The Willowz
This article needs additional citations for verification. (September 2017) |
The Willowz | |
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Origin | Anaheim, California |
Genres | Garage rock |
Years active | 2002–present |
Labels | Wanker Records, Posh Boy Records, Artmonkey Records, Dionysus Records, Sympathy for the Record Industry, Acid Bird Records, LeGrand Bag Records, Dim Mak Records |
Members | Richie James Follin Jessica Reynoza Loren (Ted) Humphrey |
Past members | Aric Bohn Alex Nowicki Daniel Bush Will McLaren |
Website | thewillowz |
The Willowz are an American
History
Their first release was a 7-inch on the legendary punk rock label Posh Boy Records in 2002. They followed it up with a full-length self-titled record on Dionysus records in 2003 produced by Paul Kostabi and Richie James Follin. The album blends energetic, brash punk rock with soulful garage rock.[citation needed]
Their debut album caught the ear of the iconic French film maker Michel Gondry, who placed their song “Something” in his Oscar-winning film Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind as Kirsten Dunst dances in her underwear. Gondry also put a second song on the soundtrack which did not appear in the film entitled “I Wonder”. He flew the band out to New York and paid out of his own pocket to direct a video for the song. Shortly following the release of the Gondry-directed video for “I Wonder”, Gondry introduced The Willowz's music to Ben Beardsworth, the head of A&R at XL Records. XL flew the band out for a tour of the United Kingdom and released a 7-inch for “I Wonder” and “Meet Your Demise” on Rex Records (an XL Records subsidiary).
The Willowz released their second album, Talk In Circles, in 2005 on
The band released their third album, Chautauqua, in 2007 on Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak Records. It was recorded in Piermont, New York at Paul Kostabi’s Thunderdome studios. The album introduced a much heavier guitar sound for the band. It is much more riff oriented and the songs are generally medium tempo. Spin magazine described “Evil Son” (the first single off the album) as “enlivened with lush orchestral arrangements and a pregnant guitar solo straight out of a 1960s acid trip.” Spin also went on to say, “Other tracks such as 'Jubilee' evoke blues, folk and even country influences, showcasing the Willowz’ carefully honed stylistic prowess."[2] Michel Gondry's son Paul Gondry directed a music video for the song on the album entitled, "Take A Look Around" collaborating with artists Valerie Pirson, Will Robertson, Owen Levelle, Shoko Komori, Ivan Abel, Christi Bertelsen, Yota Bertrang and Paul Barman.
The Willowz released their fourth album, Everyone, in 2009 on Dim Mak. The band went to Dallas, Texas to record with producer Stuart Sikes. The record focuses on a more power pop sound and sees the band getting back to their garage rock roots.[citation needed] A Tiny Mix Tapes review states, “Unlike their three previous full-length efforts, Everyone sees The Willowz complete their transformation from just-fucking-around California punks into a well-oiled, hit-producing machine."[3] The title track was featured in an HBO Spring 2011 commercial spot entitled “Here We Come” (a lyric from the song) for their upcoming season of shows. Another song from the album, “Repetition”, was featured in a Mountain Dew Kickstart commercial that aired during the Super Bowl and a Mead notebook commercial. The band was recently[when?] featured in Netflix Steve Aoki documentary I'll Sleep When I'm Dead.
The band’s fifth studio album, entitled Fifth, received a summer 2017 release on Thrill Me Records.[citation needed]
Band members
- Richie James Follin (lead vocals, guitar)
- Aric Bohn (guitar, vocals)
- Jessica Reynoza (bass, vocals)
- Loren (Ted) Humphrey (drums)
- Alex Nowicki (drums)
- Daniel Bush (guitar)
Discography
Studio albums
- The Willowz (2004) Dionysus Records
- The Willowz Are Coming (2005) Sympathy for the Record Industry
- Talk In Circles (2005) Sympathy for the Record Industry
- Chautauqua (2007) Dim Mak Records
- Unveil (2007) LeGrand Bag Records
- Everyone (2009) Dim Mak Records
- Fifth (2017) Thrill Me Records
Live albums
- Willowz With A Z (2003) Artmonkey Records
Singles
- The Willowz (5"MCD on Wanker Records, Germany 2002)
- The Willowz (2003) (7-inch "That Willowz Feelin'" b/w "Think Again") Posh Boy Records
- "Scarling" (split 7-inch, Sympathy for the Record Industry (2005)
- "Equation No. 6" b/w "Questionnaire" (2005) Acid Bird Records 7-inch
Videos
- The Willowz at Grrrnd Zero (France, Lyon 2008)
References
- ^ "Rolling Stone's Top 50 Records of 2005". Album of The Year. Retrieved 2017-06-16.
- ^ "The Willowz". Spin. 2007-03-05. Retrieved 2017-06-16.
- ^ "Music Review: The Willowz - Everyone". Tiny Mix Tapes. Retrieved 2017-06-16.