Full Body Anchor
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Full Body Anchor

Boston, Massachusetts, United States | SELF

Boston, Massachusetts, United States | SELF
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"Full Body Anchor rebuild their own alt-rock nation"

INFLUENTIAL Members of Full Body Anchor have played — or continue to play — in the Marvels, the Dents, and the Raging Teens. But they sound nothing like any of those bands.


Asking "Who are your influences?" is the music journalism equivalent of "What's your sign?" in the dating world.

Both questions are beyond hackneyed, they're both lazy short cuts to information the inquirer could figure out by getting to know the inquiree better, and they both work backwards from totally unscientific conclusions.

Does the time of your birth really have any impact on your personality? Do your "desert island" albums necessarily relate meaningfully to whatever art you make yourself? Does it matter when, ideally, a listener need not have heard your personal faves to pick up on whatever you're throwing down?

Full Body Anchor manage both to validate and challenge this hypothesis. If everybody's honest, a good portion of the assemblage getting their socks rocked the fuck off at T.T.'s this Friday night won't know Archers of Loaf or Shudder to Think from Bob and the Bobs featuring Bob. "Stars" by Hum may very well be the extent of many folks' familiarity with Full Body Anchor songwriter Eric Edmonston's creative jump-off points. (Not to be confused with stage monitors, which he uses as physical jump-off points.)

So maybe the "influences" question isn't so immediately relevant, but it can lead to worthwhile educational experiences. For example, did you know a lot aside from Soul Asylum, Counting Crows, and My So-Called Life happened in the '90s? I sure didn't (and I'm barely exaggerating). The five Full Bodies enlightened me over adult beverages on the back porch of the Quincy homestead Eric shares with his wife and FBA co-guitarist, Kristin Edmonston.

"I get skeptical when someone my age says, 'I wasn't influenced by any of that.' How can you not be, when you were 16 or 17, heard Nirvana or whatever, and started playing guitar?," asks bassist Dennis Carver. "People say, 'No, no, I liked late-'70s punk.' Well, me too, but that didn't influence me as much because I was a year old in '77."

The entire quintet know a thing or a dozen about punk. Eric has sung since high school, but until this band, he was more recognizable around town as the founding drummer of Darkbuster and Drago. The whole Full Body Anchor gang either used to, or continue to, play in keystone Boston punk and/or hardcore and/or rockabilly operations like Drago, the Marvels, the Dents, and the Raging Teens. Meanwhile, Full Body Anchor deal in shimmering guitars, a suave-yet-stark ebb and flow of dynamics, and pathos-soaked wailing — and sound nothing like any of those bands.

Eric recalls, "I wrote this one song ['Overload'] thinking, 'This is like Swirlies!' So I played them for Kristin, and she said, 'They don't sound anything like that son.' But that's what my impression of the song is, even though I don't sing like that." Carver acknowledges the collective's punk pedigree: "We're like, 'Yeah, that's pretty cool, but we're going to speed it up a little and make it energetic.' "

Says Eric, "You have your own impression of yourself when you look in the mirror. You hear what your songs sound like to yourself, but they don't usually sound like that to other people, probably because the initial feeling I have when I write a song, even if it changes, it stays with me . . . and how can I really describe that?"

Co-guitarist Amy Griffin agrees. "I realize more and more, with the set of references I use when I try to write something, I keep feeling like . . . 'Obviously, this is clearly like this!' But it's weird how things that were very important to me when I was 17 might mean nothing to someone else."

