History
Sometimes to find the real beginning of something you have to begin again. That's how it was for Buddy on the Los Angeles indie pop group's second album. After the release of the band's debut album, Alterations and Repairs, in 2007, the musicians were riding high, encouraged by the response to the music so far. Formed by Buddy, a Portland-born musician who relocated to Los Angeles in 2002, the band evolved from an acoustic project to a full-fledged rock outfit. It was an aesthetic that the group, which came together in 2006 when Buddy was asked to open for Tommy Stinson but couldn't play guitar with a broken arm and needed a backing band, honed during their live shows on stages around LA and on tour across the country for several years. So when Buddy began writing material for a second full-length the musical goals felt fuzzy, the lines between acoustic singer-songwriter and rock band blurred. Buddy and his band recorded an entire new album in 2009 and, after touring with Gomez in 2010, determined to scrap it.
"The first record came together very naturally," Buddy says. "But on this second record I felt like I was not as sure of myself or what I was doing. I felt like I was riding this wave of energy but not really sure how it felt at the end of the day. I liked the record but it didn't feel authentically me. I think we had an identity crisis. It was a hard decision to put it aside because we had spent a ton of time on it, but there was something missing. I had a responsibility to really stand behind something and focus on the longevity of the project. It should be the best we could do and this wasn't it. It was really risky. It stopped everything."
Buddy spent the next year feeling lost, uncertain how to proceed with the band, unsure of where to take the music. He was searching for a new beginning, one that felt organic to him as a musician. It turned out that collaboration was the key to hitting the restart button. Five tracks from the unreleased album did eventually emerge in 2012 as the Campfire EP, but Buddy needed a new inspiration for his second album. In 2012, Buddy and Will started writing and recording together in Los Angeles. It was a harmonious partnership, with Will leading the charge on much of the album's production. The songs were bigger and fuller, propelled by more electronic elements than Buddy had previously employed.
"Buddy's songs are very personal to him and he puts so much of himself into them," Will says. "So I understood why he felt like it wasn't working but at the end of the day I think we still learned a lot from it. It was really nice to get in and work together. It was late nights. We would just show up every day. We wrote over 30 songs. We could sift through those and decide what would work. It was simple and really easy. These songs represent Buddy really well and show how he's grown as a songwriter."
The album itself, Last Call For The Quiet Life, reflects Buddy's struggle and reconciliation with himself over the past few years. For him, the songs are a sort of confessional therapy, a place to channel the issues and ideas that plague his mind. One song, "Anchor," even began as a poem Buddy had written, which was a new method of songwriting for him. The album's title is derived from a line in the album's first track, embodying the idea that you never know how long the window of opportunity will be open. The music itself embraces a more up-tempo rock vibe that reflects Buddy's live performance, each instrument layering together to create a buoyant but introspective indie pop vibe.
The disc features several guest musicians, including Michelle Branch, Cary Brothers and Holly Conlan, who lend their voices to the soaring melodies. The duo finished recording the album in early 2013 and went to Seattle in February and March to mix the record with Phil Ek at Avast Studios. The album was mastered by Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound in March 2013 in New York City. The final album is a strikingly evocative collection of songs that represents the musicians who made it. From shimmering opener "Weak Currents" to sparsely wrought closer "Scrap Metal," Last Call For The Quiet Life contains the ups and downs of existence and relationships and family, and the highs and lows of finding yourself in your own life. Each note resonates with its own emotion, creating an overall narrative of what it means to find the right beginning. Or, to let it find us. "When you start something you don't know where it's going to go," Buddy says. "The whole record felt like solid footing right away. It wasn't anguished over. We just did what we both do. I needed to feel scared and not know where it was going. I had to learn to just let it happen and let it keep unfolding. When you do that, suddenly you have these songs and they all go together."
