New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Relocating to a new city and establishing yourself into the local music scene isn't always the easiest mission - but Providence's Umbrella Co. have done just that, with the release of their debut EP Initial last month. The three track EP showcases the band's amazing chemistry and provides a tasty first bite of the their refreshing indie rock sound.
The band originated in late 2015, when singer/songwriter Jon Shimmin and guitarist Harrison McClain connected at a Providence bar. Both recent transplants to the Rhode Island area, they began to write together and performing under the name Umbrella Co. Initial comes as the band's debut release. "The inspiration for the EP came about from trying to make something out of the mundane events of daily life," reflected vocalist Jon Shimmin. "Wanting to take something ordinary and creating little vignettes out of them - that maybe makes the subjects a little more spectacular ...even it the event itself isn't necessarily a positive."
While nestling comfortably into the indie rock genre, a closer listen displays a diverse range of sounds and inspirations across the EP's three tracks. With a number of songs under their belt, the band opted to curate their first release organically out of their repertoire, with "Cold War Sundae", "Stifle", and "Over and Over" gravitating together to make a perfect fit. Each provides a reflection of universally found experiences. Shimmin shared, ""Cold War Sundae" is about the search for something pleasurable and living in the moment of that search. The item or feeling you're after might be so trivial and minor, but if given the right situation and being mindful of living in the "now" - that time and experience - can really be a moment to hang on to and fully appreciate. "Stifle" is about the idea of potential and and how it's often wasted in people. More bluntly, it's about how we live our lives under someone else's agenda and how that dampens our own personal potential; we have day jobs and obligations that often require us to just go through the motions to see through while our inner ambitions always seem to get put on the back burner. "Over and Over" is about nostalgia and the loss of something or someone you used to know; on one level it's dealing and making peace with the loss, and on another level it's shaking your fist at the Universe."
Initial was released on February 28, and is available now for streaming and purchase on all major digital retailers, including Spotify, Bandcamp and iTunes. Umbrella Co. has been busy writing, with plans for another EP in the works. The band also will be playing a number of east coast tour dates late this spring and summer, with tour dates to be announced soon.
Umbrella Co. Biography:
In late 2015, singer/songwriter Jon Shimmin and guitarist Harrison McClain - both recent imports to Rhode Island - met at a now-defunct Providence bar to hash out the sound for Umbrella Co. The pair started work on a handful of songs before teaming up with bassist Keith
Benjamin and playing a few shows around Providence. After a few adjustments, Umbrella Co. became Shimmin, McClain, Chris Kelley (bass guitar) and Mike Krasnonos (drums).
With a hard to categorize sound in mind, "it's kind of aggressive pop/rock meets luscious, chimey, happy depressing-sounding songs…," McClain explains, the group has released its first EP, Initial.
The bandmates each bring impressive backgrounds to the endeavor: McClain has played in bands across Florida, Nashville, Baltimore and Boston; Kelley played in indie-rock band "Broadcaster" and currently moonlights in The Invisible Hours; and Cleveland transplant Krasnonos played in "The Waite," and currently lends talent to "No Hands."
Shimmin, who hails from Chicago, has been composing and recording music for a lot of years. He figured it was a good thing back in 2008 when he came across a YouTube video of some random guy covering Nothing Kills, one of the songs he'd written. In fact, Shimmin's songwriting talent captured the ear of actor
Peter Stormare in 2013, when Stormare asked him to cover a song for the 2014 album his record label was working on, Ramases: Complete Discography. Shimmin (recording as "Napolean" at the time), gathered an orchestra in his tiny Rogers Park apartment and recorded the piece to be used in the Tribute section of the album (Golden Landing). He continued recording as "Napoleon" until he teamed up with McClain. Since then, Shimmin's song-writing style has morphed from a more "indie- with- impressive -orchestration-rock" to the hauntingly catchy style on the band's debut album.
