineer said, “This kind of music makes me feel like I’m sitting on the porch waiting for my girlfriend…†Or sitting on the curb, drinking a nice Merlot. It’s listening music. Close your eyes, visualize the images, and enjoy.
The Simple Things debut album, a self-titled, ten-track disc, was produced by the band, with vocal production by Raz Kennedy (Metallica, Counting Crows, Los Tigres del Norte), engineering by Scott McDowell (Birds & Batteries), and mastering by Michael Romanowski (The Lovemakers, Jacqui Naylor).
THE SIMPLE THINGS OFFICIAL FAQ
Q: Why don’t you have a drummer?
A: You mean that guy that hangs around the band? [Simple Things duck as drum sticks come flying in their direction. . . ] When it comes down to it, with no drummer, we all listen much more closely to the interior rhythmic nuances of the songs, rather than having all such subtleties dictated to us from the outside. It gives us a new license to listen for inherent ebbs and flows in our arrangements.
Q: Why don’t you have a guitar player?
A: Mike doesn’t like fighting to be heard over someone else’s ego (you can only turn up the acoustic piano so much!). In all seriousness, the absence of guitar parts frees up rhythmic, harmonic, and sonic space, giving bass and piano more territory in which to flit and frolic.
Q: Where did you record the album and what was your approach?
A: We tracked the album in Studio A on the Neve board at Hyde Street Studios, San Francisco. Using… um, mics, we tracked Piano, B-3 organ, Wurlitzer, and bass. We then overdubbed vocals using the Telefunken 251 and analog processers in Studio C. This included tracking melodica, and the rockin’ stomps/claps you hear on “What’s Good For Me.†We wanted to keep an intimate listening experience and stay true to the vintage sounds that inspire us (Aretha Franklin, Rickie Lee Jones, Anthony Hamilton, D’Angelo, and Ray Charles, to name a few).
Q: Are you at all related to A Simple Plan?
A: Nope. We have been mis-introduced as “the Simple Minds†before. That was a fun one.
About the musicians:
Kaitlin McGaw (vocals) grew up in Boston and performed regularly before heading to study at Harvard. After graduation, McGaw moved to San Francisco to rebirth and pursue what she had to come to realize was a true love for music and performance. Her music takes flight in The Simple Things. Kaitlin is also the Senior Project Manager for The Recording Academy San Francisco Chapter and fronts the children's hip hop group Alphabet Rockers.
Michael Gallant (piano, organ, wurlitzer, melodica) was classically trained in Maryland and NY before moving to San Francisco. His expression on the keys, whether it be piano, wurlitzer or B3 organ, is intimate and complex, touching on the lyrical stories in the band's songs. Mike is also the Senior Editor for Keyboard Magazine.
Brian Fox (bass) is the newest addition to The Simple Things. Having played in indie rock groups such as Square Tape and bluegrass groups around the Bay Area, he brings a breadth of textures and skills to the band's landscape. Brian is also the Associate Editor for Bass Player Magazine.
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