The North

The average individual only enters a church for a funeral or a wedding. Hard rock Los Angeles band The North encompasses both—out in front, a funeral for family—or alternatively, a hymnal from a wedding of off-kilter famous couples like Helena Bonham Carter and Tim Burton. The origins of the band started in Massachusetts with the group playing local spots in Somerville and other areas. They’re returning to Massachusetts on August 1 for an 11 p.m show at Church of Boston.

Even Neil Gaiman, author of the Sandman series and prose fiction American Gods, has to rock out once in a blue moon, and there, at the altar, watched from the pew and priestly intoning the vows that witch and warlock unite to, sings Gaiman’s vessel. Tying the knot never looked so bloody crimson, but aside from royal figures coming together, the typical romance sincerely promises till death do us part.

That’s the key to The North. Each song is a promise, whether it is a funeral march like the poignant track Long Goodbye or a bond of matrimony in one of their tunes like Staring at your Picture. And when that first-born child comes between the romance, it is time to stop thinking of you and me, it is time to “Disengage” annunciates The North. Each member of The North is grabbing the bull by the horns. They flirt with disaster, staring Death in the face, until the wench suddenly pinches their cheeks.

The North identifies themselves with blue-collared bands from the 70s through the 90s. Inspirations include groups from Led Zeppelin to Pearl Jam, says guitarist Jamie Maguire. For their debut album, Disengage, the depth of the vocals and instruments parallel a dark Kings of Leon or a melodic Deftones.

“We all come in and chat about the latest and greatest while we set up. We usually get warmed up with a good ten-minute or so jam session with everyone kind of improvising and playing around with different sounds and dynamics. From there, we’ll get into either the set, working on some new cover tunes, or start writing some new stuff. Kind of depends on what we have coming up. Lately, been a lot of rehearsing of the set and really getting dialed in for the big shows,” said Maguire.

The band includes Jamie Maguire (guitar), Dennis Harris (bass, backup vocals), Ted Kelliher (drums), Ryan Sullivan (vocals), Carlyle Crenshaw (lead guitar). “Dennis, Ted and I all grew up in the West Roxbury/Roslindale area of Boston. We started playing together when we were about fourteen with another friend of ours singing. By around 2000, we started playing out at a lot of local clubs and then spread to other towns in Massachusetts. One of our favorite joints outside of Boston was a place in Somerville called Good Times Emporium. There was a really great scene going there, really thriving. A lot of solid rock bands in Somerville who all wanted to come out and really show off their stuff. It was very impressive,” says Maguire.

Their debut album, Disengage, can be found on Itunes, Amazon, and www.TheNorthLA.com; their web site also includes streaming samples and videos.

by Sanjeev Selvarajah - The Sommerville Times

"Some great guitar playing in Who Have I Become by The North . It is in our New Releases on http://www.rockunderground.tv . Follow @TheNorthLA" - Rock Underground TV

Exclusive Interview

Tell us about where you are from and how you got to this position today.

The founding members of The North – Jamie Maguire (guitar), Dennis Harris (bass), Ted Kelliher (drums) – grew up together in Boston, MA. We started played together when we were in our early teens. Learning our individual crafts and growing together like brothers, we set off to LA in ’07 to further our musical career. A mutual friend introduced Ted to Carlyle Crenshaw (guitar) during a rare musical hiatus, so the four of us decided to get together and see what would happen.

The first time we played we laid down the foundation for what is currently the first song on our live set list, Disengage. After Carlyle officially came on board, we spent the next two years doing some heavy songwriting and developing and hosting a seemingly endless array of auditions in search of the next great (and semi-normal) front man.

After such a long and seemingly fruitless search, and with Jamie literally weeks away from calling his musical career a day and shipping back to Boston for good, we were lucky enough to finally land an audition from one Ryan Sullivan. After just a few sessions, it rapidly became clear that something very special was taking place. The talent and chemistry were undeniable. Jamie decided this was a project he could not walk away from and now here we are: recording, writing and playing out, each time better than the last.

What do you have coming up? What are some of the new projects we can expect to see?

The biggest thing coming up is our debut show this Friday June 14th at The Whisky A-Go-Go on Sunset. Other than that, we are focusing on writing and recording more tracks for the upcoming album and coming up with other concepts for the next music video.

Tell us more about the current song you are promoting to everyone.

The song we are promoting right now is our single Who have I Become which is up on our website (TheNorthLA.com) and available on iTunes for download. The video is also up on the website and on YouTube. We are extremely proud of how both the recording and video turned out. We’re also tremendously grateful to Jeff Martin, Matt Meyer, and Peter Terlaak Poot for all their hard work on the recording and the video. The response has been amazing.

