My Solstice

"a new band that has already starting making waves in local music circles, My Solstice. Yes, you probably recognize a few faces, but you don't really know what to expect unless you've already experienced the band in its formative stages.

Front man Brandon Davis was also leader of the now defunct hard rock act, Wreckless Process. Once that outfit dissolved, Davis began collaborating with friend and guitarist Dustin Howard. As the two of them began writing with acoustic guitars in hand, they looked to step outside of any preconceived notions of what they might sound like and let the music and creative process take precedence.

Yes, there are a few similarities to Wreckless Process. That's inevitable with Davis' distinct voice and delivery, but don't be fooled--My Solstice is far more than another hard rock band. Influenced as much by bands as diverse as Muse, Incubus, Mute Math, Finch and Mars Volta as well as heavier acts like Tool, Deftones and Perfect Circle, My Solstice blends an aggressive edge with a more subtle and epic vision.

The group has already played a number of acoustic shows, proving its grasp of dynamics and control, as well as a handful of fully-amped electric shows.

And while the line-up is filled out by drummer Ely Gattenby and second guitarist Leif West (both of which were also members of Wreckless Process), don't expect My Solstice to be WP Mach 2. A split acoustic/electric EP is currently in the works, which will showcase the band's talent and diversity. With an artistic vision that extends well beyond its hard rock pedigree, My Solstice is definitely a band to keep an eye on."

- Urban Tulsa Weekly

My Solstice looks like a rock band, but when they talk it's all business.

Singer Brandon Davis's metal band Wreckless Process broke up last year and he decided to pursue music that wasn't stuck in such an exclusive niche. That became My Solstice, a group that features his trademark soaring vocals in a more diverse band that seems as comfortable churning out nu-metal bombast as it is with catchy pop songs.

"The problem with (the former band) was you couldn't strip it down and play it acoustic," Davis said. "Our songs, they were very heavy, you know, that sort of edge. It wasn't the type of stuff that you could go into a coffee shop and play."

Davis and guitarist Dustin Howard sat down Monday to discuss the band's first album together, "Beyond the Horizon."

"It's just that we can do different things. Like if we want to write a song that leans to a very pop kind of feel, then we can," Howard said. "If we want to write a heavy song that appeals to a more aggressive audience, we can."

The six-song CD (which is only about 22 minutes long) kicks off with the dissonant "Rock Bottom," featuring bright guitars, a big drum sound and production so slick the band should be broke by now.

The Descendents' Stephen Egerton produced "Beyond the Horizon" at his Armstrong Recording studio.

"He's the man," Howard said about Egerton. Most producers, if you mess something up in recording, will paste over that part with another recording in which your work was better, a feat made easier with digital recording programs. But Egerton doesn't do that, Howard said. He'll make you do it over.

"He'll really push you," Howard said. "That's a great thing because what we do on the album, we do live just fine."

Listen to the album, and My Solstice sounds like a lexicon of modern rock who's who: A little of Tool's bizarre undulating guitar melodies, a little Breaking Benjamin-style angst and the percussive, bright Rush-like chords of "Pass By." The album shows the band tackling personal relationships, hard times and upbraiding people who don't take risks, the topic of the song "Pass By."

The song's subject, "Is staring out the window watching her life go by," Davis said.

That's what My Solstice is about -- a spur to take the initiative on new beginnings. Davis doesn't swear on the album and he keeps his stuff approachable, targeting mass appeal with a positive message.

Howard said the band doesn't want the CD to be the one fans reach for when they are depressed.

"I don't want to deliver a negative sort of idea from our band, because when I look back at negative times in my life, the music I was listening to wasn't necessarily helping," he said.

The album also is a sign that My Solstice is serious. The band wanted an album released as soon as possible.

For Davis, that was a necessity because he had left Wreckless Process, which had a contract at the time with Vigilant Records.

