Churchill is a band that almost defies description. When they opened for The Rouge at the Marquis Theater last Friday, the six of them--four guys and two girls--came out and opened the show with four-part gospel harmony, "Please come my way, Lord/Please come my way" over a simple drumbeat--to open a rock-and-roll show. From there, they launched into a powerful jazzy kind of instrumentation that was puzzling and captivating all at once. I spent most of the set trying to figure out just how to classify their sound.
All I knew for sure was I loved what I heard, and that Churchill was a band worth watching.
Tim Bruns, guitarist and vocalist for the band, describes their sound as "rock played with acoustic instruments." That's a pretty fair description. With a powerful drum/bass foundation underneath them, Churchill adds acoustic guitar, keyboard, mandolin and cello to create a sound with elements of rock, folk, alternative and "new-grass," in a combination you have likely never heard, but will not likely forget once you do.
The band formed with two friends in Nashville. Bruns, who was pursuing a solo career, and mandolin player Michael Morter, a Bible college student, decided to start a new band together in Denver. According to Bruns, their sound began as bluegrass, and as they added musicians--Amy Moyer on cello, Bethany Kelly on keys and vocals, Joe Richmond on drums, and Tyler Rima on bass--their sound evolved more toward folk/rock. But, Bruns adds, smiling, "We didn't want to get rid of the mandolin." Thus, the rock band playing songs with a mandolin. (And the cello doesn't hurt, either.) With a unique sound and a refreshing vibe, this band is one to watch.
(View the entire list of 2009 Ones to Watch.)
Churchill's MySpace page.
Churchill's EP is available on iTunes; go see them live if you get the chance.
For more on Churchill, visit my blog, The Oomph!
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