Or, maybe it'll mean a lot to someone who will completely misinterpret its original intention, and Full Body Anchor will be honored, annoyed, or confused to find themselves on some future band's list of influences. - By Barry Thompson: The Boston Phoenix


"C.D. On Songs: Review of Full Body Anchor - “Offering”"

To paraphrase Uncle Billy, you can't keep those Edmonstons down. What I think he meant was that no matter what maladies or injuries you throw at lead dude Eric Edmonston, he's gonna play the show. I checked in with the man himself yesterday and he assured me that he can power through almost anything. Doesn't matter if he has the measles or the mumps. A rash, a gash or purple lumps. Dude is set and ready to play tomorrow night at T.T. The Bear's, when Full Body Anchor is joined by the New Collisions, Young Adults and The Future Everybody . What else? Our very own queen Ashley Willard is going to be behind the bar, serving you drinks as celebrity bartender of the night. Be sure to order the Ashtini™. Or the Willjito™. And tip her, you cheapskates! We need raises!

The whole “everyday superhero” thing has been done a few times. Freedom Master jumped off the garage and found out he wasn’t one. Kick-Ass sort of became one with the help of an amazing gatling gun/jetpack combo and the crescendo from Elvis Presley’s “American Trilogy.” Who’s helping you? Full Body Anchor is, that’s who. Their epic “Offering” makes you wish that the term “epic” wasn’t becoming overused and losing its meaning, because “epic” truly is the proper term for the majesty; the pure grandeur of the track from start to finish.

The difference between a would-be superhero’s flight and this song is that it never comes crashing to the ground. It sails through the wild blue yonder with incredible torque, slipping free the surly bonds of Earth to fist-bump with God. And God’s all “Way to go, dudes, this rocks!” because “Offering” is a sonic powerhouse in that it fills up the horizon from border to border with its own majesty. There is nothing about “Offering” that is not huge, sweeping and gracefully overpowering in a “wind-at-your-back” way.

Besides the big sounds in “Offering,” there are other aspects to the track that add to its appeal. The melody is built on sturdy intervals, relying on the III, the IV and especially the V for its structure. The reliance upon these tried-and-true notes simply adds to the all-encompassing essence of the track. An “anthem” must be powerful. It must be accessible and uniting. Does “Offering” qualify as an anthem based on this criteria? Absolutely. If this song doesn’t give you superpowers, I am sorry, because nothing ever will.

by C.D. Di Guardia - By C.D. Di Guardia; Boston Band Crush


"CD Review: 3 Songs EP"

Full Body Anchor
3 Songs
2009

Full Body Anchor’s debut EP impresses with its frenetic vocals and aggressive guitars. “Borderline” opens the set. Despite being the most accessible tune of the bunch, it still packs a punch thanks to the rock solid rhythm section of Kevin Pickering (drums) and Dennis Carver (bass).

“Catch/Release” becomes downright hostile. Full Body Anchor deftly ratchet up the tension during the verses, releasing it with a violent fury when the chorus hits. This song absolutely kills.

“Fly By Night” opens with a cowbell groove and thickly layered guitars from Amy Griffin and Kristin Edmonston. Add in Eric Edmonston’s manic vocals and you’ve got another winner.

By Johnny Anguish - Daykamp Music


"CD Review: The Restless EP"

FULL BODY ANCHOR / THE RESTLESS EP

Full Body Anchor is a little different from most of the bands we review here. What first caught our interest are the bands these guys and girls come from- Drago, OO7 Hundred Club, Darkbuster and The Dents. Lots of great punk in there but this is a very different side for all of them to show. They mention some of the bands they’re influenced by and I would say Shudder To Think and The Deftones are good examples of where they’re coming from and if this style appeals to you then I would check these guys out ‘cause they do it quite well.

Their sound consist of dense, ringing, atmospheric guitars, strong near operatic male lead vocals, high female background vocals and precise stops and starts during the songs- arty at times, poppy at times but never wimpy; always intense.

“1 in 50” starts with a sprightly guitar lick that leads to a great melodic chorus that ends with a couple of neat stops and starts. The solo part is clanging, ringing guitars with the stops thrown in. The end is great where they kick it up a notch only to end suddenly.

“Offering” is a slow, intense song with thick, dense chords, wailing lead vocals and high backups provided by Amy Griffin that all works smashingly.

