Natron Blue

The band-name, Natron Blue, comes from a volcanic lake in Tanzania called Lake Natron. The lake is large yet shallow and is heated to a temperature of 110 degrees fahrenheit by a nearby volcano. The lake is also colored red and blue by volcanic minerals that seep up from the underground magma. Home to a number of species of rare birds who lay their eggs near the lake because of it's protection from predators, the lake is unique in a number of ways. One of the rare birds to inhabit Lake Natron is the "Lesser Flamingo", Natron Blue's mascot.

Like the lake, Natron Blue, the band, is unique in many ways. With influences ranging from Radiohead to Phish, Van Halen to Ryan Adams and Red Hot Chili Peppers to The Greatful Dead, Natron Blue is a crossroads of genre, mixing funk, rock and jazz.

The trio originaly formed in 1998 under the name, Lieb Gazen, while the three band-mates attended the University of California at Santa Cruz. Joshua Pollack (guitar) and Jesse Jacobs (bass) were roomates as freshmen in the doorms of Stevenson College. The next year, the two met Craig Van Dyke (drums), a junior transfer looking to play in a band. The result was a mixture of jam-rock and power-pop originals with plenty Phish and Greatful Dead covers to go around.

Lieb Gazen stuck together into 1999, playing house parties and at the student union resauraunt on campus. The trio also recorded a self-titled collection of originals and covers at the new music studio on campus. Van Dyke went-on to play in a number of other bands throughout his college career as an in-demand drummer while Jacobs traveled to Chile for a year with his mandoline and Pollack refined his songwriting skills. Graduation saw the three members go their separate ways. Pollack and Jacobs moved down to their native southern California, and Van Dyke back to where he grew up in the Bay Area.

In late 2007, the three band-mates found themselves all living in the San Francisco Bay Area and decided to start playing music again as Natron Blue. Leaving behind the material from their college years, Joshua and Jesse began to present new material that the band has spent the greater part of 2008 refining. In July of 2008, Natron Blue recorded a four song demo CD at Chromaphonic Recordings in Oakland, California and had 500 copies of the demo printed to distribute to clubs and industry people. Currently, Natron Blue is ready to share their work live with a blossoming fan base who have been eagerly awaiting live shows after hearing the demo and visiting the band's MySpace page.