INTROSPECTIVE SOUL
LOCAL BAND ANDROMEDA SUN PERFORMS
A RELEASE SHOW FOR THEIR NEW IP
STORY AND PHOTOS BY MATT ROWNING
A group of eight adolescents in the back row banged their heads and
laughed at the back of the Youth Music Project hall in West Linn.
Andromeda Sun was performing their first song of the night in
their hour-long set to more than 90 people. As the band played on,
the youths1 heads calmed, and the attention of the eight turned
more into a jealous admiration.
Andromeda Sun’ s April 9 album release show for their new LP
“ Introspective Soul” in Old Willamette was a success. Tenor and
wicked synthesist Ian Harris shared frontman duties with guitarist
Peter McCoid, whose Hendrix and 90s alt rock-inspired playing
set the pace. Drummer Anthony Pellico (a former Clackamas
Print reporter) and bassist Sanya Cowel also got chances at the
microphone, and held up well vocally and instrumentally.
With a sound somewhere among the Beatles and the Doors,
Andromeda Sun’s set seemed well inspired and homage-like.
McCoid’s Jim Morrison-like, baritone howls found balance in
Harris’s screaming high lyric tenor.
Echoes of the psychedelic era were stamped on their sound. One
song was a roadhouse blues drive, and with McCoid singing, it was
like a new L.A. Woman coming from the stage. The band also took
time to single out influences, with covers from the Beatles and
the Grateful Dead.
In an interview before the show, the band explained a bit about
their past and the events leading up to the show. Guitarist McCoid
and pianist Harris founded the band in 2012.
“ We met in high school,” said McCoid. “ We started playing
together with a piano and an acoustic guitar for months, and writing
some songs. One day, we decided to turn to electric piano and other
effects, and going electric. That was a very critical moment of the
band. Thinking more rock‘n’roll than coffeehouse acoustic stuff.”
After some soul-searching, the band ended up as the rock act
they are now.
Drummer Pellico was a natural addition.
McCoid explained, “ I’ve been playing music with Anthony since
fifth grade.”
Cowel was a more recent addition to the band, having only joined
“ about two months” prior, she said.
“ It’S cool that Sanya has such a great voice, so now we can do
four part harmonies, which is something we’ve been working on
lately. This is our first show where we’re all singing,” said Harris.
Cowel said, “ That’ s not something you see a lot, the four part
harmonies.”
Prior bassist Logan Adam did join in for the last song of the show
on a second drum set. Pellico said, “ We have a second drummer
who was our bassist on the album, Logan, but he’ s a temporary
member for tonight. He quit, but he’ s playing with us in honor of
him playing on the album.”
During the set, keyboardist Harris unleashed a big grin, and
bassist Cowel would occasionally look up from her fret board to
crack a taciturn smile at the audience. They rocked the house, and
they knew it.
Andromeda Sun’s new album Introspective Soul is available
as a “ name-your-price” download here: http://andromedasun.
bandcamp.com/album/introspective-soul
Above: Ian Harris performs during the set as both keyboardist and tenor.
Below: Andromeda Sun entertained 90 fans during their hour long set in Old Willamette. Members
include former and current Clackamas students.
Jtectemas Print APRIL 13, 2016 theclackamaspnntcom 5