Atlantic/Pacific

The Atlantic terminal sits at a crossroad in Brooklyn. A throng of passengers and trains descend, a blurred vision set to a near perfect pace. A mischievous wind, chased from the tunnel by the looming trains, plays at the hems of skirts and newspaper pages. Along the platform edge stand the support columns, each carrying the name of the crossroads, in melodious repetition: Atlantic, Pacific, Atlantic, Pacific, Atlantic, Pacific. Garrett Klahn (Texas is the Reason) passes through this train station every day, and in the summer of 2008 when he and longtime friend John Herguth (The Love Scene and House & Parish) knocked around a couple of songs in Garrett’s Brooklyn living room, the name, down to its transient nature, seemed fitting. Frequenting the same social circles for years, their partnership proceeded rather organically. Never ones to sit still, they set their sights on Europe, with acoustic guitars in hand and a selection of songs, both new and cherry picked from previous bands. In addition to the familiar faces of old haunts, they finished the summer with a slot at TRUCK. A music festival held yearly just outside of Oxford, England, TRUCK has been a tradition for John throughout his various projects. Warmly considered part of the family, they will play the first stateside incarnation in April 2010. Homebound for autumn 2009, Garrett and John played a multitude of shows across lower Manhattan, closing out the year at the Bowery Ballroom. Amongst these shows, they fleshed out their sound to a full band and incorporated a visual element. Scenes of 70s skateboarding and surfing, slowed down and sun-kissed, projected, rambling across a backdrop. As with their music, they continue to cultivate the visual element, a worthy illustration of the sonic ebb and flow. The music, a give and take of intimate vocals, Garrett’s immediate, John’s hushed, is a study of layered guitar work and pensive melodies. In unreleased gem “Ship to Shore”, they exhale, sing me to sleep across fuzzed out guitars and looped beats, because we’ve seen it all, a nod to their past lives and loves. October 2009 gave way to their self-released EP Autumn Edition Volume 1, including the stand out track “Some Weary Valentine”. However, it is the slow-burning beauty and EP closer “Let Me into Your Light” that defines their collaboration, a soundscape which resonates long after the song has come to an end. As the autumnal colors fade to grey and layers worn take on a labored heaviness, Garrett and John pause for the winter, eschewing the local clubs for the recording studio, having put themselves and their music in the capable hands of Ian Love. A bond formed in the recording sessions of House & Parish lead to Ian’s status as the phantom third member, both behind the scenes and on occasion, on stage. Atlantic/Pacific will emerge in early spring, debut record in hand and eager for the road. At a crossroad in Brooklyn, longtime friends meet, collaborate, and support, the sum greater than the parts. The end result is breathtaking, the future, wide open.