Now with the local Fat Lip Entertainment managing the band, the group is ready to cultivate a bigger local fan base and branch out to the rest of the Midwest.

The album will be available at Friday's show at the Other Side. The show will feature openers Critical Nonsense, Optimistic to a Fault, First Lady Assassins, and afterEIGHT.
- Matt Elliot, Tulsa World Scene Writer

When it came time to start organizing this spring's annual New Voices Concert Series, one of the first names on Urban Tulsa Weekly's list was My Solstice, a new project revolving around guitarist Dustin Howard and former Wreckless Process vocalist Brandon Davis. It wasn't a hard call to make; NewVo's primary focus is to spotlight Tulsa's best original bands and future stars, and even though My Sostice had only played a handful of shows, the group had already caused enough of a stir to create a quiet buzz and start turning heads -- and not just from the hard rock crowd that Davis' previous band had catered to.
Although Davis has a commanding stage presence and the new band does step into the hard rock landscape at times, My Solstice was born out of a vision to create something new, unfettered by genre boundaries or expectations laid by any of the band members' former projects.

Yes, modern hard rock does have its place in the fabric of the band, but so does pop, classic rock, experimental and indie rock and acoustic singer-songwriter material. When all woven together, there's no telling what the end result might be, but that's OK. The purpose from the outset was to create something new and a more epic sound and vision were welcomed with open arms.

Celestial Beginnings

A solstice is defined as one of two times per year when the earth's axis tilts the most toward or away from the sun, causing the sun to be farthest north or south at noon. And with that specified peak, it also implies a change in direction and a preparation for a change of seasons.

With that in mind, I'm not sure a better name could be found for the band as its members transition into a new season in their careers. It also seems only appropriate that the seeds for My Solstice were sown under a starlit night in Southern California and are coming to fruition over a year later with a CD release party one day after the Summer Solstice, on Friday, June 22.

Although My Solstice didn't become a reality until after the dissolution of Wreckless Process, the concept for the band was spawned during a Wreckless tour of Southern California. It was during that tour that Brandon had heard Dustin playing an acoustic guitar during the band's down time and the wheels in his mind started spinning.

"One night it was me, Ely (Gattenby) and Dustin sitting out in my Dad's driveway, just looking up at the stars," said Brandon. "We were enjoying being out in the California weather and started talking. 'Hey, we should do an acoustic little side project -- just the three of us. You know, just for fun - no ideas, no worries, no nothing. No preconceptions or anything, just to play some acoustic stuff.'"

At that point, the three spoke hopefully, exchanging ideas, but nothing came of it until after Wreckless closed up shop and called it a day.

"I still wanted to be involved in music," said Davis, "so I contacted him (Dustin) and said, 'Hey, let's jam, let's do something. Let's start writing some stuff. The time is there, obviously, my time isn't taken up by Wreckless anymore, so let's do this.' That's pretty much what started it."

From there, My Solstice was born as Brandon and Dustin holed up together with acoustic guitars and began writing songs, focusing on the songs before jumping out into the live scene. When My Solstice finally did make its first public appearances, it was in a series of acoustic appearances as drummer Ely Gattenby was on hiatus to tour with The Feds.

Those initial two shows were certainly character-building exercises. The first gig was an outdoor show, playing for the Route 66 marathon at 8am on a cold Sunday morning in November, followed by an appearance at "Band Wars" battle of the bands at the Pinkeye in December.

Even though the Pinkeye wasn't a foreign room to Dustin and Brandon, it proved to be a challenge as they played their acoustic set wedged between a lineup full of metal bands. Even thought the two didn't really fit the evening's bill and they experienced technical difficulties like microphones shorting out mid-song, My Solstice won the competition, proving both the strength of the songs and the band's cross-genre appeal.

Once 2007 arrived and Ely returned, the group entered the recording studio and started playing full-band gigs with bassist Todd Shaver and second guitarist Leif West filling out the live sound and proving My Solstice's place as a rock band to be reckoned with.

