Two mid-westerners and a couple of New England natives with similar musical influences met in Rhode Island and formed the band Guv in December of 2003. Guv forges emotional connections with listeners through an intelligently inspired approach to making music. Guv's formula combines detailed song structure, thoughtful lyrics and riveting guitar solos with overriding influences of both classic and modern indie Brit rock. While tending towards solemn moodiness in many songs, the band's underlying playfulness often rises to the surface. Songs about embarrassing hook-up stories and absurd stage attire lighten the mood. Guv wants to make you think, rock, dance, and then laugh.
Guv originally began as a solo project of original songs composed and recorded by Adam Cissell (lead singer, guitar) during the fall of 2003. He released these recordings independently as "Papercut" in May 2004. However it was in November 2003 that the current day band began to take shape.
After he recorded "Papercut", Adam was playing guitar with Bryan Ploutz (guitar) one night and expressed his yearning to form a band. Bryan then introduced Adam to his friend, Matt Atwood (drums, vocals), who had similarly done a good deal of solo recording. In need of a bass player to round out the band, Adam then suggested that another guitarist and mutual friend of theirs, Jeff Zupka (bass), might lend his talent to round out this stimulating foursome. The band came into being a few weeks later as a result of a drunken dinner in Providence. You wouldn't guess from their inspired music and jilting stage presence that these guys all work as engineers in their day jobs.
Derived from Adam's life-long nickname, Guv gained approval to become the official name of the band. The first task at hand for the guys would be to master the material Adam recorded for "Papercut." By April 2004, Guv was ready to hit the stage and started to perform the songs live. They played local gigs throughout the summer of 2004 in Rhode Island, and one festival, Playa del Fuego (PDF), in Delaware.
In the fall of 2004, the band began collaborating fully to write new songs. As one could imagine, this has helped bring more creative elements into the writing process. Guv's sound for the new material highlights the vocals of Matt and the riff-based work of Bryan. This cooperative writing process lends Guv a greater depth; emotional undertones are enhanced by the layering of sounds and techniques. These elements are showcased by a very modern rock groove. Recording of the new material began in November 2004 and remains ongoing.
2005 brought about more live performances for Guv. Playing a mix of Papercut material and the new material, Guv played 16 shows in the Boston/Providence region. Guv also gained online radio acclaim in the fall of '05, being featured twice on indie rock station WOXY.com, on their Unsigned@WOXY.com program, which features upcoming bands from around the globe. Guv's "Firestorm" was played on this program and also mixed in with regular rotation along with other indie rockers. By the end of '05, Guv had transitioned to playing mainly the new material from the upcoming album. The band has completed this album, which has been mastered by Uncle Punchy (Clutch, The Apes, The Hard Tomorrows, Red Right Return) in Silver Spring, Maryland. Plans for distribution are now underway.
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