Nick Pollock
Encyclopedia
Nick Pollock is a Seattle-based guitarist
, singer, and songwriter
best known for his work with the grunge
/metal
band My Sister's Machine
. He has also played in various bands with other notable musicians, including Alice in Chains
singer Layne Staley
and Queensrÿche
guitarist Michael Wilton
. He graduated from Lindbergh High School
in 1986.
, bassist Johnny Bacolas
and drummer James Bergstrom
. The band recorded two demos
and toured throughout the Seattle area for roughly one year before they broke up in 1987. Staley went on to join the band that eventually took the name Alice in Chains
and became hugely successful. Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell
stated in an interview several years later that it was Pollock who first introduced him to Staley.
In 1989, Pollock became the lead singer and lyricist of the band My Sister's Machine
, which he started along with guitarist Owen Wright
, bassist Chris Ivanovich
, and drummer Chris Gohde
. Wright and Gohde were previously involved in the band Mistrust
. They went on to release two studio albums, Diva
and Wallflower
.
Pollock wrote or co-wrote every track off both those albums. Many observers compared their music to Alice in Chains
and Soundgarden
, prompting Pollock and Gohde to respond:
Although both albums were largely well-received by critics, My Sister’s Machine split up in 1994 after Elektra Entertainment folded the label they were under at that time.
, which is currently his primary musical endeavor. In 2000, this band recorded a set of songs under the working title American Hangover, which so far has not seen a proper release.
In 2001, Pollock formed Soulbender
with Queensrÿche
guitarist Michael Wilton
, guitarist Dave Groves, and drummer Wes Hallam. This group performed at the very first Layne Staley Tribute held in 2002, the year Staley died. With the addition of bass player Marten Van Keith, they released their self-titled debut album
in 2004. Many observers have compared this album to Alice in Chains
and Tool
. Pollock left Soulbender in early 2007 and was subsequently replaced by his friend Second Coming
vocalist Travis Bracht
.
reemerged with Pollock fronting a new lineup that included bassist Dan Scott, drummer Mark Locke, and for a brief spell, second guitarist Matt Johnson. They also announced their plans to record a new set of songs under the working title Love’s Gentle Maw, which has been described by the band as a concept album
dealing in relationship
s.
In January 2010, Pollock guest appeared with a band called Sundance Crow, led by Irish guitarist Matt Hayward the band disbanded after the recording, Pollock sung on their track "Silvertongue". The release was shelved but the song itself has appeared online. Later that June, the Layne Staley Fund announced that My Sister's Machine would be headlining the upcoming Layne Staley Tribute on August 21. Pollock said of Staley:
In 2011, Pollock announced on Facebook
that Love's Gentle Maw was in the final stages of production and being mastered by Eric Janko and Eddy Schreyer, who were also involved in the production of Soulbender; Schreyer has also mastered or co-mastered Alice in Chains' first three releases Facelift
, Sap
and Dirt. The album was officially released on September 30, 2011.
Other appearances
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
, singer, and songwriter
Songwriter
A songwriter is an individual who writes both the lyrics and music to a song. Someone who solely writes lyrics may be called a lyricist, and someone who only writes music may be called a composer...
best known for his work with the grunge
Grunge
Grunge is a subgenre of alternative rock that emerged during the mid-1980s in the American state of Washington, particularly in the Seattle area. Inspired by hardcore punk, heavy metal, and indie rock, grunge is generally characterized by heavily distorted electric guitars, contrasting song...
/metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band My Sister's Machine
My Sister's Machine
My Sister's Machine was a grunge band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1989. Its members were Nick Pollock , Owen Wright , Chris Ivanovich , and Chris Gohde ....
. He has also played in various bands with other notable musicians, including Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
singer Layne Staley
Layne Staley
Layne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the...
and Queensrÿche
Queensrÿche
thumb|250px|right|Queensrÿche's classic line-up performing at the [[Sauna Open Air Metal Festival]] 2011 in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]. Left to right: bass Eddie Jackson, lead vocals Geoff Tate, drums Scott Rockenfield and guitars Michael Wilton....
guitarist Michael Wilton
Michael Wilton
Michael Wilton is an American guitarist for the progressive metal band Queensrÿche. Wilton attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle where he met future Queensrÿche drummer Scott Rockenfield and began recording in 1981...
