Praetors

collection of bands on a compilation - Choose My Music records

Occasionally I just pick a random town, city or state and set myself a target to find a band who I like. I guess The State Of Music project still runs through my veins.

So I decided to have a look through my recent Twitter mentions and saw @Myrtleleaf – otherwise known to me as Esther – who hails from San Diego. Before I knew it I was off – searching the California city for interesting music.

It wasn’t long before I came across Praetors (and no, it isn’t a typo) – so here they are. Have a listen and find out more about them with the interview below
CMM: Welcome to Choose My Music Praetors, can you start by introducing the band and telling us where in the world we would find you?

Well, there’s Liam Fox on vocals, Curren Weston on guitar, keys, flute, Sal Moreyra on bass, Josh Petroni on guitar and keys, and Nate King on percussion. We’re a group of guys based out of North County San Diego, Ca- Oceanside, Vista, San Marcos

CMM: How long has Praetors been in existence and how did it all start?

Praetors started about two years ago. Liam and I (Curren) have been playing music together since 2008 but nothing really solidified until 2010. Both of us went to university at different parts of the state here in California, which made it difficult to collaborate, but we both kept in great contact in order to email song ideas, pictures, anything really. During the summer of 2011, I met up with Nate because he had been building his own studio for a couple years. He said he’d give us a good deal and help us record our album so we started tracking a few weeks later and finished the album up after a year.

CMM: How would you best describe your music? I am a little stumped – which is a good thing…it’s not indie rock, its a little prog, a little folk….help me out here….

Hmm, it’s hard for us too. We call ourselves a psych-folk/beach goth band because we think it fits our style the most accurately. We all have very diverse influences and we all just agreed to play what we play naturally rather than emulate our idols. We’ve had other people tell us we fit into the new weird america category and some stretch us into freak folk.

CMM: You are our 2nd San Diego band to feature on our website after Family Wagon, how is the music scene out there?

It’s pretty small. There aren’t a lot of venues but there’s a definite vibe down here. All the local bands have some real grit to them. People have a lot to say and the landscape can really affect what the sound is. The downside is there aren’t too many large promoters, campaigns, or social hubs where music seems truly alive in the area. San Diego is a lot like LA. There’s a relatively small downtown financial district and the rest of the city is urban sprawl and small communities. I think this could be a reason it’s harder for this city to have a really characteristic sound.

CMM: Any other local bands you would like to give a shout out to?

Gloomsday, you guys rip, Blackfeet Braves-another beach psych favorite, RIP to Grand Ole Party, The Howls

CMM: I couldn’t see anything listed but are you a band who likes to get out and play live? If so where are your favourite places to put on a show?

Yeah we love to play. We just got our rehearsal schedule on track so we’ll begin playing live in March. We might have a few battle of the bands opportunities depending on our success of votes (check our facebook and help us play SXSW) and we’re planning on getting a fundraiser going to attempt to start a small US tour. If we could, I’d love to play at the Wiltern here in Los Angeles-the art deco really gets to my soul.

CMM: You released your album Creases & Flaws at the back end of 2012, are you happy with the attention it has received?

Like all bands yes and no haha. It’s been a great 3 Months. We’ve been featured on Birp.fm, been played on a couple Welsh radio programs for 3 consecutive weeks and we’ve received some very nice reviews. On the negative side, like all processes, spreading through networks, blogs, and sites has been slow. Sometimes people don’t want to take a chance when they see an album listed for free but we hope people start to reconsider.

CMM: What have you got planned for 2013?

New music for one. We’ve got a 3-4 song couplet we’re releasing in the next two months followed by a 5-7 song ep by summer. We’re trying to buy an old school bus and convert it into a tour bus-equipped with bunks, couches, and a hot plate. Raise money for a small US tour and begin an extensive street advertising campaign that will hopefully grab some attention.

CMM: And finally, where can people find you online if they want to discover more?

