The Ross Sea Party

The Ross Sea Party are pleased to announce the release of "Thunder," the LA-based indie quintet's brand-new single produced by Raymond Richards (Local Natives). "Thunder" unleashes The Ross Sea Party's debut music video. Produced by The Ross Sea Party under the creative direction of Brady Erickson, the video was conceived to echo the spacious and rhythmic nature of the song, playing out as a staccato collage of the band in a stark environment. Watch the music video for the song below.

The Ross Sea Party have released "Thunder" in anticipation of their upcoming full-length album to be tracked in April. - Pure Grain Audio

MP3: The Ross Sea Party – Thunder
Friday, February 3, 2012 ·

Vocals belting, guitars clattering and clanging; The Ross Sea Party re-emerges in 2012 like thunder. Or maybe it’s with a track called “Thunder”. Same thing, right?

With the “whoa-oh-oh-oh’s” and rise and fall of Brady Erickson’s vocals the track feels like some kind of spring fling, a celebration of torrential downpours and mad dashes to the car that make you wish you wouldn’t have left that hoodie behind.

You slam those doors and sit there stiffened from the cold rain as a chill runs up your spine. Suddenly everyone gets the giggles. Who cares if your mascara is running, it was a thrill. - Sirens of Decay

The name Brady Erickson may sound familiar. Any fan of his former band Sunday Drivers could tell you that their 2007 EP, “Archetypes” boasted a dark new wave rock sound that easily nestled itself into a niche of bands like Killers and Interpol. Erickson’s pipes are now the centerpiece of a new project called the Ross Sea Party. The quintet finds Erickson teamed up with multi-instrumentalist Will VanderWyden, drummer Michael Baumer, guitarist Mark Tillman and keyboardist/glockenspiel player Jacquelyn Thropay, and their intricately organic orchestrations somewhat serve as musical foil to Sunday Drivers’ heavy synth-driven tunes. In songs such as “Broken Arrows” (which was also available as part of the “To Haiti With Love” compilation back in January), Erickson’s vocal range is not only display but is nicely colored by surrounding tight-knit harmonies. L.A. may already be overflowing with folk-rock charm, but we’ll gladly welcome the Ross Sea Party to that solid list. - Buzzbands.LA

On last year’s “Plains of Id” EP, the Ross Sea Party embraced the modern folk-rock aesthetic of songs built on big melodies, agitated rhythms and gang harmonies. As the L.A. quintet of singer-guitarist Brady Erickson, guitarist Mark Tillman, multi-instrumentalist Will VanderWyden, drummer Michael Baumer and keyboardist/glockenspiel player Jacquelyn Thropay embark on their next release, they’re refining that formula. The two-minute blast “Thunder” is more like lightning, with ticklish guitar parts and rattling toy drums beneath the (now-familiar in indie-rock) chorus of “whoa-oh-ohs.” It’s worthy of a shout-along, and so concise you won’t wear out your voice. - Buzzbands.LA

LA indie rock quintet The Ross Sea Party passed thru the Haight last week on the tail end of their West Coast tour, taking the middle slot at Milk Bar and managing to grab the attention of the Thursday-is-the-new-Friday crowd.

They opened with the driving “Broken Arrows” — the first track on the recent Plains of Id EP — layering a twinkling xylophone melody over a wall of low toms and reverbed guitar. They’ve been described as epic in the vein of Arcade Fire, Local Natives and The Killers, and the comparisons aren’t far off.

Check out “Broken Arrows” below:
[audio:http://pulse.sfstation.com/files/2011/06/01-Broken-Arrows.mp3]
The Ross Sea Party, “Broken Arrows” - PULSE - SF Station

In the history books, the Ross Sea Party refers to a little known yet heroic chapter of the Ernest Shackleton trans-Antarctic expedition of 1914, where a group of men were sent to navigate the immense, unpredictable continent. Like its namesake, the Los Angeles-based quintet strives to explore the unexplored, but of course, in the musical sense. The band produces folk music, and yes, folk’s been done before, especially in LA, but there’s a charm about the Ross Sea Party that makes you want to continue listening. It may be the family band-type energy of the fivesome’s live shows, or it may be the storytelling nature of vocalist Brady Erickson’s lyrics, or maybe it’s the melodic instrumentation, but there’s something that sets this outfit apart from other local folk troupes. If you don’t believe me, go listen for yourself. The Ross Sea Party is in the middle of a FREE Mondays in August residency at the Silverlake Lounge, and the band’s not only playing tracks from its impressive self-released EP, Plains of Id, but Erickson and company are previewing tunes from a debut LP that they will begin recording following the residency. - Katrina Nattress - The Deli Magazine

