A Sea of Gold and Burgundy

I wish I had video from last night at the Merchant Alehouse.

If I did, I would just post a video of a song, focusing on Jenny and watching her -- then you would understand the power, beauty and addictiveness of their songs.

I wish just once I had the inhibitions to experience that. But the next best thing is watching someone else do it. When you feel a connection so close to a band that is the ultimate sign of respect a band could ever get.

Last night in what was a half-full room the infectious enthusiasm displayed by few was fed off by the band as a whole.

The band itself just now got a myspace (http://www.myspace.com/aseaofgoldandburgundy), so you can't go listen, but if they keep this up it won't be long before they are in your town. Perhaps their strongest asset is their versatility; they're just as strong on an poppy indie night as they are on a rock or a folk night. This attribute will bring them far if they choose to let it.

Yet it goes beyond that. Sea of Gold and Burgundy manage to come up with some of the most beautiful, and yet quitely intense harmonies of any band I have heard in recent memory. It's still a live recording but you can hear an example of this at times of "Where the Devil Sleeps".

You know a band is new when you don't even know what song is what, and I couldn't even buy a CD if I wanted one. But I know a band to watch when I hear one (or at least I like to think I do and this is one). Fans of local bands such as the Schomberg Fair, Rural Alberta Advantage, Sun Parlour Players, and the Bruce Peninsula are going to find pieces of Sea of Gold and Burgundy to build a foundation of love around. It's time to get started.



- twowaymonologues.com

Five friends reminisce about the old days sitting around a diner table in a greasy spoon on Queen Street in Niagara Falls. It's close to noon, but the bleary-eyed boys are just sitting down to a hearty breakfast. They laugh and poke fun at one another. They share stories and bacon strips.

It's not hard to tell these friends go way back. As excited as they are to talk about the past, they are all equally excited to talk about the future.

That's because they are more than just old high school chums. They are also band mates, recently coming together to form a group called A Sea of Gold and Burgundy. This month they are preparing to release their first EP, Terrible Arrows.

They started "jamming" while in high school, said lead singer Aaron Burger, who first met keyboardist Carl David Onofrio and guitarist Nathanial Goold while attending Saint Michael Catholic School in Niagara Falls. Although they dabbled with making music together, they didn't properly form the band until January of last year when drummer Sean Carlos Mead and bassist Adam Orsborn joined the trio and they dubbed themselves with their unique moniker.

"It was New Year's Eve," says Onofrio. "So I guess this is our one-year anniversary."

"Anybody wanna kiss?," Burger jokes, while they all break out in laughter. Although they grew up together, each band member has their own distinct style and personality. When asked to describe their sound, the boys pause. They draw influences from a variety of sources. Folk, pop, classic rock, even hip-hop, are all styles of music that come into play when they're creating their sound.

"We have a big range of musical styles that we all listen to," says Burger. "All of our influences show in our songs."

The Terrible Arrows EP was recorded at Red Recordings on Kalar Rd. throughout the summer.

The official release party is set for Saturday, Jan. 16 at the 4Triple5 Cafe on Queen Street with doors opening at 8:30 p.m. The band will perform and premiere their music video for the title track. Audio mixologist Blenderhead, as well as local band Los A Vis Pas Locas will perform.

Tickets are $5, and include a copy of the EP. Visit www.seaofgoldandburgundy.com. - Niagara This Week

Most bands have a particular idea of what will make people love their music. For A Sea of Gold and Burgundy, what they aspire to create with listeners is something that the five members have with each other - a connection.

While sitting with the band discussing who is the best Ninja Turtle and what albums all five members can agree on, one thing quickly becomes certain: if these guys weren't making music together, they'd probably still be hanging out, drinking wine.

This camaraderie certainly extends itself into A Sea of Gold and Burgundy's music. Their vast repertoire of diverse original material is benefitted by the trust they share with one another.

The Niagara-based band, comprised of Aaron Berger (guitar and vocals), Nathanial Goold (guitar and vocals), Sean Carlos Mead (drums), Carl David Onofrio (keyboards and vocals) and Adam Orsborn (bass guitar), has a substantial amount of material, despite having only formed in full last year. This may be attributed to having three songwriters in the group.

"One of the reasons we started this band wasn't a competition thing," said Goold, who, alongside Berger and Onofrio, comprise the group's principal songwriters. "If it was that, I wouldn't be in this band. When we pick the songs that we want to play, we're hard on each other to get it perfected. But it's never a judgment on the songwriting or who's better than who, it's all about bringing a song you have and making it come to life."

"We're encouraging each other to write better songs," added Onofrio.

The band also benefits from multiple songwriters by having an assortment of styles. When they shift mid-song, which they often do, one can only imagine this is the product of their collaboration, which Goold, Onofrio and Berger have been doing for almost nine years.

"We all have different things that we like, different things that we bring as songwriters to each song," said Berger. "It helps give us a varied sound."

This varied sound is evident on SGB's first release, the Terrible Arrows EP, which the band recorded at Red Recording Studios with producer/engineer Joseph Stracuzzi. SGB self-released the EP earlier this month alongside the Kevin "Video Guru" Davidson-directed video for its title-track. With the album's three songs, it is difficult to truly pinpoint the group with typical genre-classifications.
The opening number, "Terrible Arrows", is a sprawling number that quickly shifts from piano ballad to full band assault. Followed by the harmonies of "Where the Devil Sleeps" and the straight-forward rock 'n' roll of "Hit the Dance Floor", it's clear what they intended this EP to be.

"I think the three songs were also chosen to show the dynamics of the group," said Mead. "It's three really different songs."

Onofrio explains that the band didn't have that difficult a time deciding which three songs would fill the EP. As they already have a full-length album planned, the goal was to not break up those songs.

Instead, the band capitalized on an invitation to play in the Brock University performance of Medea, where the group was asked to write and perform a song that would fit the theme of the piece - the end result was "Terrible Arrows". The performance got them a spot at this year's Niagara Wine Festival, long before the date of the festival has been announced.

But first, the band will head to Toronto to headline at the Horseshoe Tavern as part of Bookie's Nu Music Night. There, as with all their shows, SGB will continue to win fans the only way they know how.

"It's about connection [with the listener],"said Berger. "As far as creating a song, it's about coming from an authentic place and delivering it in an authentic way with the people you're delivering it with."

Amidst this whirlwind start to the new year, the band has maintained their other commitments. Three of its members are students, while all of them fill their time away from SGB with numerous other artistic endeavors around the Niagara community.

"I wouldn't have it any other way - to have my life consumed with all these fun activities and be as busy as I am," said Mead. "I'd rather it be that than just do nothing at all. I'd rather be a busy guy and do a whole variety of things and get my hands wet in everything. It's better that way."

A Sea of Gold and Burgundy play The Horseshoe Tavern in Toronto on Feb. 3. - Brock Press