Andromeda Sun

Joining forces in 2013 Ian Harris and Peter McCold initially began as a jam band but it didn’t take too long for them to write some proper tunes. The first track they ever wrote together entitled “Andromeda Sun” would soon become the name of their band as well as the name of their debut album.

I have to say off the bat that the album cover is a bit misleading. I thought I was in store for a band that might sound like the Grateful Dead and Phish but instead was treated to a vocalist who sounds closer to Jay Kay from Jamiroquai than Jerry Garcia. Andromeda Sun is an eclectic band that combines elements of psychedelia, blues and soul into a submersive concoction of sounds. The sounds come from a rich variety of organic instrumentation that in addition to your standard rock formation of guitar, drums and bass have viola, trombone, lap steel and keys.

One of the first notable aspects of the debut album that jumped out to me was the overall production and aesthetics. The tone of guitars to the space in between felt more grounded in production than you would hear from a rock band in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s than 2014. The producer Tiger Roberts didn’t over compress the drums or vocals like you hear on so many rock records in this day and age. Andromeda Sun sound like a real band playing in a room with real dynamics.

The first song “Andromeda Sun” is a good example of this. The seven-plus minute song features a crunchy lead guitar and an equally as impressive lead on the keys, which sounds great in the mix. There is definitely a bit of a Pink Floyd flavor on this first song when you hear the lyrics “We are one/We are love/One/Love.” The delivery is poignant, confident and grand.

The second track “Come Together” is a compact single-worthy song. It’s on this track that you notice how soulful and blues inspired the vocals are. The same type of delivery is manifested on “Express Connection” as the vocalist sings, “Conceive your life in the ground of your earth/The seed of your light shines in shadows and the dirt/Fertilized with family all shapes and sizes/We are wise in our infinite minds.” The song has a tranquil, relaxing vibe that feels great going down.

Overall, Andromeda Sun is a very solid showing from the young band. They have a surplus of influences on this album but also were able to carve out their own sound showcasing their originality. - Ted Rogen

The happiest moments of Ian Harris’ life have generally involved music.

The recent West Linn High School graduate comes from a musical family — both of his parents play professionally — and he has been writing songs since he was 9 years old. It wasn’t until recently, however, that Harris found three like-minded students to fulfill the vision that is Andromeda Sun.

The band — originally formed two years ago by Harris and fellow WLHS student Peter McCoid — expanded to four members in 2014, and is now poised to release its second album later this year.

In the months since WLHS senior Anthony Pellico and Oregon City High School graduate Logan Adam officially joined Andromeda Sun, the band has played a number of shows around the Portland area while continuing to blossom creatively in the studio.

“We’re kind of trying to bring back that musicianship that bands had in the ’60s and ’70s,” said Harris, who sings and plays keyboard in the band. “There’s some great music out there today, but you really have to hunt for it. The majority of music we listen to is from the ’60s and ’70s era ... it just had so much feeling and passion.” The band’s influences range from classic acts — The Grateful Dead, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Creedence Clearwater Revival — to contemporary artists like Tame Impala and Modest Mouse. For Pellico, who plays drums, it all adds up to a sound that is unique to Andromeda Sun.

“We’re influenced by a lot of artists, but we have our own style,” Pellico said. “It’s not super iconic or anything, but it’s hard to describe because we do a lot of variety.”

Back in January, the band released “Mother Nature Takes Care of Me (Natural Anthem)” — the first single from its upcoming sophomore album. A second single, “Welcome Yourself,” was released March 15.

“I like to tell people that the first album is a listening experience,” Harris said, “and this next album is going to be a lot more diverse and appealing and just more creative all around.”

As the band has grown creatively, so too have its opportunities to perform live. Over the past three months, Andromeda Sun has played shows at the Alberta Rose Theater, the Hawthorne Theatre and the Analog Theatre in Portland. The band has also played shows in Seattle and Eugene, and recently applied to perform at a number of Oregon music festivals this summer.

“When we’re all jamming and we’re up on stage performing for a crowd, I think it’s the happiest moments of my life,” Harris said. “I don’t really care about the money, I just want to get the music and the message out. I try to portray a positive message, and I think the world needs more positivity and love.”

Perhaps the most significant obstacle the band faces is time, or lack thereof. Pellico and McCoid are bound by their high school schedules, and McCoid also works as a music instructor at the Youth Music Project in West Linn. Harris and Adam, meanwhile, work part-time and attend classes at Clackamas Community College.

“We try to do as much as we can, but lately we’ve been playing one or two times a week,” Harris said.

“We’d like to do more, but it’s just tough,” Pellico said. “When we graduate, it will be a lot easier.”

When they consider Andromeda Sun’s future, the bandmates are open to just about anything, as long as it involves music.

“We hope we have a future with Andromeda Sun, but we could also have jobs in the music industry and other places,” McCoid said. “We all want to go to college and study music, and either be teachers, stagehands or tech guys.”

“I think we’ll always play, even if it’s just for fun, even if we all have jobs,” Pellico said.

But make no mistake: This is far more than just a pastime for the band members.

“I think we’re definitely going to start trying to get some management or join a record label with this next record — just to try to take it to the next level,” Harris said. “We all know our potential, and I think we can do it. And we all have a lot of really good ideas.”

On April 18, the band is set to play a show at the Youth Music Project. Tickets will be $5 at the door, and proceeds will go toward the recording of the new album.

To learn more, visit andromedasun.bandcamp.com or facebook.com/AndromedaSunMusic. The band’s music is available on iTunes, Spotify and via Soundcloud at soundcloud.com/andromedasun. - Patrick Malee of The West Linn Tidings

A great psychedelic rock / 60's style full-lenght debut album by the band from Portland, Oregon. strongly recommended.
favourite track: Powers Of Our Mind - Svetonio