My favorite song is “Sound Searching” with its odd 6/4 time signature and harmonically ringing chorus. It moves along briskly in an almost ethereal way; it’s very melodic and has a great guitar solo at the end.

So check them out and check them out live as they put on a great, high energy show. And we hope to have an interview with them soon as at their last show there was a ‘technical difficulty” with our interviewer, Jimmy Thrash.

(Slimedog) - Thrash N' Bang


"Boston <3s the 9tz: Today's hot new crop of local bands have (sorta) old souls"

FULL BODY ANCHOR
Influences: Quicksand, Archers of Loaf, My Bloody Valentine, Deftones, and Dinosaur Jr.
Hear them now: on The Restless EP at fullbodyanchor.bandcamp.com.
Hear them live: on July 15 at O'Brien's.

"I really do see [the '90s coming back] on a local level," says singer Eric "Rice" Edmonston of the Boston-based indie-rockers Full Body Anchor, who formed in 2009 and turned a lot of heads at this year's Rock 'n' Roll Rumble at T.T. the Bear's. "[There's] the shoegaze crew like Dirty Dishes, Static of the Gods, and Endless Wave, or some of the more Chapel Hill-type bands like Butterknife. Of course, Varsity Drag has that '90s edge too," says Edmonston. "It's great to see local bands sharing in their love for such a great era of music."

The band's latest, The Restless EP, their third release, is a collection of five songs that straddle the line between romantic and anthemic. Think a heavier Buffalo Tom, with the screamy fuzz of Archers of Loaf and the fiercely droning effects of Hum.

The members of the five-piece were in high school in the early '90s, Edmonston says. "That's when we really started playing and exploring music. We still love and listen to a lot of those bands that we grew up with, and it really plays a major factor in what and how we write songs as a band. I would have to say my fondest musical memories are getting to see the bands I fell in love with in small venues in Boston, like Sloan and Idaho at T.T.'s, Creeper Lagoon at Bill's Bar, or Low and Soul Coughing at the Paradise." Now they're playing Hub stages and inspiring quite a few band crushes of their own.

by Luke O'Neil - Stuff Magazine


"2011 Rock and Roll Rumble"

Full Body Anchor is my favorite live act in town right now, and they do nothing to dispel that notion despite ace guitarist Amy Griffin lounging somewhere in Mexico. Fortunately, singer Eric Edmonston can do just about anything, and the set goes off without a hitch. FBA would have fit in perfectly during the ’90s indie guitar rock heyday. The power of the songs attacks the audience like a hammer to the brain, while the melodies give us a gentle backrub. FBA reminds me of Sunny Day Real Estate with balls, and they will be a tough act to follow.

By: Kevin Finn - The Noise


"2011 Rock and Roll Rumble recap"

Full Body Anchor blew us away and left us saying “Now THAT was a Rumble set.” Their loud, balls to the wall rock 'n' roll didn’t pull any punches at all. We also saw FBA's Eric and Kristin Edmonston in the crowd every single night, and never once did they appear anything less than enthusiastic about whoever was playing.

By Richard Bouchard - Boston Band Crush


"CD Review: The Blackout EP"

There are definitely times when I feel like there’s nothing new under the sun, but then a band like Full Body Anchor comes along and I get excited about rock ’n’ roll again. The songs beg you to turn your stereo up to eleven, but they never suffer from lack of subtlety or grace, which is a combination that is truly not easy to pull off. It’s Eric Edmonston’s spine-rattling boombox of a voice that first grabs you, but it’s the interplay between Amy Griffin and Kristin Edmonston’s guitars that makes the songs soar. On more than one occasion, I’ve found myself pumping my fist along to “Taste of Leather” or “Fire in the Hole” only to realize that I’m sitting in my cube supposedly doing accounting, and apparently, that’s not a normal thing for an accountant to do. Any band that can inspire a CPA to rock out a little bit is truly a force to be reckoned with. By: Kevin Finn - The Noise


"CD Review: The Restless EP"

Full Body Anchor
The Restless EP
2011

Everyone is all worked up right now because Foo Fighters finally stopped wallowing in mediocrity and put out a great hard-hitting record. If the song “1 in 150? was on that record, it would be one of the standout tracks. But, hey, it’s not. It’s on Full Body Anchor’s The Restless EP.

