Review: ‘Solid Ocean’ strives for honesty in its music
The Solid Ocean is here with a new type of music they like to call Alternative Power Pop. If you don’t know what this is, that’s OK. It is a mash up of alternative, rock, pop and much more.
Solid Ocean recently performed at The Larimer Lounge in Denver, home to many small concerts because of its intimate setting, with a bar, patio and concert area in the rear. The band was one of two openers for Maudlin Strangers.
Joe Lowery, Christian Garcia, Bailey Sutton and fill-in bassist Cooper Patch played five songs that got the crowd dancing. They put on a clean and concise show with no sound issues or technical difficulties.
In an interview prior to the concert, Lowery was asked what fans could expect at the show.
“To dance,” he said. “A lot.”
The Larimer Lounge is Lowery’s favorite venue.
“It is rich with the Denver local feel and is really grungy and dirty,” he said. “ That’s why I like it. It’s small and very intimate.”
They played a song from their most recent EP, which was released in May. The EP, “Close Your Eyes,” can be found on Spotify.
It has a rock vibe and a mix of pop.
The audience enjoyed their stage presence because they were having fun and playing extremely well.
In a pre-concert interview, Lowery talked about the band.
It has three members, and all have gone to school at Colorado Christian University in Lakewood. These members guarantee honesty. It comes out in their music and when you sit down and have a conversation with them.
They met in Denver and started making music together this time last year. The passion to play music is what keeps them inspired and motivated to keep going in the music industry.
All the members work well together. They share an understanding of what each person wants in the music that they are making.
The biggest obstacle they face is coordinating practice times. This is due to the drummer, Christian Garcia, graduating this last May and moving back home to Texas. He says he still is committed to being part of the band. They work hard to stay in frequent contact to communicate.
The variety in styles and sounds in their music makes them unique. It is difficult to pin one type of genre of music on them.
One question that needed to be answered is how they came up with the name, The Solid Ocean.
When Lowery was in high school, he had a “terrible senior year,” he said. He dealt with this by writing and drawing on anything that was around. When the band was discussing what the name should be, he went back through all that and found something that he wrote: “My heart is just a solid ocean.”
This described his life at that time. His heart was “callused and bitter toward the world,” he said. He believes that the key to life is balance in all things. Ultimately the name can mean many different things, and something different to every person.
In order to prepare for their next show, Garcia, the drummer, flew in the day before the concert and they practiced all day. This makes the music making experience much more exciting.
The best experience they have had as a band was when they took a road trip out to Arizona to record their EP, “Close Your Eyes.” This is where they really had the opportunity to bond and learn much more about each other.
In the future, they would like to open for bigger bands. They believe that no matter what happens, they will be involved in music for the rest of their lives. Their dream is to be signed to a record label and to continue to affect people listening to their music in a positive way.
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Julia Barnett is a third-year student at ACC. She loves writing. She lives through drinking coffee and enjoying the Colorado outdoors. Barnett also loves music and the arts, and she has strong opinions about both. Her cat, Marley,...