The Shorelines

Historically, Santa Barbara has always been one of California’s most treasured beach cities, a coastal safe haven full of life, culture and vibrant youth. Whether residing in this special place or simply passing by, it’s hard to ignore the beauty it beholds. Nestled in between the Pacific Ocean and the Santa Ynez Mountains, it’s a fertile breeding ground for artists in many different avenues, including up and coming psych rock band The Shorelines.

Now two records in, bandmates Maxton Schulte and Justin Kass have well established ties to both their home and their musical style, which is best described as a melting pot of influences that typically nod to ‘60s giants like The Beach Boys and Cream, as well as ‘90s surf revivalists like The Mermen. Their music illustrates these qualities not just aesthetically but also in terms of composition, structure and atmosphere, and their musical background acknowledges that. Scroll for a while on their Instagram page and you will see these guys constantly surround themselves with countless different styles of music: incorporating jazz, the blues, rap and many other musical pallets.

Just six months after dropping their debut album Somewhere In Time, the duo has returned with another short, serene group of songs, building on their previous experiments in bolder and more precise fashion. Their new release, Sides of Us, acknowledges their universal approach to music while remaining true to the their signature style.

On Sides of Us, The Shorelines continue to embrace their psychedelic roots, but their second go-around is also far more personal and charming. On this record, there is a new found intimacy, which perhaps can be attributed to the album’s recording process. Retreating to La Casa Grande, a remote house on family property in Rancho Dos Pueblos, the band spent a period of six nights and five days straight working on finishing the album. Seven out the final eight tracks would end up being recorded during these sessions, largely shaping the overall sound of the project.

Sides of Us features artistic advancements on multiple fronts. An amplified rhythm section makes it a much punchier listen than its predecessor, especially on the opening cut “Hesitant Heart.” The song kicks the record off on a strong note, featuring an aggressive bassline that makes for some of the most infectious vibes on the album. The grooves continue on “The Kármán Line” and “Lips”, bringing out a funky side of the band that we only heard in small doses on their previous record.

To combat the tracks that lean heavily on rhythm, the duo delivers a pair of minimal, stripped back guitar cuts with “Can You Feel Me” and “Psychedelic Rhodes”, the latter of which recalls The Flaming Lips. Though the vocals on this track leave much to be desired, the song evokes an intense, synthetic feel that isn’t found elsewhere on the album. Among other great moments are the intertwining melodies on “Fostering Thoughts”, which also includes a surreal guitar solo that feels like an acid trip under a waterfall. The echoing lyric, “searching for the right feeling,” prompts a lingering feeling of emptiness.

This sense of longing culminates on “Stay”, the record’s climax and come down. It starts off as a groovy beach tune, with Schulte exploring the familiar tropes of isolation and escapism. The track is intensified by some djembe drums, only before erupting into an intoxicating montage of psychedelic ruckus. It’s the perfect closer to the album, capturing all the key elements that summarize The Shorelines’ potential: captivating percussion, dreamy guitar riffs and pure oceanic atmosphere.

The extended jams of “Hesitant Heart” and “Stay” end up being some of the album’s most vibrant moments, but on Sides of Us the band proves they are as comfortable creating short, catchy instrumental passages as much as they are long ones. It’s one of the many reasons why Sides of Us is not just artistic progress but a creative success. As many young groups do, The Shorelines have plenty of room to grow in their songwriting and production. These guys are just getting their feet wet when it comes to crafting entire albums, but their skill set as musicians demonstrates that they have the aptitude to continue experimenting and bringing forth new ideas, even if they they stay within the same surf rock bubble. - Roberto Johnson

Last month while spending a weekend in Santa Barbara, I had the pleasure of meeting local psychedelic rock band, The Shorelines. Formed by multi-instrumentalists Maxton Schulte and Justin Kass, the band recently released their debut album Somewhere In Time.

I caught their gig at Pure Order Brewing Co. while enjoying some good beers and the not so epic Mayweather – McGregor fight. After two sets of playing everything from classic cuts by Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix, to some songs from their new album, I came away fascinated with their material and how they played it. In the time since the show, Somewhere In Time has been a mainstay in my rotation. It’s one of the most pleasant surprises of 2017 and safe to say, I’m stoked I found it.

The Shorelines’ debut record is a 36-minute journey through the sights and sounds of psychedelia. With influences ranging from free-form jazz to space rock, Somewhere In Time is a loose, adventurous blend of styles that suits a camping trip in the mountains and a morning surf sesh all the same. The band approaches their musical agenda with a great sense of liberation, and their ability to fuse together so many styles shows remarkable potential.

These guys own their sound, but just because they feel comfortable on their home turf doesn’t mean they are afraid to experiment. Often times they free themselves from all boundaries, a trait well represented by the loose and lengthy song structures of cuts like “Beach Jam” and the title track “Somewhere In Time.”

Some of the shorter songs on the record also capture the duo’s hidden likeness for upbeat, dance vibes. “Hurricane” is a noisy jam dripping in replay value, while “Tangerine” shows a more melodic side, full of hypnotic guitar riffs and a pounding drum sequence that result in rhythmic bliss.