The Ross Sea Party is a Los Angeles-based quintet whose indie rock manages to house both the wisdom of age and the carefree spirit of youth. I listened to each one of their songs listed on Facebook for all of five seconds each before deciding that I simply must know more about such an intriguing group. They were kind enough to come by my house in Silverlake for a performance, and I think that the following video showcases their tight vocal harmonies, infectious guitar melodies, and perpetually changing instrumentation quite nicely. It was an intimate but intense performance, beginning with the rollicking rock romp of "Return to the Sea" and ending with the mellow and bittersweet "Flags". When I went to the final night of their Monday night residency at the Silverlake Lounge, they had filled up the place nicely with fans who got incredibly involved in the band's show: there was the usual singing and bobbing along, but several brave souls were even outright dancing. The video below contains all four of the songs they performed, with cut points listed below. Read on below to find out about the quintet's plans for a full-length album, what they took away from their residency, and possible mantras for the band.

Laurel Kathleen: What did you take away from your residency at Silverlake Lounge?

The Ross Sea Party: The thing that seemed most important about it was the sense of community that you create when putting together all these shows. There were 5 Mondays, so it really was a lot of bands to book. Surprisingly though, as soon as we started putting the nights together, there were so many bands that came to mind that we had played with and become friends with in the year or so we've been playing around LA. While being musicians in one of the larger cities in the world had has its intimidation factor, it's a different thing when you're looking at it from the perspective of booking the shows. Then you're just stoked to be surrounded by all these great bands.

LK: Tell me a little bit about your upcoming full length album. Is it an expansion on previous themes or songs, or something else altogether?

TRSP: It's actually interesting that the word "expansion" is in the question, when in some ways we've thought of the evolution of the band as being the opposite of that - more of a refinement. The EP that we released last year was the foundation of the band - we were really coming together as a band at the same time as we were recording it. Along the way, we've probably learned a bit more about ourselves in terms of what we like to do and what we do well. So the full length will feel like a more specific and in depth exploration of some of what we felt were the most successful elements of the previous release.

LK: Is there a phrase or idea that sums up the band?

TRSP: Not that comes to mind, but it would be amazing if there was. I suppose since our name ends in "Party", we ought to have a formal statement of some political or moral agenda. How about "Peace, Love, & Rock n Roll." We'll work on it.

LK: What is your proudest accomplishment to date as a band?

TRSP: We all have a sense of pride of just being out here doing what we love. There's no two ways around it - it takes a lot of commitment and hard work. Late nights and long hours. Along the way, it's been incredibly rewarding to have done this residency, been to SXSW and a bit more touring… at the end of the day though, we do share a culture of "who gives a sh%#, I'm just proud that we're making music and putting it out into the world however we can."

LK: What is your biggest goal for the band? To play a particular venue, go on tour with another band, et. cetera?

TRSP: All of us probably have different ideas of specific goals we'd like to see fulfilled. Michael is dying to tour Europe, Will would love to tour with The Walkmen. Collectively though, we've all got our eyes set on finishing a genuine and ambitious album that speaks to people in the way that our favorite records do.


The Ross Sea Party's latest EP Plains of Id is now available for listen and FREE download on their Bandcamp page as well as for purchase on iTunes. They will perform next in Santa Monica at Central Social Aid & Pleasure Club on September 27th and the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles October 27th. For more information on their upcoming performances and album releases, please visit their website or follow them on Facebook or Twitter. After all: it's never too late to join The Ross Sea Party!

Photo by Nicholas Maggio - Best New Bands

I've been meaning to see The Ross Sea Party perform live for months but, for reasons I can't explain, Thursday night was the first time I was finally able to catch a Ross Sea Party show. I'm officially a new Ross Sea Party groupie so expect to be hearing a lot more about them. - Concert Addict Chick

The Ross Sea Party got great songs to go along with their equally great press photo taken under a basketball hoop that makes them look like midgets. We’ve got a their new track “Broken Arrows” for you to jam while you read all about this great new 5 piece band from Los Angeles and their new album Plains Of Id. - Indie Rock Reviews