. He graduated from Lindbergh High School
Lindbergh Senior High School (Renton, Washington)
Lindbergh High School is a high school located in the southeastern section of Renton, Washington, a suburb of Seattle, in the Renton School District. Named after Charles A. Lindbergh, the famous aviator who was first to fly solo across the Atlantic in 1927, the school was founded in 1972....
in 1986.
Early Career (1986-1994)
His first group of note was Alice N' Chains, a precursor to Alice in Chains for which Pollock played guitar. This band also featured vocalist Layne StaleyLayne Staley
Layne Thomas Staley was an American musician who served as the lead singer and co-lyricist of the rock group Alice in Chains, which was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1987 by Staley and guitarist Jerry Cantrell. Alice in Chains rose to international fame as part of the grunge movement of the...
, bassist Johnny Bacolas
Johnny Bacolas
Johnny Bacolas born March 3, 1969, in Seattle, Washington, is a composer, musician, producer, and videographer. He is best known for his work with the post-grunge band Second Coming...
and drummer James Bergstrom
James Bergstrom
James Bergstrom is an American musician best known for his work in the bands Alice N' Chains, a precursor to Alice in Chains, and Second Coming.-Alice N' Chains:...
. The band recorded two demos
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
and toured throughout the Seattle area for roughly one year before they broke up in 1987. Staley went on to join the band that eventually took the name Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
and became hugely successful. Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell
Jerry Cantrell
Jerry Fulton Cantrell Jr. is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band Alice in Chains, as lead guitarist, backing and co-lead vocalist, and co-lyricist. He performs lead vocals on his solo projects, and is part of Alice in Chains' harmonizing...
stated in an interview several years later that it was Pollock who first introduced him to Staley.
"I had met Nick Pollock, who was the guitar player in Alice N' Chains at the time - Layne's version of it. He knew what I was going through, and he invited me to come up to Seattle. He took me to a house party - somewhere in West Seattle. I walked in the door, and he introduced me to Layne immediately."
In 1989, Pollock became the lead singer and lyricist of the band My Sister's Machine
My Sister's Machine
My Sister's Machine was a grunge band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1989. Its members were Nick Pollock , Owen Wright , Chris Ivanovich , and Chris Gohde ....
, which he started along with guitarist Owen Wright
Owen Wright (musician)
Owen Wright is an American musician best known for playing guitar with the Seattle-based metal bands Mistrust and My Sister's Machine.-Biography:...
, bassist Chris Ivanovich
Chris Ivanovich
Chris Ivanovich is an American musician whose sole act to date has been playing bass guitar with the Seattle-based grunge/metal band My Sister's Machine, which he co-founded in 1989 along with former members of the bands Mistrust and Alice N' Chains. The band recorded and released two albums, Diva...
, and drummer Chris Gohde
Chris Gohde
Chris Gohde is an American musician best known for playing drums with the Seattle-based metal bands Mistrust and My Sister's Machine.-Biography:...
. Wright and Gohde were previously involved in the band Mistrust
Mistrust (band)
Mistrust was a heavy metal band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984. This band primarily consisted of Jeff L'Heureux , Owen Wright , Michael Winston , Tim Wolfe , and Chris Gohde . They recorded one album in their brief existence called Spin the World, which was originally released through C.O.M.A...
. They went on to release two studio albums, Diva
Diva (My Sister's Machine album)
-Tracklist:-Reception:This album currently holds an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars at CDNOW based on 4 Amazon.com customer reviews. -Personnel:My Sister's Machine*Chris Gohde - drums*Chris Ivanovich - bass, artwork...
and Wallflower
Wallflower (album)
Wallflower is the second and final album by rock band My Sister's Machine. The song "Enemy" was included on the compilation album Hard Music, Volume 1 in 1994.-Tracklist:All tracks written by Pollock/Wright, except where noted.-Reception:...
.
Pollock wrote or co-wrote every track off both those albums. Many observers compared their music to Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
and Soundgarden
Soundgarden
Soundgarden is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington in 1984 by singer Chris Cornell, lead guitarist Kim Thayil, and bassist Hiro Yamamoto...
, prompting Pollock and Gohde to respond:
Gohde: "We all hung out together, we all kinda listened to the same music, you know, more or less. And that's just the way it kinda turned out. We all like the same kinda thing, so I guess we're all kinda fans of each other."