Through all the analysis, one thing stands out: these guys love music and they love to jam. I had a bunch of questions for Maxton and Justin about their new project and life as young musicians in Santa Barbara. They talked about their major influences, the different ways they like to collaborate, and some of their aspirations for the band in the near future. Here’s our conversation:

You guys just released your debut album Somewhere In Time last month. I think it’s a great record. Can you guys tell me about how the project came to be? Is it something you’ve been working on for a while?

Maxton: We’re beyond grateful that the album is finally out. We began tracking in November, 2016 and finished May, 2017, with an additional 2 months worth of remixing and mastering. Coincidentally the 50th anniversary of the Summer of Love.

Justin: The project came to be in a very organic way. Maxton and I have a strong musical and personal connection, and we finally decided to record after a few years of jamming together.

You guys really embrace a psychedelic sound throughout the record. Artistically speaking, what’s inspired you to take your music in this direction? Do you remember what initially drew you in to this kind of sound?

Maxton: All forms of psychedelic music, especially in context of jazz, world music and hip-hop are influential. Our blend of genres is diverse and fits under our psychedelic umbrella in more ways than one.

Justin: I fell in love with the 1960’s era of psychedelic music, because I enjoyed bands like Cream, Jimi Hendrix, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, The Doors, Pink Floyd, The Animals, etc. I love the notion of limitless boundaries. Jazz music is also incredibly psychedelic; if anything, it’s the most mind bending music out there. Both genres contain the following things: improvisation, counter melodies, modulation, polyrhythms, and most importantly, the expansion and exploration of simple ideas. For myself, both follow the footsteps of traditional African music. Maybe I’m nuts.

A lot of people say Santa Barbara has a pretty distinct vibe. How have your experiences in SB influenced you from a musical perspective?

Justin: Santa Barbara is pretty much paradise, but real. It is an artist’s haven, from Charlie Chaplin to Mike Love (The Beach Boys).

Maxton: It’s a beautiful trap. The creative energy in our art scene is always present here.

Maxton, you mentioned before that a lot of local musicians like you guys bounce around the area playing for different bands and stuff. Justin, you also recently put out an album with your band Cows Cabbage. It sounds like you guys spend a lot of time around your instruments. Would you say that’s pretty accurate?

Justin: I’m currently in Cows Cabbage, The Shorelines, and my City College jazz combo. I do spend most of my “free time” playing drums, guitar, singing, writing poetry, and listening to music. If I could, I would spend more time with my instrument(s).

Maxton: It’s really common for local musicians to hop from project to project, both in the studio and on stage. Supporting everyone’s side projects keeps the creative juices flowing and our local scene more valuable, in my opinion.

Going back to the album – “Tangerine” was one of the songs you played in your set at Pure Order. It’s a fun, catchy tune. Is the song title at all related to the band Tangerine Dream? What was it like recording that track?

Maxton: “Tangerine” was actually one of the first songs that we recorded last November. Though it illustrates more of a disco influence, you can still identify our signature approach. The meaning behind “Tangerine” is actually referencing the strain, Tangerine Dream. However, the song is essentially a metaphor about being friend zoned.

There’s a lot of stretches throughout the album that are purely instrumental, where you guys are just jammin’. When you start working on something new, do you always start with the music first? How does songwriting figure into your process when you’re crafting a song?

Maxton: Our songs are typically written instrumentally first, either by improvising at rehearsals or just brainstorming on our acoustics. We forward ideas to each other almost daily. When we’re performing we have many extended jams so we wanted to keep the integrity and impact of our live shows in the recordings.

Justin: We like to have an approach of no approach at all. Anything goes, there are basically no creative boundaries. Typically, our writing instrument of choice is the acoustic guitar. Usually we write specialized parts on the instrument we’re most comfortable with, Maxton on the guitar and me on the drums.

I really dig the transition on “Project 3”; it starts out really groovy and shifts into a slower, dreamy sequence. There’s quite a few songs where you guys switch up the tempo like that. Take me behind your creative process when it comes to writing the music and creating song arrangements. Is it really collaborative? Or do you guys give each other a lot of freedom to be creative, then kinda see what comes out in the end?

Maxton: Our music is very collaborative. Music has no limitations for us so it’s an exciting process. The element of surprise is an essential part of life so we love taking songs from one place to another. We stay true to free form, similar to the approach behind fusion and raga. Throughout the album you can also hear numerous recordings we took from public dialogue, nature samples and other everyday sounds. - Roberto Johnson

SHORELINE AND FEELING FINE: Alternatively, also on the night of Friday, February 1, The Shorelines headline a lineup at the Mercury Lounge (5871 Hollister Ave.) with S.B.’s Reef City and Nick Vaughn. Founded by multi-instrumentalists Maxton Schulte and Justin Kass, the Shorelines churn out grinding, grooving, drifting psychedelic rock that’s drenched in reverb and exciting on the ears and spirit. Expect smooth sailing through their rocking shores and enjoy. Reef City, meanwhile, takes the epic nature of 1970s glam and arena rock and brings it back with a refreshed coastal sound.

If you missed the Shorelines at the Mercury Lounge, they play again on Sunday, February 3, also at the Cold Spring Tavern (5995 Stagecoach Rd.). But first, savor some tri-tip with the sounds of The Third Man, who will get the venue rollicking and happy with a blend of old-school country, surf rock, and even bohemian noir lounge. What a great way to spend Sunday! - Richie DeMaria