Discography
Albums
- "Last Call For The Quiet Life" (August 19, 2014) · (Stove Punchin', USA) – CD/LP/VINYL #SPRLP02
- Lighten up Francis' – unreleased
- Alterations and Repairs (2010) · (Moorworks, Japan) – CD/LP
- Alterations and Repairs (2007) · (Stove Punchin', USA) – CD/LP
"Last Call For The Quiet Life" August 19, 2014. All Songs Written by – Buddy and Will Golden Produced by – Will Golden Recorded and Engineered by – Will Golden at The Chalet – Los Angeles, CA Drums Recorded and Engineered by – Clay Blair at Boulevard Recording – Los Angeles, CA Assisted by – Brian McPhillips Mixed by – Phil Ek at Avast! - Seattle, WA Mastered by – Greg Calbi at Sterling Sound – New York, NY Buddy – vocals, guitars, synths Will Golden – bass, guitars, synths, background vocals Additional Musicians: Guitars: Percy Mamikunian (tracks 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9), Phil Krohnengold (1, 4), Jeramy Koepping (1), Brandon Walters (7, 8) Synths: Michael Tritter (all tracks), Phil Krohnengold (2, 3, 6, 9), Nick White (10) Drums: Michael Jerome (1,3, 4, 5, 8), Frederick Bokkenheuser (2, 6, 7, 9, 10), David Palmer (10) Percussion: Al Sgro (all tracks) Bass: Joe Karnes (all tracks) Cellos: Oli Kraus (4, 8, 9) Vocals: Holly Conlan (1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 9), Michelle Branch (7, 8), Ian Ball (2, 4, 6), Cary Brothers (2, 3, 5) Group Vocals: Morgan Nagler (2, 4, 5), Jake Bellowes (2, 4, 5), Jiha Lee (2, 4, 5), Nick White (2, 4, 5), Percy Mamikunian (4), Graham Kurzner (4), Ever Golden (5) Cover art Illustrations by: Sprankenstein, London, UK. Layout by: Bait and Tackle Studios Los Angeles, CA.
- Weak Current
- Slow Light Down
- Fault Lines
- Boxing Elbows
- Behind It (Bad Advice)
- Anchor
- Anywhere You Go
- Stare Too Long
- Frames Per Second
- Scrap Metal
"Alterations and Repairs" Released June 26, 2007. Additional musicians/vocalists: Anna-Lynne Williams (Trespassers William), Ben Peeler (Alexi Murdoch), Meiko, Ollie (Sia, Tom McRae). Mixed by Bryan Cook (Inara George, The Bird & The Bee, Gary Jules) and mastered by Roger Siebel (Death Cab for Cutie/Plans). Artwork by PCP (The Postal Service).
- "Say a Lot"
- "Westgate"
- "Apologize (If You Tried)"
- "Blindsides"
- "Color Patterns"
- "11/22"
- "No Heart"
- "Never Timed Just Right"
- "If We Lived Here"
- "Silent Treatment"
- "Regular Time"
- "Last Call Waiting"
- "My Left Your Right (Feat. Meiko)" Japan LP Release only 2010, Single released digitally on iTunes 2012.
Singles and EPs
- "My Left Your Right" (2012) – (Stove Punchin' Records) – Digital/Single
- "campfire" (2012) – Stove Punchin' Records – EP – Featured on iTunes "Discover this", "Indie Spotlight", "New & Noteworthy", the single "campfire" was featured by KCRW in their Song of the Day, and placed in the feature film Waiting for Ophelia and "lighthouse" was featured on Drop Dead Diva. Additional musicians/vocalists: Ian Ball & Ben Ottewell (Gomez), Cary Brothers, Jesse Carmichael (Maroon 5), Laura Jansen, actor/musician Brendan Hines, holly Conlan. Produced by buddy, will golden and Ian ball. Mixed by Brian Deck.
- "Sun" (2011) – Stove Punchin' Records – EP – limited edition hand-painted sleeve EP, no more exist.
- More of the Shame (2005) · (self-released) – Single
- Buddy (2005) · (self-released) – CD EP
- "Braddock"
- "Make Believe In You"
- "Be Like This"
- "Salt Point"
- "Milkshake"
- "Valentine, Nebraska"
- "Regular Time"
- Side By Side – Duets Vol. 1 (2008) · (Hear Me Sing) – duet performed with AM
Robert Gaston Fuller was an American rock singer, songwriter, and guitarist best known for "Let Her Dance" and his cover of the Crickets' "I Fought the Law," recorded with his group The Bobby Fuller Four.
Alphaville is a German synth-pop band formed in Münster in 1982. They gained popularity in the 1980s. The group was founded by singers Marian Gold, Bernhard Lloyd, and Frank Mertens. They achieved chart success with the singles "Forever Young", "Big in Japan", "Sounds Like a Melody", "The Jet Set", and "Dance with Me". Gold remains the only continuous member of Alphaville. They took their name from Jean-Luc Godard's film of the same name.
Louis Knox Barlow is an American alternative rock musician and songwriter. A founding member of the groups Dinosaur Jr., Sebadoh and The Folk Implosion, Barlow is credited with helping to pioneer the lo-fi style of rock music in the late 1980s and early 1990s. His first band, which was formed in Amherst, Massachusetts, was Deep Wound.