Facebook for updates and bandcamp for music

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Praetors
Bandcamp: praetors.bandcamp.com
Tumblr: http://praetorsband.tumblr.com/
Twitter: twitter.com/praetors
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/praetors - Choose My Music Records

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1 - Birp

Is that cover cute or creepy? It's creepy isn't it, especially the woman. Now we've got that sorted, here's the lowdown on psych/folk group Praetors. Based around the songwriting talents of Curren Weston and Liam Fox and situated in San Diego, they began putting together the songs for this, their debut album, last year whilst both were at (different) universities. This core pairing are currently being joined by Salvador Moreya (bass) and Nate King (percussion) and 'Creases & Flaws' is being given away as a free download via Bandcamp. They admit to having a wide range of influences and if you pick apart the tunes here you could reel off a list of artists you might find in their CD collection/on their iPod.

Take for instance a track like 'Matches', a simple acoustic song at its core, the stuttering percussion and layered vocals would easily fit into the catalogue of many current alt-country/Americana bands (we'll do the obligatory Fleet Foxes mention here) but elsewhere different approaches are used. The spacious and relaxed 'Western Movies' is just a slight remix away from turning into chillwave, and the same could be said for 'Intro'. 'Crowns' and 'Native Tongues' both fit neatly into the singer-songwriter category, but again it's the subtle additions and use of reverb that make them more interesting than that and add an element of depth. Most of these songs you'd have to say are pretty good, but there are some that reach another level.

The mysterious and more electronic sounding 'Kids' is a case in point, the guitars are that bit freer and a warm fuzz is allowed to creep in; it's verging on space-rock. Praetors show that they're up for some experimenting too, it's not easy to describe the confused psychedelic soup of 'Role Plays' and that can only be a good thing. When they dive head-first into more regular psychedelia and add their own clanging style, as heard on 'Drapes', they find the sound that suits them best. There are a number of avenues that appear to be available to Praetors and, naturally, which one they take is up to them. But with magical cosmic sounds like those used on 'Calavera', we know which route we'd be taking.
- Kevin W- The Sound of Confusion

Great track off their debut album - First Post.com

If I was in a western film—no, scratch that—if I was in a gothic, psychedelic journey of a western film, I would want this to be the soundtrack. Perfectly folksy, acoustically twanging, melodically moody, lyrically poetic, with just the right amount of upbeat danciness that every album should possess, Praetors’ ‘Creases & Flaws’ has a lil’ something for everyone.

Over a span of twelve tracks, guitarist Curren Weston and singer Liam Fox cover a diverse range of musical genres. The album begins with a song titled ‘Intro’ which is reminiscent of Deerhunter’s ‘Helicopter’. Tracks like ‘Western Movies’ and ‘Plans’ have a definite 80’s shoe-gazer feel -- in the best possible way. ‘Drapes’ creeps under your skin with a synthetic organ and dark lyrics. This track along with the lines of ‘Native Tongues’—“Maybe I’ve put too much thought into these end of days,” lend a gothic tone to the album. And no psychedelic journey would be complete without a folksy/fluty tune like ‘Calavera’.

‘Creases & Flaws’ makes the mind want to westwardly expand. It is an album meant for repeat on a night of bed-laying/ceiling-gazing with intermittent spurts of solo living room dancing. You can, and definitely should, take a listen to the album on their bandcamp or down below. - Angela Youngblood

Played Crowns and Three Shadows of a Moon - 91Xfm

UCLA alumnus Curren Weston has been hard at work. Not just by graduating UCLA, but creating a fantastic debut album with his band Praetors. "Creases & Flaws" is an insight into the emotions and visions of this young grad that leaves one searching within, while providing sonic bliss. This bold 12 track collection showcases the diverse talents, influences, and melodies the band is capable of, while maintaining an overall emotion and tonality that binds the work as one. Give it a listen and support a fellow Bruin! - UCLA Radio