Solid Foundations

No matter what the venue or format, be it a full-blown rock show or an acoustic gig at a coffee-shop, the heart of My Solstice lies in the songwriting. And although the band can rock just as hard as its predecessor, Wreckless Process, it also has a much broader appeal and grasp of dynamics than Wreckless did.

While opening track and lead single "Rock Bottom" opens with a Hendrix-ian guitar riff before breaking into a modern rock groove, "Elevator" does a virtual u-turn with a clean, jazzy guitar tone and layered harmony vocals.

Regardless of what genre or style into which the band branches out, all of the songs have an intensity and emotional pull that connects with the audience, a characteristic that earns the band comparisons to bands as diverse as Muse and Thrice.

"You know, I don't take myself too seriously," said Dustin, "but I do take the music I write seriously. Just because there have been times in my life when I listen to a certain piece of music, and I look back on that point and it's usually a reflection of where I was at as far as my internal growth and what I was trying to do and become."

"So whenever I write a song," he continued, "I realize that this very well may affect someone. And if you can't take the time to think about something like that, you might get across the wrong message."

Even as My Solstice prepares to release its debut CD, the band continues to evolve. Original bassist Todd Shave recently departed to fulfill other commitments with Congress of a Crow and the addition of Tom Pritner, a long-standing friend of Dustin, promises to bring even more diversity to the band's ever-developing sound and scope -- not only with his more groove-oriented playing style, but also by adding to the band's creative process.

Even though the release party for the new CD, Beyond the Horizon, is this weekend, the group continues writing and already has nearly half an album of new material prepared for the next release. While that may seem a little overboard for some, the band's creativity and prolific output should prove essential to the band's continued growth and plans for the future.

Although they don't want to over saturate the market or overextend themselves, the members of My Solstice also realize that we're living in an A.D.D. (Attention Deficit Disorder) society and believe the best way to remain in the collective conscience is to keep some sort of product in the pipeline. As such, the band plans to keep serving a slow but steady flow of media (music, video, photos, etc.) to keep fans engaged and continue building a fanbase -- all of which plays handily into the group's creative flow.

Here and Now

Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves, however. With Beyond the Horizon completed and ready for release, My Solstice is ready to really impact the local scene and start it's climb on the rock-ladder of success.

Even before the CD's release, the debut single, "Rock Bottom" appeared on "Amber's Cockfight" on Z104.5 The Edge and beat Yellowcard to move on before losing to Fair To Midland. Meanwhile, fans are already calling and requesting the song to try and push it to the top of Z104.5's "Top 8 at 8" and score the single some prime-time radio airplay. Of course, the band is already a staple on Homegroan and even made a guest appearance with a live, acoustic version of "Rock Bottom" this past Sunday evening.

Comparisons to Wreckless Process will be inevitable, between shared members (Brandon, Ely, and auxiliary guitarist Leif West) and Brandon's distinct voice and vocal delivery. Even so, writing this band off as merely a re-vamped WP is a big mistake.

By drawing from influences as widespread as Hendrix, Zeppelin, Cheap Trick, Queen, Muse, Incubus, MuteMath, Tool, Mars Volta and Perfect Circle, My Solstice has created an impressive debut that should appeal to classic, modern and experimental rock fans. This is the best local debut of year to date and easily one of the top five local releases so far-- especially for modern and hard rock fans

My Solstice's CD release party for Beyond The Horizon is this Friday night at The Otherside. Special guests Critical Nonsense, Optimistic To A Fault, First Lady Assassins, and After Eight will open the all-ages show and a $10 cover includes a copy of the new disc with admission.

