Port O'Brien
Encyclopedia
Port O'Brien are an American
musical group combining elements of acoustic
, folk
and indie rock
.
They are named after a bay in Alaska featuring a now-abandoned cannery on Kodiak Island
where founder member Van Pierszalowski's parents met. They started out as a folk music duo of Cambria Goodwin and Van Pierszalowski while Cambria was living in Cambria, California
and Van was living in Oakland. After Cambria moved closer to Oakland they added a rhythm section composed of Caleb Nichols and Joshua Barnhart.
The band has toured nationally with artists such as Nada Surf
, Bright Eyes and The Cave Singers
and toured Europe with Modest Mouse
, as well as receiving favourable reviews from Pitchfork Media, Allmusic, and The Times
. M. Ward
named Port O'Brien his "favorite new band".
To date the band has released three albums; a compilation of self-recorded and early tracks called The Wind and the Swell on American Dust Records and a studio-recorded album All We Could Do Was Sing on City Slang Records
, and their latest studio album Threadbare on TBD Records
.
Shortly before the release of their first studio album "All We Could Do Was Sing," Caleb Nichols left the band and was replaced by Ryan Stively, who remained in the band until their last shows. Joshua Barnhart was replaced by Two Gallants drummer Tyson Vogel before the completion of the last studio-recorded album "Threadbare."
"I Woke Up Today" from the album All We Could Do Was Sing was recently used as the backing music for several Dulux
Paints television advertisement in Australia. The band toured Australia in February 2009 as part of the St Jerome's Laneway Festival
.
Port O'Brien's new album, Threadbare, was released on 6 October 2009. The band was dissolved in 2011, and Van Pierszalowski recorded an album in Olso for a new project called WATERS. The album is titled Out in the Light and was released on September 19 on City Slang in the UK and Europe, Sept 20 on tbd Records in the United States.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
musical group combining elements of acoustic
Acoustic music
Acoustic music comprises music that solely or primarily uses instruments which produce sound through entirely acoustic means, as opposed to electric or electronic means...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
and indie rock
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
.
They are named after a bay in Alaska featuring a now-abandoned cannery on Kodiak Island
Kodiak Island
Kodiak Island is a large island on the south coast of the U.S. state of Alaska, separated from the Alaska mainland by the Shelikof Strait. The largest island in the Kodiak Archipelago, Kodiak Island is the second largest island in the United States and the 80th largest island in the world, with an...
where founder member Van Pierszalowski's parents met. They started out as a folk music duo of Cambria Goodwin and Van Pierszalowski while Cambria was living in Cambria, California
Cambria, California
Cambria is a seaside village located midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the California State Route 1 . The name Cambria was settled upon in 1869 .It is a census-designated place in San Luis Obispo County, California, United States...
and Van was living in Oakland. After Cambria moved closer to Oakland they added a rhythm section composed of Caleb Nichols and Joshua Barnhart.
The band has toured nationally with artists such as Nada Surf
Nada Surf
Nada Surf is an American alternative rock band. Formed in 1992, the New York band consists of Matthew Caws , Ira Elliot and Daniel Lorca .-Early years:...
, Bright Eyes and The Cave Singers
The Cave Singers
The Cave Singers is an American band from Seattle, Washington. Rising from the ashes of Pretty Girls Make Graves after its disbandment in 2007, former PGMG-member Derek Fudesco teamed up with Pete Quirk and Marty Lund and began playing in the Seattle area. Soon after the band's conception, The...
and toured Europe with Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. They are based in Portland, Oregon. Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think...
, as well as receiving favourable reviews from Pitchfork Media, Allmusic, and The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. M. Ward
M. Ward
Matthew Stephen Ward, known by his stage name M. Ward, is a singer-songwriter and guitarist who rose to prominence in the Portland, Oregon music scene. In addition to his solo work he is known as a member of She & Him and Monsters of Folk.-Career:...
named Port O'Brien his "favorite new band".
To date the band has released three albums; a compilation of self-recorded and early tracks called The Wind and the Swell on American Dust Records and a studio-recorded album All We Could Do Was Sing on City Slang Records
City Slang Records
City Slang is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany. It was created in 1990 by former tour agent Christof Ellinghaus. Its main goal was to provide American, Canadian and German independent artists with a way to distribute their records in the European market, particularly the UK,...
, and their latest studio album Threadbare on TBD Records
TBD Records
TBD Records is an American record label co-founded by Coran Capshaw and Phil Costello, and is a sublabel of ATO Records, distributed by RED Distribution. The label was founded in August 2007 and quickly announced its first release, the band Underworld's first studio album in five years, Oblivion...
.
Shortly before the release of their first studio album "All We Could Do Was Sing," Caleb Nichols left the band and was replaced by Ryan Stively, who remained in the band until their last shows. Joshua Barnhart was replaced by Two Gallants drummer Tyson Vogel before the completion of the last studio-recorded album "Threadbare."
"I Woke Up Today" from the album All We Could Do Was Sing was recently used as the backing music for several Dulux
Dulux
Dulux is an internationally available brand of paint. It is produced by AkzoNobel . The brand name Dulux has been used by both ICI and DuPont since 1931 and was one of the first alkyd-based paints.-History:...
Paints television advertisement in Australia. The band toured Australia in February 2009 as part of the St Jerome's Laneway Festival
St Jerome's Laneway Festival
Known simply as the Laneway or St. Jerome's Festival, the music festival began in Caledonian Lane in Melbourne in 2004. Emerging as an indie music event, the Laneway Festival has grown rapidly in popularity, receiving favourable reviews in music press....
.
Port O'Brien's new album, Threadbare, was released on 6 October 2009. The band was dissolved in 2011, and Van Pierszalowski recorded an album in Olso for a new project called WATERS. The album is titled Out in the Light and was released on September 19 on City Slang in the UK and Europe, Sept 20 on tbd Records in the United States.
Albums
- The Wind and the Swell (compilation album) (2007), American DustAmerican DustAmerican Dust is an independent record label operated out of Oakland, California. Notable artists to have released records on American Dust include Department of Eagles, Port O'Brien and Awesome Color....
- All We Could Do Was Sing (2007), City SlangCity Slang RecordsCity Slang is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany. It was created in 1990 by former tour agent Christof Ellinghaus. Its main goal was to provide American, Canadian and German independent artists with a way to distribute their records in the European market, particularly the UK,...
- Threadbare (2009), TBD RecordsTBD RecordsTBD Records is an American record label co-founded by Coran Capshaw and Phil Costello, and is a sublabel of ATO Records, distributed by RED Distribution. The label was founded in August 2007 and quickly announced its first release, the band Underworld's first studio album in five years, Oblivion...
Singles
- "I Woke Up Today" (2007)
- "Close the Lid" (2007)
- "The Whiskey Song" (2009)
- "Tree Bones" (2009)