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ENLARGE
What makes a song good? What makes us listen to and love it? And how can a song, seemingly without effort, attach itself to our lives?
As a writer and a music fan, these are questions I’ve wondered about and never could quite answer. In the case of great songwriters, it is an elusive genius to write something both timely and timeless that will hold up against the wretched stereo repeat button.
Local songsmiths Adam Kline of Golden Shoulders and Dan Elkan from Them Hills have asked themselves these very same questions. Both front men, who are known for their clever approach to songwriting, prefer the songs take center stage, not the guy singing them.
“I’m not an outstanding guitar player or even a terrific singer, but my strength does lie in songwriting and bringing the right people on board for a song,” explains Kline.
Formed in 2001, Golden Shoulders has featured a revolving door of over 30 musicians, including notable contributions from Joanna Newsom, Todd Roper and Greg Brown of Cake and Little Wings. Even with the band’s line up changing, Kline’s razor sharp wit and unforgettable hooks have always been the driving force. His first two albums — 2002’s “Let My Burden Be” and 2004’s “Friendship is Deep”; both released by indie label Doppler Records — received numerous accolades, including positive reviews from prominent British music magazine MOJO and CMJ New Music Monthly.
“I try to make albums I’d want to listen to and I try to play shows I’d want to see,” says Kline.
Kline is hard at work on his third album due out this spring. He is working with producer Dana Gumbiner of Station to Station and his circle of collaborators again; but in a unique move that could either be a sequencing nightmare or shear brilliance he is handing over songwriting responsibilities on a few of the songs to his closest friends.
“I chose people I truly respect,” says Kline. “I gave Dan [Elkan] total control over two songs. He is such an ideas man and I love how they came out.”
In addition to his duties in Them Hills, Elkan has also collaborated on albums with Aaron Ross, Joanna Newsom, Hella and Team Sleep, which featured Chino Moreno of the Deftones.
“I feel like the art of ‘the song’ is fading,” says Elkan. “I recognize that the idea of the great song has been brushed aside and given way to the preferred concept of ‘a sound’ or ‘a style’. I think in the old days the sound and style in music were definitely prevalent, but the great bands had first and foremost great songs.”
Hear Golden Shoulders and Them Hills, as well as Blue Tuesday, in concert, 7:30 Saturday evening at St. Joseph’s Cultural Center in Grass Valley.
Jesse Locks is a local freelancer who writes about music. She can be reached at jesse@arthurmag.com.
As a writer and a music fan, these are questions I’ve wondered about and never could quite answer. In the case of great songwriters, it is an elusive genius to write something both timely and timeless that will hold up against the wretched stereo repeat button.
Local songsmiths Adam Kline of Golden Shoulders and Dan Elkan from Them Hills have asked themselves these very same questions. Both front men, who are known for their clever approach to songwriting, prefer the songs take center stage, not the guy singing them.
“I’m not an outstanding guitar player or even a terrific singer, but my strength does lie in songwriting and bringing the right people on board for a song,” explains Kline.
Formed in 2001, Golden Shoulders has featured a revolving door of over 30 musicians, including notable contributions from Joanna Newsom, Todd Roper and Greg Brown of Cake and Little Wings. Even with the band’s line up changing, Kline’s razor sharp wit and unforgettable hooks have always been the driving force. His first two albums — 2002’s “Let My Burden Be” and 2004’s “Friendship is Deep”; both released by indie label Doppler Records — received numerous accolades, including positive reviews from prominent British music magazine MOJO and CMJ New Music Monthly.
“I try to make albums I’d want to listen to and I try to play shows I’d want to see,” says Kline.
Kline is hard at work on his third album due out this spring. He is working with producer Dana Gumbiner of Station to Station and his circle of collaborators again; but in a unique move that could either be a sequencing nightmare or shear brilliance he is handing over songwriting responsibilities on a few of the songs to his closest friends.
“I chose people I truly respect,” says Kline. “I gave Dan [Elkan] total control over two songs. He is such an ideas man and I love how they came out.”
In addition to his duties in Them Hills, Elkan has also collaborated on albums with Aaron Ross, Joanna Newsom, Hella and Team Sleep, which featured Chino Moreno of the Deftones.
“I feel like the art of ‘the song’ is fading,” says Elkan. “I recognize that the idea of the great song has been brushed aside and given way to the preferred concept of ‘a sound’ or ‘a style’. I think in the old days the sound and style in music were definitely prevalent, but the great bands had first and foremost great songs.”
Hear Golden Shoulders and Them Hills, as well as Blue Tuesday, in concert, 7:30 Saturday evening at St. Joseph’s Cultural Center in Grass Valley.
Jesse Locks is a local freelancer who writes about music. She can be reached at jesse@arthurmag.com.
