SANTEE
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SANTEE

Seattle, Washington, United States | SELF

Seattle, Washington, United States | SELF
Band Rock Alternative

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Music

Press


"Night Moves"

The Space Tacoma - Downtown. Santee, Makeup Monsters, A Leaf, Foreign Money, $7, 9:30 pm.

•Santee makes scratchy, lovesick, indie folk-pop. The band has a way of tentatively coming around to these walloping choruses and emotionally resonant refrains. Over the years, what began as the bedroom folk duo of Heather Loepp and Josh Vega has grown and developed into a larger, fuller band with a richer sound to match. Loepp's voice has always been the most striking aspect of Santee, being, how it is, somehow hoarse and delicate at the same time. With the addition of Speedwobbles and Brite Futures drummer Conor Sisk, Santee has further embraced its more rollicking side. Full disclosure: this show is a fundraiser for the forthcoming Squeak and Squawk Music Festival, which I am booking. As I've said before, though, this is a show I would be telling you about anyway, regardless of my involvement. - Rev. Am
- Spew Blog


"Night Moves"

The Space Tacoma - Downtown. Santee, Makeup Monsters, A Leaf, Foreign Money, $7, 9:30 pm.

•Santee makes scratchy, lovesick, indie folk-pop. The band has a way of tentatively coming around to these walloping choruses and emotionally resonant refrains. Over the years, what began as the bedroom folk duo of Heather Loepp and Josh Vega has grown and developed into a larger, fuller band with a richer sound to match. Loepp's voice has always been the most striking aspect of Santee, being, how it is, somehow hoarse and delicate at the same time. With the addition of Speedwobbles and Brite Futures drummer Conor Sisk, Santee has further embraced its more rollicking side. Full disclosure: this show is a fundraiser for the forthcoming Squeak and Squawk Music Festival, which I am booking. As I've said before, though, this is a show I would be telling you about anyway, regardless of my involvement. - Rev. Am
- Spew Blog


"Santee"

Santee makes scratchy, lovesick, indie folk-pop. The band has a way of tentatively coming around to these walloping choruses and emotionally resonant refrains. Over the years, what began as the bedroom folk duo of Heather Loepp and Josh Vega has grown and developed into a larger, fuller band with a richer sound to match. Loepp's voice has always been the most striking aspect of Santee, being, how it is, somehow hoarse and delicate at the same time. With the addition of Speedwobbles and Brite Futures drummer Conor Sisk, Santee has further embraced its more rollicking side.

Full disclosure: this show is a fundraiser for the forthcoming Squeak and Squawk Music Festival, which I am booking. As I've said before, though, this is a show I would be telling you about anyway, regardless of my involvement.
- Weelky Volcano


"Santee"

Santee makes scratchy, lovesick, indie folk-pop. The band has a way of tentatively coming around to these walloping choruses and emotionally resonant refrains. Over the years, what began as the bedroom folk duo of Heather Loepp and Josh Vega has grown and developed into a larger, fuller band with a richer sound to match. Loepp's voice has always been the most striking aspect of Santee, being, how it is, somehow hoarse and delicate at the same time. With the addition of Speedwobbles and Brite Futures drummer Conor Sisk, Santee has further embraced its more rollicking side.

Full disclosure: this show is a fundraiser for the forthcoming Squeak and Squawk Music Festival, which I am booking. As I've said before, though, this is a show I would be telling you about anyway, regardless of my involvement.
- Weelky Volcano


"Do the Wallflower Santee"

Some bands seem to hit from the word go. It seems from the moment Santee sleepily, casually emerged on the scene, there has been an uncommon level of excitement for what was originally just an acoustic two-piece. Now a full band, Santee is running on all cylinders and continually exceeding expectations.

It helped that the initial pitch was alluring: Josh Vega, of Paris Spleen and Drug Purse notoriety, would take time off from his psychedelic and post-punk inclinations in favor of accompanying singer-songwriter Heather Loepp. (Full disclosure: Loepp did some writing for the Weekly Volcano last year. Get past it.)

"It was pretty much Joshua Vega's idea, oddly enough," says Loepp. "I always wrote songs, since I was a teenager. Pretty crappy ones, too. He always liked my songs, and we had been friends pretty much since I was a teenager. So, he kind of sold the idea to me. And then, he set up a show for me, and I felt like I didn't really know about it because when it came around it was terrifying. But it worked out OK."

Soon enough, there would be several lineup changes, which somehow resulted in there being more members of Santee than ever. After a stint out of the band, Vega is back in what is now a six-piece, including Loepp's brother, Joshua.

"It was only natural for (my brother Joshua) to join, because he's my best friend," says Loepp. "He hangs out with me all the time and, more importantly, he's a talented musician. ... Neither of us had been in bands. We both were newbies, and came to learn how to be in a band together, at the same time."

With a full band, the original dichotomy of Santee is even more firmly enforced. As Loepp puts it, she has a "choir of boys" backing her up. These songs, which still work perfectly as solo acoustic numbers, are propped up and expanded upon, becoming fuller and more lush than their humble solo roots. And, while they still have a pang of soulful, singer-songwriter intimacy, they've grown to become, at times, real live rock songs.

Other times, they have the kind of swaying awkwardness that puts me in mind of being a wallflower at a middle school dance when that dreaded slow song comes on. Loepp's lead vocals are cracked and earnest, and her songwriting is open and disarmingly personal.

"The songs are revealing, for sure, and can be kind of embarrassing," says Loepp.

At a recent show, she dedicated a song called "Citizen" to her family, especially her dad.

