Having played with the likes of The Naked and Famous, Grouplove, Fitz & the Tantrums, Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr., Atlas Genius, Metric, and Youngblood Hawke, The Colourist are an act to look out for. They soon will embark on a winter tour with Panic! at the Disco. If that star-studded line-up is not enough for you, the have won the Best New Artist, Best Song and Best Live Band at the OC Music Awards (just like the legendary No Doubt). Oh, and we almost forgot, The Colourist also performed at SXSW and Coachella in the past—that’s right, they had the honor of playing the amazing Coachella Music and Arts Festival. If that doesn’t qualify them as something else with only 1 studio-EP out, then I don’t know what does.
"I think all of us in the band, if we want to make certain sounds work, we’ll just learn the instrument. We’ll pick up another instrument and sing at the same time. That’s how this band works. We all wear a lot of hats."--via Interview Mag
Each of them have their individual inspirations and musical background that made them come together as The Colourist. With the exception of Justin Wagner, the rest of the group have grown up with music in their households.
Maya’s father was pianist, and she discovered her love of the drums very early: drawing inspiration from a Behind the Music special on The Carpenters, she knew she wanted to master that specific instrument. She even went on to play them in her High School Marching Band. Adam grew up playing piano in a home where music was not only appreciated, but encouraged. Kollin drew his guitar inspiration from listening to Van Halen as a child. Even though Justin didn’t grow up playing a musical instrument, he does have a connection to the music scene. He has worked with Kelcey Ayer of Local Natives fame…at a pizza place that is. These rest have played in many bands before combining efforts to form the current group in 2009. Adam and Maya still play in the indie/alt rock band Paper Thin Walls.
Check out Paper Thin Wall’s Milky Way here (via NPR)
Castilla: We never really had a Plan B in mind. It’s always been this.
Tuttle: We’re gamblers. We were really gambling that hopefully this will work out and we can get our music out to more people. —via Interview Mag
The group gets its name from a film student friend that described to them the job of a colorist—the person who is in charge of the ambiance of a film. They loved what it represented so much, they decided to take it as their title, but made it theirs by adding a British “u” making it that much more indie, hipster, and awesome.
The band has a history with cool names, as their debut-EP Lido has a story behind its title as well.
Their official bio states:
"The Colourist first stumbled upon one another in an underused warehouse in Orange County, CA, where Adam and Maya discovered the harmonic chemistry that has come to define the band’s bright and anthemic signature sound."
This was the Lido Building in Newport Beach, CA (the very same city that I was born it—what a connection!). The building is now sadly demolished, but the band named their very California sounding EP in tribute of the waterfront practice spot where the band first formed.
They really live up to their self-described sound: majestic rock. Little Games is very majestically infectious. The combination of Maya’s and Adam’s vocals is perfect against the synth-heavy/ guitar-riff filled backgrounds. It’s stimulating in the sense that it gets you up on your feet and instantly puts you in a good mood. The gateway drug to this addicting group.
We Won’t Go Home is equally as catchy. It has you thinking who in the world would want these guys to go home? The cool and edgy guitar breakdown is incredible. Reminds us a little of a TDCC guitar riff.
If Yes Yes doesn’t leave you saying yes, then take another listen. It’s an indie-pop sensation, with a bright breakdown that include Maya’s pure, comforting vocals.
ON THEIR IDEA OF SUCCESS: Castilla: To go somewhere you’ve never been, and play music that no one has ever heard, and have it move them in a way where they’re shooting off e-mails, or talking to us after the show about how they connected to it.--via Interview Mag
We’ll shoot you an email today guys, to tell you how fantastic we think you are and how we desperately want to talk to you four about how much we’ve connected to the addicting, colorful tones you create.