How does your music separate yourself from other artists and bands out there?

Our style is more of a throwback to epic 90's rock and the classic 70’s rock of the 70’s which we are heavily influenced by. Passionate, poignant vocals, driving bass, hammering drums, and melodic guitars. Not to take shots at anyone or sound elitist, but a lot of the music today lacks the testosterone, we’ll say, of these former eras. That being said, we are definitely not afraid to write some soft ballads either. We aren’t afraid to push one another creatively or to do what is right for a given song, regardless of the place it may take us.

Tell us about one of the hardest challenges you had to face in the industry?

Finding the right lineup was the biggest challenge. Dennis (bass), Jamie (rhythm guitar), and Ted (drums) have been playing together since 9th grade, working with 4 different singers along the way. It wasn’t until about 3 years ago we met Carlyle (lead guitar) and added him to the band. Then within the past 6 months we met Ryan (vocals) and knew he was the guy we had been looking for all along.

What was one of the biggest setbacks in your career and how did you bounce back?

The biggest setback came 2 years after packing up our gear and moving to LA to pursue our dreams when our band at that time broke up. By that point, none of us were getting any younger, (profitable) careers were taking shape, and with the band close to burnt out from the amount of energy it had taken to get to that point, we made somewhat of a silent agreement to take our time and regroup. And just like that, we went on hiatus for 2 solid years. For the first and hopefully last time, ever.

What are some things artists need to be careful of?

Artists need to be careful of their own impatience and how they envision what it means to be “successful.” It takes extreme patience and motivation to get anywhere in this business. Trends are constantly changing and everyone is a critic. It becomes blurry as to what is “good” music, but you need to trust your gut and do the best to never let things slow you down.

What suggestions do you have for other artists like yourself?

Most importantly, create music that you like. If you love what you’re doing, it will come through in every aspect: the music, the performance, all that being a part of a band encompasses – your passion will shine through. Let your inspiration manifest in your art. Next, learn every aspect of the industry that you can. Learn how to get your music out there and work hard at it. Be creative. Never stop pushing yourself collectively or as an individual to continue to learn, grow, and progress.

Wha - Warped Magazine

Rock fans of the present day find themselves amidst an endless search for satisfaction. Every few months, a previously established rock act will whet listeners’ appetites with a new release that is all too familiar, harkening back to the days when hard rock was in its glory.

But just because mainstream radio and media outlets have put rock on the backburner in favor of bubblegum pop and dub step does not mean that rock bands everywhere have gone into hiding.

With the release of their first single ‘Who Have I Become,’ the men of the North loudly announce their entrance into the forefront of stateside modern rock.

Fusing together the sounds of classic rock giants and the melodic sensibilities of their favorite 90’s acts, as well as drawing from a wide array of musical influences across both genres and generations, the North is a hard rock band for the current day that is visibly equipped for the long haul.

‘Who Have I Become’ showcases not only a strong sense for songwriting, but oodles of musical chops- with a progressive drum and bass line leading the charge atop an arpeggio verse riff, a powerful bluesy hook that steals the listener away to a new place, and tight vocal harmonies that recall the beckoning wails of Alice In Chains.
All that combined with the type of rare lead guitar craftsmanship that makes every second of a big swinging breakdown a journey all in itself, the North is clearly clicking on every musical cylinder and is not afraid to show it.

What is evident from start to finish in the North’s first official single ‘Who Have I Become’ is that this band is no overnight success. With over 15 years of experience shared between its founding members- Dennis Harris (bass), Ted Kelliher (drums), and Jamie Maguire (guitar) – these boys have come away from a short self-induced hibernation to land their long sought musical soulmates in lead guitarist Carlyle Crenshaw and vocalist Ryan Sullivan.

Every so often, a band comes around that eliminates all doubt about the state of rock and roll music of the current day.

The North did not just appear from thin air to return real rock music to mainstream media’s forefront, but with the rare combination of skill and passion that these men put into every second of every song they create, the North will certainly forgive you for thinking so.

‘Who Have I Become’ is available NOW for download on iTunes - Niji Magazine

Loud, you say? You like loud? Meet the North, the L.A. quintet whose heavy music seems carved out of the circa-1997 granite that Soundgarden and Alice in Chains used as their foundation. The band, less than a year old, took shape when singer-songwriter Ryan Sullivan got together with guitarists Carlyle Crenshaw and Jamie Maguire, bassist Dennis Harris and drummer Ted Kelliher. The band is working on a full-length titled “Disengage,” expected in early March. Roar on. - Buzzbands.LA