WELCOME TO HOMEGROWN!
A Local Music Segment airing every Monday through Friday at 11pm w/ Mo!
Tonight’s Feature Band:
Gillwire – An alternative pop rock band from Arizona which released the debut recording Silver Streak on July 8th 2016. Led by Jonathan Gill Thwaits, Gillwire has sounds reminiscent of Ben Folds, Beck, Elliott Smith, and The Beatles. While working as an electrical engineer, Gill established the band as a home side project that gained momentum through a few years of experimentation in the garage. The twelve songs that would become the debut album Silver Streak took shape as Gill acquired the equipment and skills necessary to create a professional grade self-produced release. The majority of the album was recorded in the nine months leading up to the July release date, during this time Gillwire transitioned from an acoustic solo project to a full band live act playing shows around the valley joined by bassists and drummers he’s worked with in other musical projects over the years.
The signature sound comes from carefully crafted arrangements using unique instrumentation such as oboe and glockenspiel intermixed with more traditional alternative rock elements. His vocals top it off by telling tales of the struggle to balance artistic drive with real world trial and responsibility in a charmingly optimistic way that retains an air of vulnerability. The depth of composition and harmonic structure allude to Gill’s pre-engineering music school training in latin and jazz as well as his love of 60’s soul. The end result combines the energy of an adolescent garage band with the intrigue of a musical alchemist.
Silver Streak Press:
- “an impressive debut album that mixes power pop, classic rock and indie pop with the common thread being his sense of melody” – Absolute Powerpop August 18 2016
- “Combining Ben Folds-esque vocal stylings with an airy alt-pop. Don’t let the name of the track fool you, “Tragedy Sells” is an upbeat number with a bit of lyrical bite.” – YabYum Music & Arts June 20 2016
Check out Gillwire’s song “Tragedy Sells” below: