No more rumors. No more lies. No more hunting at night for your food. You want to know how it took almost 10 years, multiple band names, several band members, a move out of state and a missed deal to finally get it right? Read on.
The genesis of One Owl’s current line up began in the late 90s in Aspen, Colorado between long time friends Taylor Hale, Jesse Johnson and Jonathan Ritter. Multi instrumentalists (all three) singer- songwriters (Hale and Johnson) with a shared passion for Radiohead, they started jamming with Blink 182 and Nirvana covers while just out of high school.
The trio dubbed themselves Slander and began playing out, honing their musical technique, while beginning to write and perform their own material. Members came and went, but Hale and Johnson - who had settled on calling the band One Owl, stayed the course. A 2004 development deal appeared on the horizon, but with line up changes, geographical distance and differing visions, the timing was off, and One Owl decided to go their separate ways. Reuniting in LA in late 2005 for Johnson’s birthday bash, where college friend Chris Thompson was drafted to play drums, the musical ball got rolling again. The songs the foursome began writing soon after were good enough to convince Hale to pack up and move to Los Angeles.
In to the Studio they went, where One Owl was determined to make music organically, music that they themselves would want to hear. Influenced by the likes of Radiohead, Nirvana, Elliott Smith, Pinback, R.E.M., Death Cab for Cutie, The Who and Led Zep, Hale, Johnson, Ritter and Thompson each brought their own unique musical tastes to the table, yet somehow created a sound that is distinctively One Owl and totally accessible to their fans.
It is live, though, where this band shines, with fan favorites such as “Things,†“A Meeting†and “Moving Losing Staying Proving†igniting the crowd. Playing locally in Los Angeles at venues such as The Viper Room, The Mint, The Good Hurt, Spaceland and The Gig, One Owl is ready to make their next move.
Having written and recorded – but not released – a 12 track debut entitled INTENT, One Owl are planning to put out a 6 song EP from those recordings,
with the idea of releasing the other songs virally. From the acoustic lament of “Best Day, Worst Day†to the reflective “Finally An Assistance Request,†One Owl’s sound continues to demand the attention and admiration of its listeners. Slated to hit the studio in late 2007, they are looking forward to the upcoming sessions, which will inevitably yield more authentic music from this evolving band.
When asked about the band’s music, guitarist Johnson shared One Owl’s simple philosophy: “This is who we are, this is where we’re going, this is what we’re doing.†And there’s no word of a lie in that.
One Owl is: Taylor Hale on guitar and vocals, Jesse Johnson on guitar and backing vocals, Jonathan Ritter on bass and Chris Thompson on drums.-----------Katy Krassner
6/07
Things
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