Today we’re bringing you a full stream of The Second Coming, the new full-length from Vegas indie band Same Sex Mary. If you like what you hear, you can pick it up at the record release show on July 25 at the Bunkhouse Saloon Fremont Country Club. It will also be available digitally this weekend via Bandcamp.
Likely the first thing fans of Same Sex Mary will notice on The Second Coming is a shift in the band’s sound, from folk/blues to a more psychedelic rock influenced style. “The more psychedelic garage aspects of the new album actually came from the original five piece line up” explains Same Sex Mary guitarist/vocalist James Howard Adams, when discussing how the band’s lineup has changed since forming. “The more we played together, the more we kind of wandered into it. Typically, I would come to the band with a song I had written on an acoustic guitar. Tyler [Huddleston, guitarist] would crank his reverb and the band would jam, breathing new life into the songs. We all have such different backgrounds in music that we were really able to capture a wide range of styles, sounds, and even genres on the new album. The song ‘Sex Bruise’ is a perfect example of the direction the band was heading into as it began writing together as a whole.”
The band’s sound also evolved as they transitioned from a two piece to a full band. “Tsvetelina [Stefanova, farfisa & vocals] and I met while attending the Las Vegas Academy, where we both studied music” says Adams. “About five years ago we finally decided we had the time to properly dedicate towards our own music project. At the time, my Dangerboner project was entering a state of hiatus. I also played bass for Dude City with Tsvet on keys (both of these bands were based out of Boulder City). Originally, SSM was just Tsvet and I playing folky bluesy duets. Once we were ready to record our album, we decided we wanted to put a band together to help give it a fuller sound.”
“First we recruited Michael McGuinness to play drums as we were already playing with him in Dude City. We then found Tyler Huddleston shredding on an acoustic guitar while busking during a First Friday. Looking to fill in the bass we recruited Jason Aragon and the recording band was formed. At the time, it was our intention to revert back to a two piece after recording, but the band had real chemistry and we all decided to continue as a five piece. Fast forward a few years and we had come to an en passe realizing that we had an entire album’s worth of new material but that Mike and Tyler were on different paths that would not allow them to continue playing with SSM. We got back into the studio, unfortunately without Mike, not really knowing where the band would end up once it was all said and done.”
“Again, Tsvet and I thought we would be reverting to just a two piece. We were so proud of what we accomplished in the studio though; we felt it would be a shame to not move forward with a new band to carry the torch. Aaron Guidry approached us knowing that we were looking for a new drummer, and we knew we had a power house drummer at the first downbeat of the ‘audition.’ Brian Cantrell was suggested to us by a friend. Tsvet and I were very familiar with JASL [Junior Anti Sex League] from our high school days and knew he would be a great addition. The audition with Brian clearly went well, but we knew we had something special just hanging out afterwards, drinking beers, and sharing stories.”
The band returned to WaveLab Studios to record The Second Coming, a studio that has worked with the likes of Animal Collective and Neko Case, along with a few Vegas locals. “Both Dangerboner’s and Dude City’s albums were recorded there, as well as SSM’s first album, Sex Cells,” explains Adams. “I guess what we like most about their studio is its open layout and the team they have. Recording and tracking live to tape is also something that’s really important to us. It helps keep us grounded and away from focusing on trying to make things ‘perfect.’ I’ve spent hours in studios helping with friends’ projects where they pick apart a guitar track because there’s a weird pluck sound or some other nonsense that no one else will ever hear. Perfection is a real rabbit hole, and you can really lose sight of the project as a whole if you travel too far down it.”
“The WaveLab record I have the most personal attachment to though is the Devothcka album, Una Volta” Adams says while discussing the history of the studio.”My father and I were traveling home from Boulder, Colorado after I auditioned for the University’s orchestra in 2004. We stopped at a record store and the cashier suggested we check out this cool album from a local band that was just released. We picked it up and loved it. It was weird and different than anything else I was listening to at the time. Years later while hanging out at WaveLab I saw the album on their catalogue wall. I had no idea it was recorded and mixed by them.The high school kid hiding in me somewhere was bursting with pride.”
The Second Coming was mastered at Golden Mastering, as per a suggestion from WaveLab. According to Adams, “As for Golden, it’s kind of crazy. I come across their name on album credits all the time. Everywhere from Sonic Youth and Superchunk, to the countless number of bands we’ve played with while touring. ‘Oh hey, you guys worked with Golden too huh!?’ ‘Yeah! Aren’t they great!?’ It’s kind of crazy how small the world is.”
The band has put together an eclectic mix of new projects to support them on the release show, with Hidden Levels (featuring members of Twin Brother) and Dark Black (featuring members of Caravels). The show will also feature a “play-of-sorts” written and directed by local playwright Ernie Curcio.
How did this bill come together? According to Adams, “Tsvet and I have always been huge supporters of the local music scene here in Vegas. We live out in Boulder City but it feels like we spend most of our time in LV. Over the years we’ve come to make some really great friends that share the same passions we do. We had been talking to Dark Black about playing the show, but it all came together when we were at Kevin Oakley’s (Dark Black and A Crowd of Small Adventures’ bassist) birthday party. Basically we made Dark Black and Hidden Levels drunkenly commit to doing the show with us. A couple of weeks later, we were able to confirm it officially.”
“The production end of the show with the play really came from a push from our new drummer Aaron Guidry. He performs in the Cirque show Zarkana and really wanted to bring our live show to a new level to make the night something really special. The band got together and we all brainstormed to figure out what kind of a show we wanted to do and got a general layout. We reached out to Ernie Curcio and told him about our idea, and he loved it. He’s really been the driving force in getting this project off the ground. We would not be able to have pulled this off without him.”
Thanks for the details, James! You can pick up your copy of The Second Coming this Saturday at the Fremont Country Club and you can also RSVP for more info on Facebook.
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