Flourish Gets Wider Notice On Bill Of Poptopia Festival
The members of Spokane pop-rock band Flourish have some ideas about their future.
First, they know what they don’t want to happen.
Just listen to the song “Single File” off their new EP “Six.” Set to the simmering guitar and tasty pop melodies that are Flourish’s style, it’s a song that could be the anthem for most twentysomethings trying to make a life without selling their souls.
“It’s about this fear I have of not accomplishing what I want to accomplish, about waking up and being 40 and realizing I haven’t done anything that I wanted to do,” says singer/guitarist Mike Clark.
“It’s about people just following the crowd and not necessarily thinking about what they’re doing,” says drummer Steve Lambert. “The weekend’s over and you’re going back to work and you’re just standing in line and punching in and you don’t know why.”
So what is it the members of Flourish do want for their future?
First, they’d like to be able to give up their day jobs. Second, they’d like to make a living from their music.
Certainly they aren’t the first band to have such aspirations. But they are a band that’s making headway in the right direction.
They’ve been signed to San Diego indie label LobeCandy Records. With shows already scheduled in Seattle, Portland and Boise, the band plans a month-long tour this spring. On Feb. 7 they’ll play the Poptopia festival in Los Angeles where several larger record labels are scheduled to check them out.
And tonight at Outback Jack’s, the band celebrates the arrival of “Six” at a CD release party.
The six-song EP showcases the band’s talent for sinewy power pop. From the melancholy explorations of “Neighbors” to the lover-treatedbadly rock ‘n’ roll of “Welcome Mat,” these guys know how to craft a catchy tune with crackle. Although their sound could use some diversification, “Single File” does an exceptional job with the soft touches.
Flourish, which formed a year ago in Spokane, is made up of Lambert and Clark along with bassist Ben Bradford and guitarist Scott Stone.
Out of 4,500 bands, Flourish was one of only 100 selected to play Poptopia after an organizer caught one of their performances in Los Angeles.
Poptopia is a big chance for big exposure. But that doesn’t mean a big case of nerves, Lambert says.
“I just thrive off that stuff. The more intensity there is, the more we seem to come together as a band.”
Their show tonight at Outback Jack’s starts at 9:30. Cover is $4. They also give a free performance at the Shadle Park Hastings at 6 p.m.
Gonna be a buckaroo
Hey folks. Have you had a good dose of yodeling lately? I suspect not. So, I suggest you mosey on down to Colfax, Wash., where our Palouse favorite - Wylie Gustafson and his Wild West Show - will be playing at the Elks Lodge Saturday night.
With his retro combo of Western swing, honkey tonk and ‘50s/‘60s rock, Gustafson is the coolest cowpoke around these here parts. Forget everything you hate about modern country, this guy is all old school cool without being a tired period piece.
Wylie has a new CD. Called “Total Yodel,” it’s all yodel, all the time. And boy howdy can this guy get his voice going. From Jimmy Rodgers covers like “When the Cactus is in Bloom” to Wylie originals like “Big Sky Lullaby,” Gustafson’s notes rise, float and free-fall with soulful grace.
At the Saturday show in Colfax he and the band will film footage for a video to his “Way Out West” album on Rounder Records.
Show starts at 9 p.m. The Elks Lodge is located at 119 Main Street in Colfax.
, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Photo
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