“1 in 150? is the kind of song Full Body Anchor does so well. It is aggressively catchy. It will hunt you down and make its presence know. It is determined. It does not come in peace, but it means no harm. It’s doing all of this for you own good. You need this song, and it knows it.

Don’t let your guard down for the next three tracks, either. “Offering”, “Sound Searching” and “Overload” are full of intensity. They will exploit your weaknesses. One thing Full Body Anchor is not is meek.

The Restless EP closes with “Dead Inside”. Rice Edmonston’s vocals are riveting as they soar above the beautiful racket. Let it ring out. Amazing.

by: Johnny Anguish - Daykamp Music


"The Noise: Top 10 for 2010"

KEVIN FINN
Ten Things that Put a Smile on My Face in 2010, in no particular order:
4. The Noise’s 30th Anniversary Party at T.T.’s in December. Jason Bennett & the Resistance, The Dirty Truckers, Full Body Anchor, and Brittany Gray all killed it. I can’t stress strongly enough how honored I was to have these great bands on the bill.

JOEL SIMCHES Top Ten Bands That Made My Ears Squeal in 2010:
#5. Full Body Anchor

SLIMEDOG Top Ten for 2010:
#2. Cutest Guitarist: (tie) Amy Griffin (Full Body
Anchor), Kimi Hendrix (the Killer Abs)
- by Kevin Finn, Joel Simches & Slimedog: The Noise


"Best of 2010: Ashley's top picks"

Favorite songs of 2010:

Full Body Anchor — "Drown Control"
Man. Man, man, man. It just keeps punching you, and you just keep asking for more. The glorious wail of vocalist Rice Edmonston get you deep in the gut, the guitars stage an all-out offensive, yet it's all delicately balanced (if "delicate" is a word one can use in relation to such a hard-hitting song). It ends before you're quite ready to be out of its grip, which leaves you wanting what Full Body Anchor's got coming for you in 2011. - By Ashley Willard: Boston Band Crush


"Full Body Anchor @ PAs Lounge"

Local alt-indie five-piece Full Body Anchor play the kind of complex, grimy tunes that are broadcasted on the PA-system of smart-people-brains when they’re absolutely wasted. In case you’re wondering if we made that one up all on our own, they did name their freshman debut The Blackout EP, so that was kinda instrumental in what we were trying to do there. Party like a PhD candidate over at P.A.’s Lounge, furrowing your storied brow under the collective weight of your heady musings and weighty insight, while flailing about like a moron. Proving your point about … the mind/body problem … or something … can we get another PBR here? - by J. Pat: Boston's Weekly Dig


"Full Body Anchor"

Full Body Anchor
by Kevin Finn
The Noise (Boston)
December 2009 issue

A little while back, my buddy Rob sent me an email saying that a bunch of his friends just started a
new band and that I really needed to check them out. Despite the fact that Rob and I have
considerably overlapping tastes, the whole "my friends band" thing instantly set off the bullshit
detector in my head. But I checked on the myspace link he sent me anyway and I was instantly
relieved when I saw the following familiar faces staring back at me: Dennis Carver, Eric Edmonston,
Kristin Edmonston, Amy Griffin, and Kevin Pickering. If I had a dollar for every time I have seen a
007 Hundred Club, Darkbuster, Three Sheets, The Raging Teens or the Dents, I'd have considerably
more dollars than I do right now. Those are some high-quality names right there, so obviously I
expected to hear some high-quality music when I pushed play. That is definitely what happened, but
what surprised me is that Full Body Anchor doesn't really sound much of anything like any of the
bands listed above. Instead of the punk rock I was expecting, I was greeted with some lush,
symphonic hard rock reminiscent of 90's favs Hum, Shudder to Think, and Archers of Loaf. I sat down
with the band at Charlie's Kitchen on an abnormally beautiful fall day, where we shielded ourselves
from the delightful weather to talk about their new endeavor.

