Some By Sea
Encyclopedia
Some By Sea is an orchestral indie rock
band from Tacoma, Washington
. They have received comparisons to many bands, including Death Cab for Cutie
and The Arcade Fire
.
in summer 2005. Blake quit in December 2005 and was replaced by Tom Pearson. Following the release of On Fire! (igloo) on March 7, 2006, Tom Pearson & Daniel Disparte chose to leave the group (April 2006) to pursue other interests. From April 2006 and August 2006 Some By Sea played their remaining shows with Lee Haines, AJ Gard and other friends.
Between January 2003 and August 2006 Some By Sea played approximately 200 shows.
The band released their debut album, Get Off The Ground If You're Scared, in January 2004, on their own label, Kringle Recordings. "Get Off the Ground If You're Scared" was recorded by Chris Du Bray, Eino Holm and Rachel Lee Bowman in June 2003. After touring for their debut album, Some By Sea returned to the studio to record new material. Some of this material was released on their The Saddest Christmas EP
, also on Kringle Recordings. Both "Get Off The Ground If You're Scared" and "The Saddest Christmas EP
" are now out of print.
In 2005, Some By Sea signed with SideCho Records
. The following spring (March 7, 2006), the band released their sophomore LP, On Fire: Igloo, which received many positive reviews. After their tour in support of their latest album, Some By Sea announced they would be disbanding. Their final show was played to a full room at Hell's Kitchen in Tacoma on August 11, 2006 with Cavalier, Tex & Speaker Speaker. Chris DuBray later spoke about the break-up in an interview for his next band, Ghosts & Liars:
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...
band from Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
. They have received comparisons to many bands, including Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie
Death Cab for Cutie is an American alternative rock band formed in Bellingham, Washington in 1997. The band consists of Ben Gibbard , Chris Walla , Nick Harmer and Jason McGerr ....
and The Arcade Fire
The Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire is an indie rock band based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It consists of the husband and wife duo of Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, along with Will Butler, Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury, Jeremy Gara, and Sarah Neufeld. William Butler and Régine Chassagne attended McGill University,...
.
History
Some By Sea originally formed as the solo project of Chris Du Bray in 2002. His solo act grew with the induction of Eino Holm. In January 2003 Rachel Lee Bowman played her first show with the group, and allowed the band to expand and develop new material. After meeting at a local show, Daniel Disparte (on drums) and David Bilbrey (on bass) joined the outfit in October 2003 and solidified the line-up. Eino Holm left the group in November 2004. David Bilbrey decided to start playing guitar. Blake Johnston joined as the new bass player in January 2005. Some By Sea signed with Sidecho RecordsSideCho Records
SideCho Records is an independent record label based in Long Beach, California. It has been around since at least 2003, but doesn't list a history on its website.-Artists:* Those Mockingbirds* Peachcake* Charlemagne* Neva Dinova* The Pale Pacific...
in summer 2005. Blake quit in December 2005 and was replaced by Tom Pearson. Following the release of On Fire! (igloo) on March 7, 2006, Tom Pearson & Daniel Disparte chose to leave the group (April 2006) to pursue other interests. From April 2006 and August 2006 Some By Sea played their remaining shows with Lee Haines, AJ Gard and other friends.
Between January 2003 and August 2006 Some By Sea played approximately 200 shows.
The band released their debut album, Get Off The Ground If You're Scared, in January 2004, on their own label, Kringle Recordings. "Get Off the Ground If You're Scared" was recorded by Chris Du Bray, Eino Holm and Rachel Lee Bowman in June 2003. After touring for their debut album, Some By Sea returned to the studio to record new material. Some of this material was released on their The Saddest Christmas EP
The Saddest Christmas EP
The Saddest Christmas EP is the first EP by Some By Sea. It was released on Some By Sea's independent label, Kringle Recordings, in September, of 2005...
, also on Kringle Recordings. Both "Get Off The Ground If You're Scared" and "The Saddest Christmas EP
The Saddest Christmas EP
The Saddest Christmas EP is the first EP by Some By Sea. It was released on Some By Sea's independent label, Kringle Recordings, in September, of 2005...
" are now out of print.
In 2005, Some By Sea signed with SideCho Records
SideCho Records
SideCho Records is an independent record label based in Long Beach, California. It has been around since at least 2003, but doesn't list a history on its website.-Artists:* Those Mockingbirds* Peachcake* Charlemagne* Neva Dinova* The Pale Pacific...
. The following spring (March 7, 2006), the band released their sophomore LP, On Fire: Igloo, which received many positive reviews. After their tour in support of their latest album, Some By Sea announced they would be disbanding. Their final show was played to a full room at Hell's Kitchen in Tacoma on August 11, 2006 with Cavalier, Tex & Speaker Speaker. Chris DuBray later spoke about the break-up in an interview for his next band, Ghosts & Liars:
"It was more of a series of frustrating circumstances that lead me to decide I couldn't take it much longer. When we returned from our first On Fire! (Igloo) tour in April of 2006, we'd all stopped communicating to each other in any way that wasn't passive aggressive... Nothing that occurred from that point on ever felt 100 percent honest and healthy."
Band Members (at one time or another)
- Chris Du Bray: vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...
, guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Rachel Lee Bowman: celloCelloThe cello is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is a member of the violin family of musical instruments, which also includes the violin, viola, and double bass. Old forms of the instrument in the Baroque era are baryton and viol .A person who plays a cello is...
, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Eino Holm: guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - David Bilbrey: guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, lap steel, keyboardsKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
, vocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Daniel Disparte: drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
- Blake Johnston: bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- Tom Pearson: bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- AJ Gard: drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Lee Haines: bass guitarBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
Albums
- Get Off The Ground If You're Scared - January, 2004
- The Saddest Christmas EPThe Saddest Christmas EPThe Saddest Christmas EP is the first EP by Some By Sea. It was released on Some By Sea's independent label, Kringle Recordings, in September, of 2005...
- September, 2005 - On Fire! (Igloo) - March 7, 2006
Associated acts
- Chris Du Bray & Rachel Bowman went on to form Ghosts & Liars together, with a sound similar to that of Some By Sea. Ghosts & Liars also included Lee Haines and AJ Gard. They began recording on SideCho RecordsSideCho RecordsSideCho Records is an independent record label based in Long Beach, California. It has been around since at least 2003, but doesn't list a history on its website.-Artists:* Those Mockingbirds* Peachcake* Charlemagne* Neva Dinova* The Pale Pacific...
until the group disbanded in March 2008. Their last show was with David BazanDavid BazanDavid Bazan is an indie rock singer-songwriter from Seattle, Washington. Bazan was the lead singer and creative force behind the now-defunct band Pedro the Lion and was the lead singer of Headphones, a band he formed out of his interest in synthesizers...
(of Pedro the LionPedro the LionPedro the Lion was an indie rock band from Seattle, Washington. Singer-songwriter David Bazan formed the band in 1995 and represented its main creative force, backed by a varying rotation of collaborating musicians. T. W. Walsh is considered to be the sole official band member besides Bazan. In...
) in Chehalis, Wa. - Rachel Lee Bowman continues to record music as a solo artist, with occasional assistance from Chris Du Bray.
- David Bilbrey went on to form Canon Canyon & Rural Wolf Records with Michael Cooper. He also continues to write his own music as Xylophones & Phantom Fireworks (the name varies based on who's performing) and has continued playing in Destruction Island (with Daniel Disparte and others).