With the new CD in hand and the band settling into it's own with new bassist Tom Pritner, there's no better time than now to catch My Solstice's live show - especially if you haven't seen them yet. Show up ready for a great show that exceeds your expectations.
- Gary Hizer, Urban Tulsa Weekly Music Editor

Keeping Focus
My Solstice aims high and stays the course with Persistence of Vision

BY G.K. HIZER


Although a number of local bands have seen their fair share of success and fanfare during the past year, perhaps none has done so in such a quiet, yet public manner as My Solstice. The band has cruised just below the public radar until just recently, however, building upon a solid fan base and a growing repertoire of songs. Granted, My Solstice did just win the "Up and Coming Band" award in UTW's Absolute Best of Tulsa awards (which was decided by the votes of our readers).
With all due respect, though, it's past time for Tulsa to take notice. Since the group made its full band debut a year and a half ago and released its first EP Beyond the Horizon in June of 2007, My Solstice has sold a couple thousand copies of the disc while playing locally on a regular basis and building its following with limited regional touring. Along the way, the group has opened for bands as diverse as Sparta, Switchfoot and Sick Puppies. It landed singles on the 2007 DFest compilation and The Edge's 2008 Homegroan CD, made a cameo on the CBS "reality" television show Wife Swap and earned showcase spots on consecutive DFest events.

As the band views things, these experiences were stepping stones for what's to come. As lead singer Brandon Davis told me, "We accomplished so much on just six songs. How much more should we be able to do with the new record?"


A New Season

The group has evolved during the past year and a half as membership has shifted and the band has found its identity. Shortly after recording Beyond the Horizon, My Solstice saw bassist Todd Shaver leave the band to join Congress of a Crow. Tom Pritner filled the slot, bringing an additional swing to the band's compositions as he attacked the instrument from a guitarist's point of view.

Most recently, after completing the latest disc, Persistence of Vision, founding drummer Ely Gattenby left to fill the drum position in (yet again) Congress of a Crow. The significance of that transition isn't lost on the remaining members, however. In fact, it's all the more ironic as former Congress skinsman Nathan Lindley recently stepped in to fill the void.

"Nate definitely brings a new life to our live shows," guitarist Dustin Howard expressed emphatically, a sentiment that has been shared by many fans who have witnessed either (or both) of Lindley's two appearances to date with the band.

"We've jammed with Nate for a month now and the vibe just keeps getting better," Davis shared, with agreement from the rest of the band. "The trust is definitely there."

And the commitment is there as well, according to Lindley. As long time friends and brothers in arms, the rest of the guys in My Solstice are understanding, yet ready to get the machine up and running again with Lindley on board and a new CD in hand. "I'm excited where we're headed," said Howard in anticipation. "We've got nowhere but up to go."


Focus on the Horizon

That statement might seem foreign to other bands that are yet to see similar successes, but My Solstice's vision hasn't changed during the past year.

"The biggest thing to focus on," said Davis, "besides the markets we've already established, is to work on radio--to get this record on satellite and college and internet radio. There are a lot of Midwest stations that are not part of Clear Channel or a big conglomerate. If we can get in at a few of those stations, it can start to grow."

"The major labels may be dead, but radio is not," Howard chimed in emphatically. "If a station has a listenership of 40-50,000 and you get even five spins a week, who knows how many people may hear your song?"

"It's all about name recognition," continued Davis. "Five spins a week may not be much, but there are still people that hear your song. If they see your flyer and know the name, there's a better chance they'll come to the show."

In a landscape that has turned to shun record labels and anything deemed commercial, it's somewhat refreshing to interact with a band that understands the dynamics of the marketplace and isn't afraid to tackle the machine for fear of being labeled a sell-out.

Fellow UTW music writer Josh Kline wrote, "These guys make commercial modern rock look good (as much as that's possible). Though they've been around for a few years, they're just starting to hit their stride and now's the perfect time to honor them with the 'up-and-comers' award. The sky's the limit from here."

While Kline's comments were apropos, it wasn't lost on the band that they were also somewhat backhanded. Somewhere along the line, terms like "commercial" and "pop" have become dirty words when, in fact, they originally meant to convey the fact that a band or its music was popular and getting airplay in the mainstream marketplaces, not just independent and college radio.