Noise: Tell me a little bit about how Full Body Anchor formed.

Kevin: We were practicing by this time last year I think.

Eric: It was just myself, Kristin and Kevin. I called Kevin and said I wanted to do a new band. He
asked what it sounded like, and I listed ten bands the ridiculously had nothing to do with each
other. He came down, played and at that point, I realized I wanted to find as many people as I could
to do this.

Amy: I was at the Lizard Lounge watching Dennis Brennan, and Eric contacted me really late. He has
to wake up really early, so whenever I hear from him really late, I'm like oooh, something's
happening. He said "Grif, you ever think about playing bass?" No, not really, but why? The original
thought was to just have Kristin on guitar. Luckily, that evolved into two guitar players and Dennis
because I'm not a very good bass player. I think we had out first practice together in March.

Eric: I remembered having a conversation with someone about Archers of Loaf and Hum. An I was like,
oh, I know who I talked to that about. I' going to call Dennis. I know he likes that crap, too.

Kristin: And I was like, ugh, you called him?

Eric: And that's pretty much it.

Dennis: I don't normally play bass...

Kristin: And he's a lefty, so everything has to be changed around to accommodate him.

Eric: But it's cool cause when we pull up to the club, we can use those little handicapped things
that hang in your window.

Noise: It's a different sound from what I expected knowing what you've all done previously.

Eric: I was in a band called Linus that was in the same vein. It was a lot of work. Certainly
playing in punk and hardcore bands is way more fun and less stressful for the most part.

Amy: Just because there's a built in audience?

Eric: Built-in audience and if someone says I wrote a song about my friends at a show, you can just
kind of tell that story. The scene is a lot different. For a while, I didn't want to be a frontman.
I was kind of wary of doing that again.

Noise: Why didn't you want to play an instrument?

Eric: I wanted to make it uncomfortable and not what I’m used to. When you're singing along while
playing guitar, there are certain ways you do things. Or there are certain things you can't do if
you’re singing and playing guitar. It made it a lot easier to sing more of what I would want to do
vocally by not being tied to a mic stand and a guitar.

Noise: Looking down the list of influences on the myspace page, some like Hum and Shudder to Think
obviously jump out, but the B-52s and Bjork don't seem obvious to me.

Eric: I'm one of the B-52s fans around. The harmonies that those three do are amazing. The Bjork
reference is definitely a vocal reference. Her voice is fucking ridiculous, and it's so powerful and
so huge.

Noise: This seems like a pretty democratic group. How is the songwriting handled?

Eric: To get the band going, I had one song and part of another song. Kristin wrote two right off
the bat. After that, it's been someone bringing in part of tunes.

Kevin: You always have a chorus and a verse and then you figure out the rest.

Eric: Even then, that's not necessarily what the final product has been. This has probably been the
first time in a long time that I've been able to take criticism and be thankful for it. That's one
of the best parts about having Kevin in the band.

Noise: He'll tell you when you suck?

Eric: Well, yeah!

Dennis: It's certainly a collaborative process. We want everyone in the band to like what we play.

Noise: Has that not always been the case in bands you guys have played in?

Dennis: I've always looked for that in people, but it doesn't always happen. You want an honest
opinion, but sometimes your friends don't want to hurt your feelings. But it really won't hurt my
feelings; it will just make me write something better.

