The Outdoors
Los Angeles, California, United States | SELF
Music
Press
Namste Muffins.
I love discovering new music which is why I love writing for The Muffin. I suspect that also you love finding new music and exploring the sonic seas, which is why you’re here today reading The Muffin. The tunes sometimes find me and sometimes I find them – either way there’s nothing better than firing up a song from a band you haven’t heard of and realizing that you’ve just inadvertently stumbled into jam city. Why am I waxing philosophical about all of this? Well, a little while back a friend sent me an email that simply read “Click this: http://theoutdoorsmusic.com/“, and boom, just like that I had a new band to throw in the rotation at the Train Station.
Who are we talking about here? We’re talking about The Outdoors, a four piece band who call Echo Park, CA home. They formed in the summer of 2010 and just recently released their debut self-titled EP, and it’s naaaaice. The band told me that that they are “inspired by the human condition, death, addiction and self-imposed meditative escapades to the desert” – this sounds a-okay to me, and with temps dipping into ‘holy shit it’s cold’ territory here in NYC I’ll take a meditative escapade into the desert any day of the week. The song that struck me most from the EP is ‘Barricades’ - the song begins with delicate guitar strums and slowly builds momentum until crescendoing into a sound awash with drums and hazy guitars. Oh, and did I mention the chorus? Anyone who reads my posts knows I’m a huge fan of harmonies and potential sing-along songs, ‘Barricades’ has them both. For reals, I can’t wait to see these guys in action and unofficially accompany them with an enthusiastic (and undoubtedly Heineken infused) “DA DA DA, DADADADA” – you’re on notice boys.
The band has plans to tour the left coast this Spring and recently launched a Kickstarter campaign, you can peep the video below and scope their campaign page for an EP download and more. Being a (relatively) new band they’re also running a ‘1000 Likes’ campaign on Facebook – grab yourself some good karma from the music gods and head on over to their Facebook page to check it out. ‘Barricades’ is also below for your listening pleasure, crank that shizz and soon you’ll find yourself ‘Da Da Da’-ing like your friend Train. The Outdoors: Train Tested. Muffin Approved. - Audiomuffin.com
Discography
The Outdoors EP, 2011.
Photos
Bio
The Outdoors is an indie rock band from Echo Park, California. Their first EP was recorded in two weeks in an empty condo in the Arizona desert, under pink mountains and technicolor sunrises. The result is music that is dreamy and brave, sleepy-eyed and full of fire. Returning to Los Angeles for finishing touches, the songs soon grabbed the attention of Grammy-nominated mixer Guy Massey, who took on the "beautifully recorded" material and added his magic touch.
With friendships reaching back as far as childhood and musical collaborations on and off for their 7 plus years in Los Angeles, The Outdoors officially formed in the summer of 2010. The band is singer/keyboardist Donnie Stemp, guitarists Gary Schaaf and Sam Bird, and bassist Jonathan Mahan. They have been compared to Band of Horses and The Rosebuds, as well as to heavies Radiohead and Coldplay. Ever the earnest artists and eminently likable - The Outdoors is a true collaborative effort, crafting music with a spirit of adventure and relentless truth.
The band is now preparing for their first US tour in support of the EP, focusing on the Southwest and gathering funding through Kickstarter. Besides their love of music, the band is passionate about environmental causes, preserving the national parks, and getting fans of music involved in their local communities as well as broader national movements.
EP by The Outdoors, 2010.
Recorded by Sam Bird in the Arizona Desert.
Mixed by Guy Massey in London, UK.
Mastered by Robin Schmidt in Germany.
Links
