Seneca and The River
Los Angeles, California, United States | Established. Jan 01, 2013 | INDIE
Music
Press
Alt country band Seneca & The River have just signed with up-and-coming folk-based label Pop Cautious for the release of their self-titled debut. Featuring the lush and winding "Hold Me Up", the band's sparse compositions simulate the drifting ebb of a calm wind alongside Seneca Pettee's sly country twang.
You can catch them at Sadie Kitchen and Lounge on Wednesday, April 15 as part of their weekly Sadie Sessions event. Attendees will be able to obtain a copy of the EP prior to its April 24 release date. - The Deli Magazine
Indie music is giving us all something fresh and through the layering of elements we can connect and relate to the simplicity of the melodies. We find ourselves in the lyrical lines, and strongly identify with it. As the Alt Folk Sound of Seneca and the River has captivated the indie music department, their self- titled EP release is anxiously being received. (April 24th release date on iTunes).
Seneca and the River- Seneca Pettee (Vocals/Guitar), Tyler Porterfield (Mandolin/Vocals), Luke Strand(Trumpet) and Kaeleigh Hamel-Curd (Drums), originally formed during the summer of 2013 in Los Angeles for an Artist Development Competition and they won. Through the process of time, the original twelve members became four, and now are signed to the label Pop Cautious Records. The indie sound of Seneca and the River is getting more than just noticed, they are their own identifiable sound.
Their first EP blends the layers of Mandolin, drums, trumpet, guitar, vocals, and ease as the song, Come Down Here, catches one tapping their foot along to the comfort of a catchy strum and the sound of horns. Hold Me Upis reminiscent of an ode paid to a love from afar, Seneca’s vocals are breathtaking, and the slide lends itself to the feel. A simple timing, and beat give way to Love Does Grow Old, begging to just be let go. To fill out their first EP, Wasting Time, completes their freshman delivery… and leaves us ready for their full album release.
A measure of folk, indie, and alt-country, Seneca and the River bring their own unique sound that contains a blend of yesterday’s moments into the Alt Folk Sound. A modern presentation to add to today’s music. - Vents Magazine
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
A band, a sound and a community: Seneca and The River is an alt-country collective comprised of close friends and supportive players, an organic aggregation that expands and contracts depending on the performance. Whether flowing with 12 musicians or condensed into a core quintet, a warmth and camaraderie surrounds the luminous vocals and inspired songwriting of Seneca Asia Chase Pettee.
Blessing us with a compelling voice, Seneca sings songs about lovers, friends and family. Penned solo and rarely rewritten, her lyrics and melodies are channeled from a wellspring of emotion, illustrating an artistry both deeply personal and touchingly relatable.
With the break-up of her parent’s marriage, a young Seneca traveled with her father and older brother from California to live on the Big Island of Hawai’i. Bullied as an outsider, Seneca says that it was a tough transition. She discovered refuge in her dad’s favorite music from the Sixties and Seventies. Alone much of the time, she began writing twice daily in her journal. She laughs when she characterizes her teenage self as “An emo-Goth with short red hair who hated everyone.” After landing in a bit of trouble, she was sent back to the Mainland to live with her mother. “After a rough start we made a wonderful connection,” she says.
In Los Angeles, Seneca became the center of a tight-knit group of students at Hollywood’s Musicians Institute. Seneca and The River was formed at the school, and their first gig was at the 2,000 seat Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills, CA. She met producer Eric Corne, who asked her to sing on some of his tracks and produced Seneca and The Rivers’ debut EP.
The name Seneca belonged both to the ancient Greek philosopher and to an indigenous Native American people. Seneca Falls, NY is the locale of the first women’s rights convention held in the U.S. in 1848. From here on, Seneca will also reference an American artist leading a brilliant band of players in a homegrown style of music emanating from Hollywood, CA.
“I grew up fast. I think it’s helped me in a lot of ways, being professional, writing music and living on my own,” says Seneca. “You learn a lot about yourself when you spend time alone. It led me to write songs. The lyrics are sad but the chords are pretty. My music is meant to convey love.
Band Members
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