Eric: There's a maturity level too. When I was younger, I used to think, this is the way I wrote it
at two in the morning, so it can't possibly suck; it's exactly the way it should be. You have that
pride thing, which can get in the way of a good song. That gets back to what I was saying about
being in punk and hardcore or rock band like everyone at this table has been in. Those are the bands
that, for some reason, it doesn't affect it as much because everyone is happy to be there. Yeah,
cool, awesome, that rocks.

Amy: There are only so many places you can go in certain types of songs. You have the verse and the
chorus. Realistically, what else is going to happen? Something else might sound pretty cool going
into the bridge, or you can work on lyrics more or do some cool drumbeat stuff. But sometimes there
doesn't seem to be much mystery. In this band, things can go totally haywire and ridiculous. Those
possibilities weren’t really there for me before. In a rockabilly band, there's not going to be some
crazy distorted breakdown with a flanger.

Dennis: It's good to know that everybody is listening, too, which is where the criticism would come
from. Everybody wants to be a part of it, whereas a lot of times in a punk rock band or something,
you just kind of go oh, yeah, that makes sense. That's fine. Where's my beer?

Eric: It's constructive criticism, too. One of the things that make me excited about playing with
these guys is the interaction. Kevin plays something awesome, and Amy is like, whatever that is,
let's do it again.

Amy: On the flipside, we were fooling around at the end of one song. I thought of this thing, and it
was alright. It wasn't horrible, and it wasn't great. We were playing it, and it sounded pretty cool
with the drum parts. But the next week Eric said, Grif, that part's not going to be there anymore
okay?" I was like, aw, that's okay. I thought it was really nice that he wasn't all mean about it.

Kristin: the worst thing is being in a rehearsal space and there's silence after every song. You're
thinking, do my bandmates actually like what we're doing?

Noise: Does this more collaborative approach become easier as you get older/more experienced?

Eric: It definitely does, especially since everybody at this table has been in quite a few
ensembles, some successful, some totally not at all. You take little pieces of things that you
enjoyed and things that you didn't enjoy about each experience. It's hard enough to get five people
at a rehearsal just to show up let alone be on the same page as far as all the other business shot
that's really not fun. that's been the biggest difference I think with this band so far in our
short-lived creation.

Noise: Tell me a little about the EP you are about to release.

Kristin: It's going to be three songs that are on the myspace page. We're going to go in and record
some more, probably in January. We're going to do four or five for the next. We will just do a few
songs at a time and release then and keep the listeners' excited and keep us excited about writing.
It gets boring write fifteen songs for a record, and then you turn around, the record is done; the
CD release is done and everyone's like, okay, now what?

Amy: By the time the record finally comes out, you've been playing the songs for three years and you
don't really want to play them anymore.

Noise: Are you producing and distributing this record yourselves?

Eric: Yes, we recorded it at Fallen Angel Records in Quincy, Mass. Our friend Bill Powers own the
place and helped us engineer it. We recorded it, produced it, and mixed it ourselves. Fallen Angel
is a great place.

Amy: It's underground. He has fish tanks recessed into the wall. It's super unassuming and super
clean.

Kristin: And there's Donkey Kong.

Eric: Turtles.

Kevin: there's a roller coaster.

Eric: There is actually a rollercoaster. It's weird. And they have one of those things where you can
swim in place for four hours. Collectively, we've probably been in every place in town. Not knocking
the other places, but this has certainly been the most relaxed place to record.

Noise: I believe you've got a show coming up soon.

Eric: December 11th at Precinct with Andrea Gillis and Auto Interiors.

Noise: Do you have a whole set of songs or just three?

Kristin: You mean we need more?

Eric: There will be a whole set's worth of songs. There will be the traditional new band cover song.

Noise: Do you know what it's going to be?

Eric: I promise it's not going to be "Party Out of Bounds" by the B-52s. It's an Archers of Loaf
song.

Kevin: That might be the line in the sand, no B-52s covers.

Eric: Dude, everyone loves a little fucking "Private Idaho". Everybody does.