Pollock: I figure to a certain extent...well, I don't think we sound just like them, but if you had to like say, 'What do they sound closest to?' That's going to be the closest thing you're going to find but I don't really think we sound that much like them. I guess I can hear smacks of it too in places."
Although both albums were largely well-received by critics, My Sister’s Machine split up in 1994 after Elektra Entertainment folded the label they were under at that time.
Mid Career (1994-2007)
Following the break-up of My Sister's Machine, Pollock is said to have started another band called Tanks of ZenTanks of Zen
Tanks of Zen is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, led by singer-guitarist Nick Pollock, who has previously fronted the bands My Sister's Machine and Soulbender...
, which is currently his primary musical endeavor. In 2000, this band recorded a set of songs under the working title American Hangover, which so far has not seen a proper release.
In 2001, Pollock formed Soulbender
Soulbender
Soulbender is a heavy metal band formed in Seattle, Washington, by musicians hailing from both Seattle and Vancouver, including Queensrÿche guitarist Michael Wilton and My Sister's Machine vocalist Nick Pollock. Other founding members were guitarist Dave Groves and drummer Wes Hallam, both of whom...
with Queensrÿche
Queensrÿche
thumb|250px|right|Queensrÿche's classic line-up performing at the [[Sauna Open Air Metal Festival]] 2011 in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]. Left to right: bass Eddie Jackson, lead vocals Geoff Tate, drums Scott Rockenfield and guitars Michael Wilton....
guitarist Michael Wilton
Michael Wilton
Michael Wilton is an American guitarist for the progressive metal band Queensrÿche. Wilton attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle where he met future Queensrÿche drummer Scott Rockenfield and began recording in 1981...
, guitarist Dave Groves, and drummer Wes Hallam. This group performed at the very first Layne Staley Tribute held in 2002, the year Staley died. With the addition of bass player Marten Van Keith, they released their self-titled debut album
Soulbender (album)
Soulbender is the only album released thus far by the American heavy metal group of the same name. The album has been made available through CDBaby.-Background and recording:...
in 2004. Many observers have compared this album to Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains
Alice in Chains is an American rock band formed in Seattle, Washington, in 1987 by guitarist and songwriter Jerry Cantrell and original lead vocalist Layne Staley. The initial lineup was rounded out by drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr...
and Tool
Tool (band)
Tool is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1990, the group's line-up has included drummer Danny Carey, guitarist Adam Jones, and vocalist Maynard James Keenan. Since 1995, Justin Chancellor has been the band's bassist, replacing their original bassist Paul D'Amour...
. Pollock left Soulbender in early 2007 and was subsequently replaced by his friend Second Coming
Second Coming (band)
Second Coming was an American rock band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1990. They relocated to Seattle, Washington around 1992 and released their debut album L.O.V.Evil in 1994. This band underwent several lineup changes throughout its existence with drummer James Bergstrom being the sole...
vocalist Travis Bracht
Travis Bracht
Travis Bracht is a Seattle-based singer and guitarist best known for his work with the post-grunge band Second Coming. He has also been a member of the bands Peace and Silence and Soulbender...
.
Present career (2009-present)
In 2009, Tanks of ZenTanks of Zen
Tanks of Zen is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, led by singer-guitarist Nick Pollock, who has previously fronted the bands My Sister's Machine and Soulbender...
reemerged with Pollock fronting a new lineup that included bassist Dan Scott, drummer Mark Locke, and for a brief spell, second guitarist Matt Johnson. They also announced their plans to record a new set of songs under the working title Love’s Gentle Maw, which has been described by the band as a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
dealing in relationship
Relationship
Relationship or relationships may refer to:* Interpersonal relationship* Intimate relationship* In mathematics and statistics:** Binary relation** Causal relationship** Correlation and dependence** Direct relationship** Inverse relationship...
s.
In January 2010, Pollock guest appeared with a band called Sundance Crow, led by Irish guitarist Matt Hayward the band disbanded after the recording, Pollock sung on their track "Silvertongue". The release was shelved but the song itself has appeared online. Later that June, the Layne Staley Fund announced that My Sister's Machine would be headlining the upcoming Layne Staley Tribute on August 21. Pollock said of Staley:
"He and I grew up together musically, and as best friends as teenagers. I had some of the best times of my life with Layne and miss him very much. It's a privilege to honor his memory and life with My Sister's Machine having the opportunity to do this show!"
