As many of you know, Skidmore Fountain has a peculiar way of writing songs. Our way can only be accomplished with musicians who have a deeper connection together, in our case, this connection spans for almost a decade. Much of the time there is almost nothing written when we get together. It is like trying to write a story in real time with a group of four people while everyone is talking it out. At first, it is chaos because everyone is talking at once. As we start to get a better idea of what we want to say, we begin to start listening to what everyone else is saying, which is when the deeper creation begins.
Music of course is made up of texture, rhythm, melody and harmony. The magic of Skidmore Fountain is that each member somewhat specializes in each of these areas.
With a 5 string electric cello, an arsenal of exotic footpedals, and a cd collection that spans from the avante-garde to the mainstream, Topu adds textures that are quite unlike anything found in most styles, let alone rock. With the addition of a Gibson echoplex, which is able to loop 100s of samples recorded in real-time, Topu is like our master DJ.
Deep in the woods of Oregon is where Randy discovered his gift for lyrics and melody. From this deep place, Randy learned patience and ability to control chaos through melody. This is why you can play an atonal phrase in a 7/8 time signature (which Topu often does) and Randy will find a way to turn it into a song with beauty and depth. His ability to play guitar and keyboard doesn’t hurt either…
With 14 years of solid touring, Dylan is the the most grounded and experienced of all of us. Fortunately, he is also the ground of our music. It is doubtful that we can find a more solid drummer with such a great attitude. He is the rhythm to our music which is really the life of a song.
As for myself, I guess I am the harmony which is sort of that place that connects the melody to the rhythm and gives the song form.
The point of all this is that we have recently been writing and just last night we have a new song for you which utilizes the best in all of us. If you are live in one of the cities that we are touring soon, then we have a few new songs for you. If you live in New York, then you will have to wait a bit….