Kevin: No, they don't.

Kristin: revisit this in a year and ask us of we have yet played a B-52s song.

Eric: Full Body Anchor will turn into a B-52s cover band, with Kevin actually singing, playing the
Fred Schneider role.

Noise: I think you're going to have to get a new drummer if that were the case. Eric, you'll have to
play drums.

Kristin: We have another show at Great Scott on February 6th with Reverse, which we are excited
about.

Eric: And the Sun Lee Sunbeam and Dirt Mall.

Noise: That's all the questions I have. thanks a lot, guys. See you at Precinct.

www.myspace.com.fullbodyanchor - By: Kevin Finn (The Noise)


"The Noise: Top 10 for 2009"

The Noise: Top 10 for 2009
by: KEVIN FINN (Noise editor)

A Mighty Top Ten
1. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ on the first night of their Hometown Throwdown
2. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ on the second night of their Hometown Throwdown
3. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ on the third night of their Hometown Throwdown
4. The Mighty Mighty Bosstones’ on the fourth night of their Hometown Throwdown
5. Darkbuster making their return on the second night of the Hometown Throwdown
6. Have Nots’ Serf City USA easily being my most played album of the year, local or otherwise
7. Mark Lind & the Unloved’s “Sad Songs”
8. Full Body Anchor’s “Catch/Release”
9._ Nicole Tammaro’s Abbey Lounge 2006-2008: The Final Years
10. All the really great people I interviewed and met at shows - The Noise


"C.D. On Songs: Full Body Anchor - "Drown Control""

We love it when a band shoots us something brand new. The guys and girls of Full Body Anchor are doing it right - this song is from an EP so new and not-yet-released, they don’t even have artwork for it yet. But I bet they’ll be playing this song at their next show. Which is tonight at the Midway Cafe. They’ll be playing with I Have Ears, Tik Tok and our good old friends Hello Ninja. Given their nautical vibe, it’s too bad they didn’t have this show last Friday, but they’ll probably have a better time loading in when it’s not tropically storming out. Avast!

I imagine that, if you’re drowning, you probably struggle a bit. Contrary to the lies told to you by Michael Caine, it does not feel like going home. I mean, I bet. Full Body Anchor captures the thrashing essence of the struggle rather well in “Drown Control.” It even starts off with a bit of a splash, as if the song is hitting the ice-cold water and just got a face full of it.

The rhythm to “Drown Control” surges and crests like terrible October waves in the mid-Atlantic, dropping off into the trough for a chance to gather its power about itself and then roaring back over the bow and slapping you right in the wheelhouse. Of course, the band’s name implies something heavy is going on - did you ever see a light anchor? The weight is implicit in the rhythm and the melody, the swooping downward arc of the chorus (hint - it’s the part where they say the song title) simply adds to the gravity and velocity of the track.

The song finally hits the bottom of the sea at the end, the guitar giving a few last gasps of tone-knob volume hits like the electrical finally flashing out on your vessel as you find the floor at the bottom of the black water. There is a satisfying air of finality to this ending, like a captain who has gone down with his beloved vessel.

By: CD Di Guardia - CD Di Guardia - www.bostonbandcrush.com


Discography

"3 Songs" - EP released 10/1/09
"The Blackout EP" released 10/1/10
"The Restless EP" released 3/1/11

Photos

Bio

Full Body Anchor is a Boston-based indie rock band that was formed in March of 2009. Major influences include Shudder to Think, HUM, Archers of Loaf, Deftones, and Queens of the Stone Age. Helmed by distinctly powerful vocals, Full Body Anchor’s music deftly veers from dark complexity to sing-along simplicity. Rich, interlocking guitars and an explosive rhythm section complement the vocals, making for an intense listening experience that is as heavy as it is heartfelt. In a word, Full Body Anchor’s presence is undeniable.