Although the band's sound has been polished to a radio-ready sheen, don't make the mistake of lumping My Solstice in with bands like OKC natives Hinder. "We like to have fun and party, but we also want to talk about shit that matters," said Davis.

"The last record had songs like 'Pass By' and 'Art of Growth' and 'Rock Bottom,' which all had a positive message to better yourself," he explained. "With the next record, we've expanded on that. It might come off as political at times, but that's only one facet of the social consciousness we're trying to convey."

"The thing is," Lindley added, "Brandon has a message--and it's nice to play with a singer who has a message and believes what he's saying."

A few simple love songs are thrown in for good measure, ala "In the Clouds" and "Agenda Worth Revealing." But even those are introspective, hinting at the message of self expression and realization that "Separation of Mind and State" hammers home to close the disc.

In the end, everything comes full circle and revolves back to the band's origins. "The meaning of solstice," Davis reiterated, "is a changing or a turning point-an evolution or an emotion. By putting 'My' in front of it, it just makes it more personal.

"One girl I met was a cutter and she told me she felt like one of the songs on the last disc helped her get through some things. That's what this is all about. It's not 'my' solstice; it's his solstice and her solstice and whoever else the music speaks to."

- Gary Hizer - Urban Tulsa Weekly

'Persistence' propels band My Solstice into new CD



By JENNIFER CHANCELLOR World Scene Writer
8/7/2008



It's a medical term, explained My Solstice lead singer Brandon Davis over a pint of beer as he took a cool break in the dim of Arnie's Irish bar in downtown Tulsa.

"Persistence of vision" is a camera-like phenomenon of the brain that allows it to "see" something and determine its nature, even if the viewer is only exposed to it for a nanosecond.

Think Tyler Durden in the ultra-violent deconstructionist epic, "Fight Club." Remember how he'd splice one frame of a specific genre of movie into a vintage Disney flick, then gauge the audience's reaction? Yeah, it's sort of like that.

"But there's a twofold meaning to it," Davis said of the title of the alt-rocker's newest album, which will be unveiled at a CD release show Saturday at a venue across the street from where we sat, the Blue Dome Diner.

"It also means keeping your momentum going toward the goal," he finished. "Not giving up."

My Solstice has been through a lot in the few years it's been a band. What originally started as a two-man acoustic experiment has bloomed into a full-on experimental indie-rock experience. It's been through two bass players, is on its second drummer, and has toured relentlessly to build a fan base.

There have also been two My Solstice CDs written and released in two years.

"Our music reflects what's happening around us," said guitarist Dustin Howard. "We are socially conscious, but not necessarily political."

Songs about friends hurting themselves, a guy trying to "get laid," a tune lead-in that quotes from the father of Black Power, Malcolm X.

"Every song has a story," agreed bassist Tom Pritner. "But mostly, our music is about pulling together to make things stronger, to make things better."

"Persistence of Vision" was co-produced with the band and Stephen Egerton at his Armstrong Recording Co. right here in Tulsa.

"We worked hard to recreate our live sound," said drummer Nathan Lindley. "We wouldn't do five or six guitar tracks for one song because we can't reproduce that live. But we'll try any type of music, from metal to blues, and Stephen knows what's up."

Egerton — perhaps more widely known as guitarist in influential punk act the Descendents — has also co-produced an array of up-and-coming local acts, including First Lady Assassins and Callupsie.

"Basically, we all have music at heart," said Howard.

Pritner agreed. "We love to work hard and have a good time doing it."

Davis tipped his beer toward his band mates. "The bottom line is, it's always going to be fun for us. These are my brothers. We don't strive to be 'rich and famous.' ... We'd like to pay our bills.

"And make sure we have a spare tire in case another tire explodes while we're out on the road and in a bad part of town," he said with a laugh.

- Jennifer Chancellor - Tulsa World