Born from the ashes of one of the most memorable bands to rise from the Orange County music scene, an impressive collective of musicians has gathered to create music built on a solid foundation of friendship, experience and the sole need to rock, Sederra has stepped forth to make their mark on the world!
It all started with a little band named Longfellow (Kung Fu), who over the course of its highly successful run, released four albums, toured extensively both as a headliner and as support with The Vandals, The Ataris and on the Vans Warped Tour to name a few, and became one of the first bands to develop a sound well before its time. That sound is now known as emo. With the demise of Longfellow in 2002, guitarist/vocalist Tom Schmitt spent time writing and playing music while looking for a group of individuals who shared his musical influences and creative impulses to form a new band. With little to no success in his search, he continued to play in other projects. Mike Doherty who had also done duty in Longfellow, went forth to pursue his career in music as a guitar player in bands such as Die Trying (Island) and Papa Roach (Geffen). Another seasoned veteran, Darren Reynolds, cut his teeth drumming with Longfellow and later on with another popular band from the O.C. music scene, Homegrown (Drive Thru). Eric Bootow, another refugee of the local music scene, spent his early years playing in the hardcore band Fourth in Line and after their break up in 2002 went on to work as a hired gun, playing bass and recording with countless bands and touring the world.
In early 2006, the quartet crossed paths and finally hooked up, giving birth to the new project. Then still unnamed, the band began to work on their sound and hone their collective vision, toiling and practicing incessantly to create that which would be representative of their shared passions.
With musical influences as deep and rich as the vast myriad of projects the members of Sederra has played with, the band sites Fugazi, Hot Water Music, The Clash, Black Sabbath, Refused, The MC5, Quicksand, Avail and The Foo Fighters as some of the sounds that have helped flavor their work. A blend of hard and indie rock, with pop sensibility, Sederras sound is a charged and vibrant one that electrifies and leaves the audience waning for another jolt. When asked about the bands sound, Tom stated, "We like strong hooks and catchy melodies and encourage listeners to dance, sing and enjoy themselves". Sederras sonic reach is one that is vast," Our vision is to take the power, energy and the raw emotion of punk rock and hardcore and infuse it with a raw rock sound", described Bootow. Typically song writing is something left to an individual in the band, however the members of Sederra approach it as a unified front, with every member contributing to the songwriting process. This leads to the creation of a sound that is not one dimensional. The lyrics are not autobiographical, explains Schmitt, "It's about painting a picture that the listener can relate to and put their own meaning to; give them a sense that they aren't the only ones feeling or thinking a certain way, this way everyone can get a different take of the same piece of music. To me that's art."
As work on the project intensified and early demos were recorded, the band started a MySpace page (www.myspace.com/sederra.) Then called Defender, news of the band quickly spread and an internet buzz began to form. Friends and plays mounted on the bands page with having played not one single show! With the groundwork set, music ready to roll, and the creative process full steam ahead like a locomotive barreling down the track, Sederra began to play their first live gigs.
News of the shows spread fast and the crowds came out in droves. The low key, word of mouth, almost unpublicized events took unsuspecting venues by storm! It was almost unbelievable the intense reception and amazing support the band was receiving from its fans, helping build even more of a buzz. In their short time together Sederra has already shared the stage with The Draft(Epitaph), The Gaslight Anthem(sideonedummy), Unwritten Law, Chuck Ragan, Lagwagon, and Bullets and Octane.
For pictures, videos and more information contact [email protected]