"I originally wrote it about my brother Josh, but then I added my sister and my other brother," says Loepp. "It's like an homage to my siblings. We're extremely close, and we all grew up together with my single dad, who raised us. That's why I sometimes mention my dad. He's like our hero, kind of. Actually, he is. He's our hero."

Loepp has done well with surrounding herself with talented up-and-comers in the Seattle and Tacoma music scene. In addition to the Vega and Loepp, Santee also features Joel Myers and Nicolas Hartzell of fellow rising acts the Speedwobbles and Abraham. Santee is also currently working on an EP with Conor Sisk of the New Faces and the Speedwobbles, to be released on Tacoma's own Swoon Records (run by the great Jeff Southard).

It's a joy to see great people converging and doing such fantastic work together. With any luck, Santee will continue to grow and add up to more than the sum of its parts.

In my estimation, they're practically already there.

Santee



- Weekly Volcano


"Do the Wallflower Santee"

Some bands seem to hit from the word go. It seems from the moment Santee sleepily, casually emerged on the scene, there has been an uncommon level of excitement for what was originally just an acoustic two-piece. Now a full band, Santee is running on all cylinders and continually exceeding expectations.

It helped that the initial pitch was alluring: Josh Vega, of Paris Spleen and Drug Purse notoriety, would take time off from his psychedelic and post-punk inclinations in favor of accompanying singer-songwriter Heather Loepp. (Full disclosure: Loepp did some writing for the Weekly Volcano last year. Get past it.)

"It was pretty much Joshua Vega's idea, oddly enough," says Loepp. "I always wrote songs, since I was a teenager. Pretty crappy ones, too. He always liked my songs, and we had been friends pretty much since I was a teenager. So, he kind of sold the idea to me. And then, he set up a show for me, and I felt like I didn't really know about it because when it came around it was terrifying. But it worked out OK."

Soon enough, there would be several lineup changes, which somehow resulted in there being more members of Santee than ever. After a stint out of the band, Vega is back in what is now a six-piece, including Loepp's brother, Joshua.

"It was only natural for (my brother Joshua) to join, because he's my best friend," says Loepp. "He hangs out with me all the time and, more importantly, he's a talented musician. ... Neither of us had been in bands. We both were newbies, and came to learn how to be in a band together, at the same time."

With a full band, the original dichotomy of Santee is even more firmly enforced. As Loepp puts it, she has a "choir of boys" backing her up. These songs, which still work perfectly as solo acoustic numbers, are propped up and expanded upon, becoming fuller and more lush than their humble solo roots. And, while they still have a pang of soulful, singer-songwriter intimacy, they've grown to become, at times, real live rock songs.

Other times, they have the kind of swaying awkwardness that puts me in mind of being a wallflower at a middle school dance when that dreaded slow song comes on. Loepp's lead vocals are cracked and earnest, and her songwriting is open and disarmingly personal.

"The songs are revealing, for sure, and can be kind of embarrassing," says Loepp.

At a recent show, she dedicated a song called "Citizen" to her family, especially her dad.

"I originally wrote it about my brother Josh, but then I added my sister and my other brother," says Loepp. "It's like an homage to my siblings. We're extremely close, and we all grew up together with my single dad, who raised us. That's why I sometimes mention my dad. He's like our hero, kind of. Actually, he is. He's our hero."

Loepp has done well with surrounding herself with talented up-and-comers in the Seattle and Tacoma music scene. In addition to the Vega and Loepp, Santee also features Joel Myers and Nicolas Hartzell of fellow rising acts the Speedwobbles and Abraham. Santee is also currently working on an EP with Conor Sisk of the New Faces and the Speedwobbles, to be released on Tacoma's own Swoon Records (run by the great Jeff Southard).

It's a joy to see great people converging and doing such fantastic work together. With any luck, Santee will continue to grow and add up to more than the sum of its parts.

In my estimation, they're practically already there.

Santee



- Weekly Volcano


Discography

Our debut full length CD will be released June 2013.
Stay posted for more details as we get closer...)

Photos

Bio

In 2008, Santee was born. The band is named after their mother’s Native American tribe, the Santee Sioux.

Santee was founded by Heather and Joshua Loepp, a brother and sister duo hailing from Sioux City, Iowa among cornfields and fireflies. As young as age 7, Heather competed in the county fair and was snuck into karaoke bars to sing the songs of her hero: Patsy Cline.

Heather is inspired by her Midwestern childhood, infusing her songwriting with sparkling nostalgia. After moving to the great Pacific Northwest, themes of the mysterious landscapes she had never before witnessed made a huge impact on her, creatively. Not only the icy waters and misty mountains stole her heart, but the special music that was produced by it. She taught herself guitar and began writing songs at age eighteen, her brother soon followed.

Heather’s old friend and first love, Joel Myers (of Derek Kelley and the Speedwobbles, Abraham), offered his incredible talents on the bass, adding a level of sophistication that urged them to raise the bar. Then came their young gun, virtuoso, Conor Sisk (of New Faces, Brite Futures) on the drums who reigned in the raw wilderness inherent in their sound and made them ready for bigger leagues. Santee inherited Spencer Kelley (of Basemint, Wallpaper), pride of the South Sound and Tacoma’s most charming front man, who’s Wurlitzer invoked a whimsical beauty that balanced the band’s otherwise dark ambience. With their new spangled cast of musicians, Joshua and Heather’s childhood imaginations step onto the stage. Santee has crafted a truly unique sound, blending their affections for local Northwest music such as Modest Mouse with country great Patsy Cline, holding a steady footing in their love of the Beatles. Heather’s deeply personal lyrics backed up by the band’s skillful harmonies deliver an emotional experience and insight into her world of dreams, stories and memories.

They are releasing their very first album in June 2013 entitled, “Historee”.