Mindhead

A house can’t be built on sand, or it won’t be functional for long. Without the necessary foundation, the house will crumble. Therefore, Seattle's Mindhead builds from the ground up.  Frontman, Joe Day, creates the foundation, and lets the band build the framework. “I usually write the song and bring it to the band where it is deconstructed and put back together again. I lay the foundation, and the band builds the house.” He is fascinated by song construction. “I wanted to try different song structures, sounds, and melodies; I wanted variety - something with diversity and continuity.”

Mindhead sometimes soaks their songs in blistering, sonorous rock, countered against delicate, whispering melodies, and filigrees of eccentric instrumentation. A keen listener might hear traces of Elliott Smith, Wilco, Travis, Sunny Day Real Estate, Muse, and Crosby Stills Nash & Young.

“Something transforming happens when you start to hear your own music. You go from writing and performing to listening, and it opens up a whole new world.” Their studio work with Greg Young (Built to Spill, Kilmer, Graham Travis, Autumn Poetry) has given them a polished sound. “Throughout the process he became a close friend who really understands our approach to music.”

Mindhead textures their songs with themes of loss and change. “The hardest and yet most rewarding periods of my life have been when something has been stripped away or lost. When this happens, the substance of what is actually there is revealed...and that is always interesting.”

With radio support from both KNDD, and KEXP, Seattle has received Mindhead quite warmly. The band has been able to tour quite a bit, regionally, and cultivated a strong following. "We simply love to create music. So we focus on making the best music we can, and enjoying the music we do make. When people catch on to that, then the community this is built is diverse...from punk rock kids to their moms. Mindhead likes people, and we hope that anybody can like Mindhead."

Day is optimistic that their music transcends trendy fashion statements. The tides of music will ebb and flow, but with a solid foundation in place, a band with strong ambitions has something to stand on “I hope that people find meaning in our music. It's not about random things or things that sound smart; it's about real life and experience. I hope our music moves people.”