Loquat (band)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For the fruit, see Loquat.
Loquat
Origin Flag of the United States San Francisco, California
Genre(s) Pop
Electronic
Years active 2001 – present
Label(s) Talking House Records
Members
Kylee Swenson
Earl Otsuka
Christopher Lautz
Anthony Gordon
Ryan Manley
Former members
Ben Kasman

Loquat is an electronic/pop band based in San Francisco, California. The group is currently composed of Kylee Swenson (vocals/guitar), Earl Otsuka (guitar), Christopher Lautz (drums/backing vocals), Ryan Manley (keyboards), and Anthony Gordon (bass guitar).


Contents

[edit] History

It's Yours to Keep is the band's first full-length album.
It's Yours to Keep is the band's first full-length album.

Loquat began with singer Kylee Swenson and Earl Otsuka writing songs in San Francisco in 1996.[1] However, it wasn't until 2001 that the band came into being in its current form, when bass player Anthony Gordon encouraged the then-duo to play live shows. They recruited drummer Christopher Lautz and original keyboardist Ben Kasman, and Loquat played their first live engagement in September of 2001.[2] Loquat self-released their first EP, The Penny Drop, in May of 2002. It was followed later that year by a second EP, Fall, released on 10-inch vinyl by Dreams by Degrees. In 2003, Ben Kasman left the band, and was replaced on keyboards by Ryan Manley, recruited via an advertisement on Craigslist.[3] Their third EP, Before the Momentum, was released in December of 2003 by Devil in the Woods. Also in 2003, Loquat was awarded the title of Best Pop Group at SF Weekly's 2003 Music Awards.[4]

While Loquat began assembling their first full album, their music gained increasing exposure due to extensive play time on San Francisco radio station Live 105, as well as the song "Swingset Chain" being featured on the CW television series One Tree Hill and coming pre-loaded on SanDisk's Sansa media player. The band's debut LP, It's Yours to Keep, was released in April of 2005 by Jackpine Social Club, and featured ten tracks. The album was met with generally positive reviews,[5][6] though some reviewers thought the album fell short of the band's talent.[7] It reached #85 on College Music Journal's CMJ Radio 200 chart. The band recently signed with Talking House Records, and will be releasing their second full-length album, Secrets of the Sea, in the fall.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Studio Albums

  • It's Yours to Keep (Jackpine Social Club, 2005)
  • Secrets of the Sea (Talking House Records, 2008)

[edit] EPs

  • The Penny Drop (self-released, 2002)
  • Fall (Dreams by Degrees, 2002)
  • Before the Momentum (Devil in the Woods, 2003)


[edit] References

  1. ^ Bands to Watch. Bay Area Buzz, March/April 2003. Accessed December 10, 2007.
  2. ^ Jackpine Social Club artist page. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
  3. ^ Coulter, Shannon. Playing in Fog Interview. Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
  4. ^ To Hell and Back. SF Weekly (2003-10-22). Retrieved on 2007-12-10.
  5. ^ Review of It's Yours to Keep. JIVE Magazine, May 11, 2005. Accessed December 10, 2007.
  6. ^ Review of It's Yours to Keep. All Music Guide. Accessed December 10, 2007
  7. ^ Review of It's Yours to Keep. Pop Matters, May 31, 2005. Accessed December 10, 2007.


[edit] External links


This article on a U.S.-based pop music group is a stub. You can help by expanding it.