Photos | Mike Swor
In the electro-wiki-twitter-youface-dot.com era of music, bands scream to the forefront, riding tidal waves of blog hype, but are just as quickly sucked back into the vast sea of “who’s got next.” However, Hockey, a Portland-based 5-some are steadily making their way forward amidst throngs of bands vying for the attention of critics and labels. While their biggest fan base seems to remain on the west coast of the States, the word is spreading, and not just in English. Still, there is so much work, work, work to be done and I aim to find out what keeps them afloat. On the evening of their *SOLD OUT* show at the Casbah, in San Diego, CA, I track down bassist Jeremy “Jerm” Reynolds, and singer Ben Grubin at a local pizza place and between bites they tell me the story of Hockey.
Contrary to the claims of some “reputable” websites, Hockey did not come into existence in 1800’s Canada, and has very little to do with guys named Gordie, Bobby, Wayne, and Mario. In fact, the Hockey I know and love came into existence in 2002 at the University of Redlands. More specifically it materialized when singer, Ben, and bassist, Jerm, met at the Johnston Center for Integrative Studies. First described as, “a school-within-a-school,” Jerm goes on to depict Johnston as, “a residual hippie school started in 1969 by forward-thinking professors, with the goal of applying counter-cultural ideals and individualizing education.” With limited enrollment in the program, it was only a matter of time before the musically inclined students’ paths crossed. When both the drummer and bassist of Ben’s current project departed, Jerm saw an opportunity. They spent the remainder of their time in Redlands discovering their sound, playing shows, and graduating…duh.
For a few years after their tenure at Johnston, Hockey was a 2-piece outfit, living in, and playing the LA scene. They found moderate success, signing a development deal with Sony and eventually recording a 10-song demo with Jerry Harrison (Talking Heads) that included “Song Away.” However, the band’s relationship with Sony did not pan out and it was time to pursue other avenues. On the advice of a friend in the biz, they packed their bags and moved to the hotbed of indie music: Spokane, Washington.
Known primarily as the home of Gonzaga University (perennial men’s NCAA March Madness contenders) and for its fervent desire to be west of the Cascade mountain range, Spokane’s rich history does not, in fact, include breaking new bands, indie or otherwise. Thus, the decision to move there, “sight unseen,” speaks to the band’s confidence. Shortly after arriving, the band met and welcomed their third and fourth members, Anthony Stassi (drums/moustache) and Spokane native, Brian White (guitar/beard), and Hockey, as we know it today, was born.
Core members in place, the band relocated once more to Portland, Oregon to hone their musical craft. Drawing on their experience with Sony, the guys recorded and produced the first release of “Mind Chaos” on their own, in the basement of the house that is now home to Ben, Jerm, and Anthony. Described by Jerm as “a collision of sorts,” the album seems to draw on each of the members’ backgrounds. It reflects influences from their birthplaces, ranging from NYC to LA, Boston to Spokane, weaving dance, funk, pop, soul and rock into a brilliant tapestry of sound. Though the initial release didn’t produce an immediate breakthrough, it registered on the radars of independent music magazines and blogs, helped land them a major label deal with Capitol Records, and secured a spot touring the UK with Friendly Fires. Before they went transatlantic though, they grabbed a fifth……member. Perhaps an equal measure of celebratory liquor was involved after enlisting Ryan Dolliver’s services on keyboards, but like Jessica Simpson dating Billy Corgan, that is neither here, nor there, nor anywhere I’d ever need to visit.
Upon arriving at this newfound level of success, “quitting their day jobs” was no longer a cliché, it was reality. Nevertheless, Jerm and Ben are quick to point out that they are still far from living “the life.” The trials and tribulations of touring are ever present. The physical work involved with getting the band from venue to venue, unloading and loading equipment, setting up and tearing down, working through technical difficulties, and other forms of troubleshooting are taxing. With their popularity growing, shows selling out, and expectations mounting, the demand to perform is at an all-time high. Ben summarizes, “It’s a lot of pressure to put on a show, but you don’t have all the comforts of being Bruce Springsteen. We’d rather focus on performing.”
The band is now touring behind 2009’s official release of “Mind Chaos,” and is slated for 50+ appearances in Japan, Australia, Europe and the US that will take them through the end of April. They are used to playing back-to-back dates, as many as seven nights in a row, but it’s no doubt they will be grateful to return to Portland for a well-deserved break. As Ben emphasizes, “It’s all about the days off.”
Despite the pressures of touring four continents, being away from friends and family, and living up to the expectations of fans and critics in the age of the hype machine, Hockey continues to stay the course and is ready to ride the next swell. They have come a long way from the duo that rocked the University of Redlands. And while it’s doubtful that Jerm and Ben’s diplomas read “Master of Fine Arts in Turn of the Millennium New Wave Dance Funk,” that is most certainly the degree that has been conferred upon them by their fans. Purveyors of highly danceable pop concoctions since the early 2000’s, their sound now resonates across oceans and success at the highest level may only be a song away.