The Ross Sea Party is a typically unusual Los Angeles family. Five friends who wanted to transcend the disconnected and nonsensical nature of life in the city and create something consequential, the band built a home with hollow-body guitars, well-tuned drums, and a glockenspiel. Like its namesake, a little known yet heroic wing of Ernest Shackleton's famed 1914 Trans-Antarctic Expedition, the band can be characterized by their easy navigation across an ever-changing atmosphere.
Raised on everything from the idiosyncratic guitar work of Neil Young and the irreverent pop of The Talking Heads to contemporaries Delta Spirit, Arcade Fire and The Dodos, the Ross Sea Party is constantly inspired. While paying homage to their influences, the band has simultaneously managed to create an unmistakable and unique sound. Characterized by spacious instrumentation and singer Brady Erickson's unique voice atop energetic and pervasive rhythms, the songs remain simple, catchy and melodic at their core. Erickson began The RSP in 2009 with fellow LA scene veterans Michael Baumer on drums and multi-instrumentalist Will VanderWyden, adding Atlanta transplant Mark Tillman on guitar and LA native Jacquelyn Thropay on keyboards and glockenspiel the following year.

Who are your main influences?
From a songwriting perspective, we're inspired by the classic American artists that have taken an often singular and deliberately simple approach to writing. The way that Buddy Holly and Minor Threat both found a way to infuse such a sense of personal character in very straightforward arrangements.
When it comes to instrumentation and aesthetic, though, the band tends to be very inspired by our immediate surroundings. We're all just as much fans of going to see live shows as we are listening to albums, and are very interested in the ways some of our contemporaries are pushing the boundaries of how a band can deliver a song. California bands like Castledoor, The Deadly Syndrome, and The Dodos are making incredible music that feels very right for this time and place. I think there's an important balance to find between respecting your elders and finding your own voice within part of a movement that's pushing the boundaries in interesting ways here and now. Much like visual artists have done successfully within movements like De Stijl or the Harlem Renaissance.


How did you meet?
Michael and I were the first to work together. Another musician we know actually brought the few of us together when I was idealistically dreaming up this new band. As it happened, Mike and I had this immediate rapport and edged that person out. We were those 2 friends you introduce who suddenly like each other more than they like you. Will was a musician who I'd been acquainted with for some time, but the idea of working together hadn't ever come up, probably because we knew we were both creative Alpha-types. I think the promise of how good we felt this band could be, though, made the idea of collaborating suddenly seem exciting. Will plays guitar, bass, drums -- the whole lot -- so from that point we had the liberty of just looking for other musicians we had a valid connection with, which is where Mark came into the picture. We pretty much immediately responded to his approach to building music; it's a bit different than what I can often fall into, and the musical equivalent of the painter's irreverent splash of color across a carefully drafted canvas that unlocks the whole piece. Jacquie originally booked the earliest incarnation of the band at an underground arts warehouse party, and quickly became a member of the family. It actually took a while before we found out that same girl was an astounding musician - there was no question, she was in.

What is your biggest achievement as a band to date?
Individually, the members of the band all brought a share of hefty achievements to the table - some albums on the shelf and shows that we tell each other about over and over. But being that The Ross Sea Party is a fairly new band, for us the biggest achievement has been finding this group of incredible musicians to work with, both within the band and the music community we've been immersed in. Over the last year, we've played some incredible live shows and I think being welcomed amidst other bands and crowds we have a genuine respect for has felt truly rewarding.

Where did the band name originate?
The Ross Sea itself is a body of water in Antarctica that's notorious for being one of the most unpredictable places on the planet. We named the band after a group of explorers that were amongst the first to navigate through that region, which felt like a perfect metaphor for the creative process.

A few of us have spent large amounts of time overseas and have an affinity for going a bit further out than we feel comfortable. Kenya, Syria, Cambodia… I think there's a common thread amongst us that's romanced by the idea of exploration, both literally and creatively. As it turned out, the name was really hard to enunciate into a mic and so, though we didn't want to be a band with the name painted on the bass drum, ultimately we decided that was the price to pay for a name we really liked.

Favorite Bands?
Lately, everybody’s into The Walkmen, Delta Spirit, The Dodos, Edward Sharpe, Lykke Li, and Band Of Skulls.

Plans to Tour?
We’re getting things lined up now for a few shows at SXSW, and are in the midst of locking down early June dates from Los Angeles to Vancouver and back.

Plans for next release?
We’ve been writing like crazy and playing like crazy, and looking for that time to get back in the studio to track some new songs that really feel like the next level for the band. It looks like we’ll be recording in July, with a release shortly thereafter. - Filter Magazine

Having been together since 2009, The Ross Sea Party has been dazzling crowds in the City of Angels with their infectious brand of indie-rock. The quintent has recently been in the studio gearing up for the release of a full-length. In between writing and recording, Bestnewbands.com caught up with singer Brady Erickson to talk about the band name, how he picked up music and his plans for remainder of 2010. - Best New Bands