Eric's Trip is a Canadian indie rock band from Moncton, New Brunswick. Eric's Trip achieved prominence as the first Canadian band to be signed to Seattle's flagship grunge label Sub Pop in the early 1990s. The band had a minor hit in alternative circles with the single "View Master", from the 1994 album Forever Again.
Pretty on the Inside is the debut studio album by American alternative rock band Hole, released on September 17, 1991, in the United States on Caroline Records. Produced by Sonic Youth's Kim Gordon, and Gumball frontman Don Fleming, the album was Hole's first major label release after the band's formation in 1989 by vocalist, songwriter, and guitarist Courtney Love and lead guitarist Eric Erlandson.
Indigenous is an American blues rock group that came to prominence in the late 1990s. The band originally consisted of two brothers, Mato Nanji (Maiari), Pte, along with their sister, Wanbdi, and their cousin, Horse (percussion).
The Dirtbombs are an American garage rock band based in Detroit, Michigan, notable for blending diverse influences such as punk rock and soul, while featuring a dual bass guitar, dual drum and guitar lineup. The Dirtbombs were formed by Mick Collins as a side project and started recording songs by 1995.
Pezband was an American power pop band, formed in 1971 in the Chicago suburb of Oak Park, Illinois, United States.
The Fuzztones are an American garage rock revival band formed in 1982.
Mesopotamia is an EP by American new wave band the B-52's, released in 1982. It was produced by David Byrne of Talking Heads and was originally planned to be the band's third studio album. Due to conflicts with Byrne and record label pressure, recording sessions were aborted prematurely and only six of ten songs to be completed were released. The record was distributed as a 12-inch EP by Warner Bros. in the U.S. and by Island Records on vinyl and cassette in the UK and other non-U.S. markets.
The Leather Nun are a Swedish rock group. Careening from garage rock to goth and pop-rock.
Kingmaker were a British indie rock group, founded in Kingston upon Hull in 1990.
Lydia is an American indie rock band from Gilbert, Arizona, formed in 2003.
Pack Up the Plantation: Live! is the first official live album by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, released in November 1985 by MCA Records. It was released as a double LP and, in slightly truncated form, a single cassette or compact disc. A concert film of the same name was released on home video in 1986. Stevie Nicks sings on two songs, including the US single "Needles and Pins", which reached No. 37 on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Dirty Laundry" is a song written by Don Henley and Danny Kortchmar, from Henley's debut solo studio album I Can't Stand Still, (1982). The song hit number 1 on the Billboard Top Album Tracks chart in October 1982, prior to being issued as a 45 rpm single. Lyrically, the song describes mass media sensationalism.
Will Dailey is an American independent recording artist, performer and producer. His sound has been described as having a rich vintage vibe while having a firm appreciation of AM rock, pop and big hooks.
"These Days" is a song written by Jackson Browne and recorded by numerous artists. Browne wrote the song at age 16; its lyrics deal with loss and regret. It was first recorded by Nico in 1967 for her album Chelsea Girl, and Nico's arrangement was recorded by several other artists. Tom Rush recorded the tune with a string arrangement for his album Tom Rush in 1970. Gregg Allman recorded a new arrangement of the song for his 1973 LP Laid Back, and Browne released his own version, based on Allman's arrangement, on For Everyman, also in 1973. "These Days" has since been recorded by many other artists, and remains one of Browne's most enduring compositions.
American Gothic is the fourth EP by The Smashing Pumpkins. The EP was announced on the band's website on December 19, 2007 with songwriter Billy Corgan describing it as a continuation of their 2007 album Zeitgeist. It was released digitally on January 2, 2008 and as a CD in the United Kingdom on February 11, 2008.
Sugar and Spice is the second studio album by the British rock band The Searchers released in 1963. This album features the band's second big hit single "Sugar and Spice". With two successful Top 5 albums in three months, and two other Top 3 hit singles at the time, the group proved to be the strongest to emerge from Liverpool next to the Beatles and Gerry and the Pacemakers. They solidified their position further with another album track, "Ain't That Just Like Me", which was later released in the US and hit #61 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Jeremy Craig Shaules, better known as Jeremy Jay, is an American alternative pop musician and singer-songwriter. He has released five critically acclaimed studio albums, including his debut album A Place Where We Could Go in 2008 and Slow Dance in 2009.
