One Ring Zero

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One Ring Zero is a modern music group that melds many genres and sounds to create a unique type of music and is based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Centered around Joshua Camp and Michael Hearst the band uses a unique blend of intriguing instruments.

1 History
2 Instruments
3 As Smart As We Are
4 External links

[edit] History

The band was founded by Joshua Camp and Michael Hearst who were both Virginia Commonwealth University students who were working at a German instrument store. They formed a band and later moved to New York. While in Brooklyn, they ingratiated themselves with the McSweeney's store there and used this as a launching point for their careers.

[edit] Instruments

Michael plays the theremin and Joshua plays the accordion. They both play the claviola and prove to be extremely versatile musicians, often switching instruments for each song. Other instruments include a toy piano, a melodica, a metallophone, jones-O-phone, cajón and a series of everyday sounds looped and altered to create textures and rhythms. Using all these instruments (or noises) together One Ring Zero (ORZ) creates a sound that defies genre. There is an undeniable klezmer influence throughout their music but also a modern rock or indie influence also. The band has been denoted "Lit Rock" by the media but they seem to defy any singular name. Both Joshua and Michael sing, Michael bass and Joshua tenor. They normally play with a six piece band now, including of a trumpet, drum kit, and bass guitar.

[edit] As Smart As We Are

On their critically-acclaimed album "As Smart As We Are," published authors and writers wrote lyrics on request, which Joshua and Michael then set to music. Some writers wrote basic chord progressions for ORZ or requested a certain genre for their song to fall under but for the most part Joshua and Michael wrote their own music for the lyrics.

Contributing authors included:

This provides a large variation in each songs theme, feel, and therefore over all sound. Some lyrics are more poetic, while others tell stories.

Recently a documentary called "As Smart As They Are: The Author Project" was made was made about the duo. Directed by Joe Pacheco it shows the evolution of the new album "As Smart As We Are".

ORZ frequently plays at Barbes in Brooklyn, New York.