Raspy vocals. The sound of a fiddle. Five musos from different parts of the world. And a top production on their first-ever single, “Break”.
Those are the elements that caught my eye (and ear) when I was introduced to Colorado & Co.
And because originality and experimentation are two things I’m drawn to in music, I set up a chat with the emerging band to find out more about their newly launched project.
Colorado & Company are a complex of singer-songwriters, orchestra members, and local artists.
Heath Jensen (vocals), Daniele ‘Dan’ Montarulo (violin, guitar), Sam Zanelli (piano), Andy Collingwood (bass) and Matthew ‘Matt’ Ciao (drums) might have only formed the band in the second half of 2022. But they already have a good idea of what they want to do.
Like me, you might wonder why an Aussie band would reference one of the US states in their name. That’s because the singer and frontman, Heath, is originally from there. Some other band members also boast international roots.
Yet, they’ve combined their creative forces in an innovative music project unrivalled in Australia at this stage.
So far, the Inner West Sydney-based collective has released two singles.
They debuted at the end of April 2023 with “Break” – a fine taste of their original sound, blending rock, Americana and folk influences. “Still” followed a month later. And an album is currently in the works. The band hopes to release it this year.
With the interesting mix of instruments, Colorado & Co. are determined to carve their own path in the Aussie music scene. But their influences, like Dave Matthew’s Band, The Lumineers and City and Colour, also speak to the band’s unique vibe.
With only two official releases behind their belts, they’ve already been noticed by music curators, also outside Australia. One of them, from Canada, had this to say about their debut single:
“‘Break’ is a solid indie folk track sung with passion and precision that sits amidst rolling keys, whirling guitar and a punchy drum kit backbone pulse. A steady bass low end. Immersive, heartfelt lyricism paints an immersive sonic landscape. Strings really carry emotion throughout. Soaring melody lines. Audibly well mixed and produced.”
That last part about the production is another defining characteristic of the group’s sound. Surely, it also has to do with the fact that all five band members are seasoned musicians who honed their skills in other projects. So they clearly know what they’re doing in the studio.
Additionally, despite their fairly short tenure as Colorado & Co., the band commands the stage as if they’d been playing together for years. You can tell they’re keen performers, eager to showcase their musicianship.
Aside from the original compositions, they’re also keen on delivering memorable renditions of some rock classics, where the fiddle’s addition works really well.
There’s not much about Colorado & Co. out there on the web yet. So our virtual catch-up allowed me to throw all sorts of basic questions at the band. From the members’ background to defining their genre and how being an acoustic band helps them in their live performances.
And if I can summarise that catch-up in one sentence, it’s this. Rarely do I get to sit down with a relatively new group so aware of its current place in the music industry.
After all, having fun with what you do doesn’t necessarily exclude being realistic and professional at the same time.
So find out more about Colorado & Co. from the interview below. And give their releases a listen right after that.
Check out more interviews with Aussie acts here:
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