The guitar riffs of RiverSeed may be aggressive at times, however the four members of the local alt rock band are anything but.
Sure, they can look tough in photos, but in person they come off as real nice guys.
Singer and guitarist Aaron Seibert and his longtime friend and band mate Shawn Hoyt are pretty close.
“We started playing together when we didn’t know how to play,” Hoyt said.
The two have known each other since they were 15. They are 28 now.
As teenagers, they wrote a song called “Good Friends.”
“Oh, the lyrics were cheesy,” Seibert said. “Very Green Day-ish.”
At 21, they moved to the Boulder area and lived out of a tent for about a year, just writing music and playing music on Pearl Street.
“For freedom,” Hoyt said. “Just to go on a little journey.”
Seibert wrote the song “Home Again, Home Again” about Hoyt, because Hoyt decided to end the journey before Seibert did.
“I felt really alone,” Seibert said. “Like I needed my bro back.”
The song is about kindred spirits and friendship.
“I always keep my friends really close,” Seibert said.
Before RiverSeed decided on its name in 2004, variations of the band went by Paean.
The band hasn’t released a new CD lately, but it has a full CD recorded and is working on getting it remastered. Expect it out in the spring.
To hear it now, purchase songs as downloads on RiverSeed’s MySpace page, www.myspace.com/riverseedband.
Because of its work with James Williams of Raindance Promotions, RiverSeed has booked more shows in a variety of venues such as The Cavett House, the Palisade Peach Festival and a mini Colorado tour this summer. RiverSeed also plays fairly regularly in Moab.
Recently, RiverSeed added bassist David Boies to its lineup that includes Seibert, Hoyt on lead guitar and Jake Cram on drums. The band also switched some of the vocal responsibilities and lightened up the sound a bit.
“We’ve kind of changed around our whole structure,” Hoyt said.
“To get a bigger sound, get some new blood in the band,” Seibert said.
Boies was previously in serious heavy rock bands such as L.A.D. Theory and Flydust.
“Yet, my ringtone is Coldplay,” he joked last week.
Boies said he’s looking forward to playing more mellow music.
RiverSeed’s next show is at 9:30 p.m. Friday, Nov. 21, at Xian Wei. It will be a two-hour unplugged set.
“It’s our softer side,” Seibert said.
Jack + Jill
Aaron Seibert from RiverSeed and his wife, Jessica, play together locally under the name Jack + Jill.
The duo plays everything from “nice pretty acoustic stuff” to metal to uplifting world music, Seibert said.
He mostly plays the guitar, she plays the violin and they both sing.
Their live shows are largely made up of covers.
Check their MySpace page, myspace.com/jackjillmusic, for upcoming concerts.What: RiverSeed: Live and Unplugged.
When: Friday, Nov. 21, 9:30 p.m.
Where: Xian Wei Restaurant, 1530 North Ave.
Tickets: $5.
Info: www.myspace.com/riverseed band.
Email Samantha Stiles
