A lot of young bands duck the question of influence for a pretty natural reason. They don’t want to be identified with more recognizable and potentially shadow-casting entities, they want to be known for their own qualities and on their own terms. That is a completely reasonable wish.
Under the Influence of Giants (frontman/lyricist Aaron Bruno, guitarist Drew Stewart, bassist Dave Amezcua, drummer/keyboardist Jamin Wilcox) is not the norm when it comes to young bands. The L.A. foursome certainly doesn’t shrink from the question of influence; the fact that they are influenced by the likes of the Beatles, the Bee Gees, Prince, Talking Heads, Sly and the Family Stone and a host of others across the broad spectrum of musical achievement is right there on the marquee and on the cover of their eponymous debut.
It’s also in the incredibly diverse pop/rock/soul fabric of UTIOG’s songs and in the band’s individual histories and heritages; Bruno and Stewart have been writing together since their teenage years and were, in fact, the creative core of the post punk band Home Town Hero, and Wilcox (the son of famed Utopia/session drummer Willie Wilcox) came to UTIOG from a stint with the similarly structured Audiovent. Together, they make music that transcends their pasts and stands comfortably with the giants they emulate.
“There’s a lot of intergalactic wizard wand sounds and Beatles strings and choirs... and I think that was definitely imbedded in Jamin growing up around Utopia and some of the other bands his dad played with,� says vocalist Bruno. “Me and Drew were always jamming together as just a straight ahead rock band and we had always wanted to be something much greater than a rock band. We wanted to be the best of all time like the Beatles and the Stones and ELO and Utopia and Hall and Oates and Michael Jackson.�
After Stewart and Bruno’s less than ideal situation at the end of Home Town Hero, the pair began to conceive a band different from anything they’d experienced previously. The addition of Wilcox two years ago completely changed UTIOG’s chemistry. “Jamin coming into the band actually helped us to tap into a side of ourselves that we never had the confidence to tap into,� says Bruno. “Jamin actually was the guy who brought the element of massive sounds besides just guitar, bass, drums and melody.�
The trio’s major label experiences provided them with a roadmap of how not to proceed; they built a following in and around Los Angeles through relentless gigging, positive word of mouth and technology’s version of a grass roots approach: a MySpace page. The band recorded an EP, Heaven is Full (produced by former Blind Melon members Brad Smith and Christopher Thorn), which they sold on-line and at shows, and which subsequently created a sensation on iTunes. As the buzz surrounding UTIOG began to grow, so too did label interest. A single meeting with Island label head L.A. Reid led to a contract and the band’s debut full-length, also helmed by Smith and Thorn.
Nine months ago, UTIOG acquired the last piece of their sonic puzzle when they hired Amezcua, the younger brother of a friend of Bruno’s and a long time follower of the Bruno/Stewart musical partnership. “Dave was always at our shows, studying every move that me and Drew made,� says Bruno. “He was one of the few kids back then who looked up to us and believed in us more than we honestly believed in ourselves. He was just this nerdy ass kid that would come around. Finally we decided to give him a shot after being bombarded with e-mails telling us how great he was at bass. He’s a real cocky kid, which is cool because we all have a lot of confidence. We’re all insecure at the end of the day but we have confidence in the music we do. You have to have confidence to make something miraculous.�
Brian Baker
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Under the Influence of Giants is released August 8, 2006 on Island Records.
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