After spending many years playing drums or guitar in punk rock bands, Eric decided it was time to bring his “dream project” to fruition; an indie rock/90’s alternative band featuring Eric strictly on vocals, with no instrument to hide behind. The idea was as scary as it was exciting. Eric quickly enlisted Kristin on guitar, and the songwriting began. With three or four song ideas, the duo began searching for a drummer and a bass player to make Eric’s vision a reality. After mulling over a list of potential drummers, Eric called Kevin Pickering, a local musician and longtime soundguy. Though unsure of the nature of the project, Kevin accepted the invitation to come down to the rehearsal space and jam a while. After hearing the tunes and bonding over a mutual love of Queens of the Stone Age, Kevin was in! A few weeks later, the trio began the search for a bass player. They called Amy, a friend and guitar player who’s been in many varied bands over the years, even playing alongside Eric in Darkbuster for a time. Despite not being a bass player, she was at the top of their list; they figured she was versatile enough to be a great fit if she was up to the challenge of learning a new instrument. Amy, excited to be part of the new band, agreed to give the bass a try. After some more writing and rehearsing, however, this plan was nixed after it became apparent that having two guitar players would benefit the band, ensuring a richer, more textured sound. Now the real struggle began; finding the right bass player. With a few songs under their belt, the band asked Dennis, a friend and another guitar player by trade, to check out the nascent tunes. Dennis was so interested in the band’s sound and common influences that he immediately accepted bass responsibilities. It was a perfect fit, both musically and personally, and Full Body Anchor was finally complete and free to begin creating, writing, recording, and performing.

WORTH MENTIONING:

- Participant in Boston's 2011 Rock n' Roll Rumble (April 2011)

- Feature in Boston Phoenix ("Full Body Anchor Rebuild their own Alt-Rock Nation" - August 2011)

- Feature in Boston's Stuff Magazine ("Boston <3s the 9tz: Today's hot new crop of local bands have (sorta) old souls" - June 2011)

- Feature on NECN morning show (September 20, 2011)

PRESS QUOTES:

“Full Body Anchor’s debut EP impresses with its frenetic vocals and aggressive guitars. ”- Johnny Anguish, Daykamp Music

“The band's latest, The Restless EP, their third release, is a collection of five songs that straddle the line between romantic and anthemic. Think a heavier Buffalo Tom, with the screamy fuzz of Archers of Loaf and the fiercely droning effects of Hum. ” - Luke O'Neill, Stuff Magazine

“Their sound consist of dense, ringing, atmospheric guitars, strong near operatic male lead vocals, high female background vocals and precise stops and starts during the songs- arty at times, poppy at times but never wimpy; always intense.” - Jim Vaca, Thrash N' Bang.com

“Rice Edmonston’s vocals are riveting as they soar above the beautiful racket. Let it ring out. Amazing.” - Johnny Anguish, Daykamp Music

"Local alt-indie five-piece Full Body Anchor play the kind of complex, grimy tunes that are broadcasted on the PA-system of smart-people-brains when they’re absolutely wasted." - JPat, Boston's Weekly Dig

"There are definitely times when I feel like there’s nothing new under the sun, but then a band like Full Body Anchor comes along and I get excited about rock ’n’ roll again." - Kevin Finn, The Noise

“Full Body Anchor blew us away and left us saying “Now THAT was a Rumble set.” - Richard Bouchard - Boston Band Crush (Recap of the 2011 Rock 'n" Roll Rumble)

“Full Body Anchor is my favorite live act in town right now...”
Kevin Finn - The Noise (Rumble recap)

“Best of 2010" - Ashley Willard - Boston Band Crush

"[Full Body Anchor's] “Offering” is a sonic powerhouse in that it fills up the horizon from border to border with its own majesty. There is nothing about “Offering” that is not huge, sweeping and gracefully overpowering in a “wind-at-your-back” way." - CD Di Guardi, C.D. on Songs (bostonbandcrush.net)