In 2011, Pollock announced on Facebook
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
that Love's Gentle Maw was in the final stages of production and being mastered by Eric Janko and Eddy Schreyer, who were also involved in the production of Soulbender; Schreyer has also mastered or co-mastered Alice in Chains' first three releases Facelift
Facelift (album)
Facelift is the debut studio album by the American rock band Alice in Chains. The album was released on August 21, 1990. The album is the band's second highest selling album and has been certified double-platinum by the RIAA for shipments of two million copies in the United States.-Background and...
, Sap
Sap (album)
I "Right Turn" is credited to Alice Mudgarden in the liner notes.II "Love Song" is unlisted on the CD.-Personnel:Alice in Chains*Layne Staley – vocals, drums on "Love Song"*Jerry Cantrell – guitar, vocals, bass on "Love Song"...
and Dirt. The album was officially released on September 30, 2011.
Discography
| Year | Album details | Band | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 1992 in music This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1992.-January–February:*January 11**Nirvana's Nevermind album goes to #1 in the US Billboard 200 chart, establishing the widespread popularity of the Grunge movement of the 1990s.... |
Diva Diva (My Sister's Machine album) -Tracklist:-Reception:This album currently holds an average rating of 5 out of 5 stars at CDNOW based on 4 Amazon.com customer reviews. -Personnel:My Sister's Machine*Chris Gohde - drums*Chris Ivanovich - bass, artwork...
|
My Sister's Machine My Sister's Machine My Sister's Machine was a grunge band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1989. Its members were Nick Pollock , Owen Wright , Chris Ivanovich , and Chris Gohde .... |
|
| 1993 1993 in music This is a summary of significant events in music in 1993.-January–February:*January 8 – The U.S. Postal Service issues an Elvis Presley stamp. The design was voted on in February 1992.... |
Wallflower Wallflower (album) Wallflower is the second and final album by rock band My Sister's Machine. The song "Enemy" was included on the compilation album Hard Music, Volume 1 in 1994.-Tracklist:All tracks written by Pollock/Wright, except where noted.-Reception:... Chameleon (label) Chameleon was a record label formed by industry veterans Andy Frances and Steve Powers, and was funded by Dan Protzker.Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz was an employee and Chameleon had distributed some early Epitaph releases, such as L7's self-titled debut.In the first years of the label's... |
||
| 2000 2000 in music See also:* 2000 in music Record labels established in 2000-Events:*January – Gary Glitter is released from jail, two months before his sentence for sexual offences ends.*January 1**John Tavener is knighted in the New Year's Honours List.... |
American Hangover American Hangover American Hangover is the first album ever recorded by alternative rock band Tanks of Zen.-Track listing:# “Had a Friend” # “Heat Rises” # “High” # “Through the Red Line” # “Temple” # “The Sweetest Moment”... |
Tanks of Zen Tanks of Zen Tanks of Zen is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, led by singer-guitarist Nick Pollock, who has previously fronted the bands My Sister's Machine and Soulbender... |
This album has made a few appearances on the web as a bootlegbut has not yet seen a proper release. |
| 2004 2004 in music See also:* 2004 in music Record labels established in 2004-January:*January 1**The Vienna New Year's Concert is conducted by Riccardo Muti.**Kurt Nilsen wins World Idol.... |
Soulbender Soulbender (album) Soulbender is the only album released thus far by the American heavy metal group of the same name. The album has been made available through CDBaby.-Background and recording:... |
Soulbender Soulbender Soulbender is a heavy metal band formed in Seattle, Washington, by musicians hailing from both Seattle and Vancouver, including Queensrÿche guitarist Michael Wilton and My Sister's Machine vocalist Nick Pollock. Other founding members were guitarist Dave Groves and drummer Wes Hallam, both of whom... |
|
| 2011 | Love’s Gentle Maw
|
Tanks of Zen Tanks of Zen Tanks of Zen is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington, led by singer-guitarist Nick Pollock, who has previously fronted the bands My Sister's Machine and Soulbender... |
Other appearances
| Year | Album details | Band | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 2010 in music 2010 in music may refer to:*2010 in American music*2010 in Australian music*2010 in British music*2010 in Canadian music*2010 in European music *2010 in Irish music*2010 in Japanese music*2010 in New Zealand music... |
Silvertongue
|
Sundance Crow | Guest vocals on the song "Silvertongue" |