The Shy Ones
The Shy Ones
Genres: the pop machine
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the pop machine
About The Shy Ones
"Imagine The Shangri-Las making out with The Beatles while The Ramones tune their guitars." --------> L.L. (The Pop Machine, The Greatest Hits, Starry Eyes, The Tronnies) "The Shy Ones unabashedly play pop music that poses as nothing else. It's pure, simple and honest. Leif writes the kind of songs that I want to listen to." --------> Erik Foster (The Pranks, Dirty Sidewalks) "I was impressed with The Shy Ones who have a cool sound that's one part The Beatles, one part The Shangri-Las and two parts The Ramones. This was only their second show but they played a tight and entertaining set. Keep an eye out for them." --------> Andy (Seattle Powerpop Blog) "A sort of supergroup culled from Seattle's thriving punk/power-pop scene (members have previously been spotted in the Greatest Hits, the Pop Machine, and the Cute Lepers), the Shy Ones come at their simple, spiky, catchy tunes the same way as the Ramones once did – by revving up the sounds of Tommy James and the Shondells and early Kinks and the like; merging the mod-pop '60s with the proto-punk '70s. The Shy Ones benefit from a firm grasp of punk history, the need for gritty crunch and sweet hooks, and the killer boy-girl harmonies from singer-guitarists Leif Pacemaker and Tessonja Odette. A handful of the quintet's songs have been captured in the studio by Briefs/Cute Lepers main man Steve E. Nix, the scene's spiritual leader, and both the Shy Ones' additional demos and undeniably entertaining live shows point to a bright future." --------> Michael Alan Golberg (Seattle Weekly, The Short List) From the minds that brought you The Pop Machine. Meet, The Shy Ones! Before you read into our history here is a brief summary of what were all about. We've come from an idea of a Pop Machine. A machine that keeps poppin' out hit songs to sing and dance too!!! It was me and Spencer's band starting off. Then Derek came into the picture with the Girl group, tambourines and the name. In the end, I decided to quit The Pop Machine and continue with my own band. I decided to steal some other PM members and start what I already know will be loved! We're still all about the idea of creating great songs for the world. I know I have a ton of songs just waiting! And so do my other band members. I guess we're a creation of our own machine. And this is how it all began: I was on tour with The Pop Machine and I just kept writing songs. I was really excited to start working them into our band. But at the time I wasn't really happy with how thing's were being run. Instead of touring and playing shows. I wanted to focus on practicing more and adding newer songs I had written; Bad Thoughts, Tell Me, Can't Get You Outta My Mind, The One and a ton others. The Pop Machine's focus was to tour! Then get ready to start focusing on recording our debut album. All together we already had 21 songs and had to pick what ones we wanted on the album. The Pop Machine was all about everyone shining in the band. We all kept poppin' out the hits so we called ourselves The Pop Machine came up by Dee Dee Rex. It was all really fun but I still had that erge to do something else. While we were on tour I soon started thinking I'm gonna start a side band. I still was going to focus on The Pop Machine. But I also wanted to do my own style of a band. A band where I could sing more of my own songs and play them the way I originally wrote them. The Pop Machine did let me play my songs. But I never got to do them the right way, and it always bugged me. So I decided I need this other band just so I could play my songs the way I heard them in my head. A good example is if you listen to my Future Of Tomorrow demo and The Pop Machine's. Or my acoustic version of It's Just Me with an extra third verse and the bridge played differently. I remember the day I asked Spencer Heller and Tessonja Odette if they were interested in starting my new band. I was hanging out in our van on tour and we were stuck in Texas. And lets just say I was a lil' ticked off at how things were going. I just sat there thinking, I need to do something. Then a couple minutes later Spencer comes out and joins me in the van checking up on me. That day I told him when I get back to Seattle I'm gonna start this other band and if he was interested in coming along I would love to have him! I just think we have such great chemistry ever since I met him in the Blue Ribbon Boys. Another band I once played for in my past. Spencer is such a brillant songwriter, guitarist, musician and he's definitely one of my best friends. I told him it would be more my style then what we were doing in The Pop Machine. Big influences The Beatles, Rolling Stones, Who, Badfinger, Beach Boys, The Sweet, Flamin' Groovies, Ramones, Big Star, Elvis Costello etc. He was all about it! Soon it was Tess 's turn. It was her last night on the tour and we were all getting along really well so I asked her if she would play bass. Tess was also member of The Snot Rockettes an all girl band which she started when I first met her. Tess was a good friend and also helped The Pop Machine and Cute Lepers. So we just had to have her onboard. I asked her if she would be our bass player, at the time and of course she said yes! Something beautiful started that day. You could feel it. I know I did!!! After I got back from tour with The Pop Machine we soon went on hiatus. Spencer was in Texas. Dee Dee Rex was in Atlanta and the rest of us came back to Seattle. I still had the idea of starting the band, but nothing was happening. So I started to just focus on my new songs and make Leif Pacemaker demos. Then one day I show my brother a song I had written called, Can't Get You Outta My Mind. He tells me how much he loves it and says I need to start my own band!!! After that I was all about the new idea and was ready to get it moving!! Eventually everyone from The Pop Machine came back to Seattle. And we started it up again playing shows and semi practicing. But due to his own issues Brandon (drummer) decided to quit and yet again we were on hiatus. But that doesn't stop or slow me down from my songwriting moad. I just keep poppin' out more hits. Writing song after song! So now its time to start figuring out what I want for the new band. My first idea was to have another girl guitarist, on the rhythm section and just have me sing while Spencer plays lead guitar and Tess plays the bass. So I asked ex Snot Rockette Jahnavi if she wants in. But she eventually has to drop out due to her time with school, and work. Around this time I start throwing around band names. Me, Spencer and Tess were always called the nice and quiet ones on tour and I really liked how nice ones sounded. But of course there's already a really groovy band called The Nice Boys. So I then came up with The Shy and The Shy Ones. Me and Spencer both liked The Shy Ones the best, but I still wanted to see what other people liked. So funny story of how I chose between these names was actually from a myspace poll. The Shy verses The Shy Ones?? What one is your favorite kind of deal. My brother at this time was on tour with The Greatest Hits, but I called him and asked what he liked. I think he said to go with The Shy, because it sounded 60's. And I liked it too! Like I said though I could of gone either way. I asked Tess but she couldn't decide either. So the results came in, The Shy with 16 and The Shy Ones with 22 votes. So that is the story behind our good name. I really like it because it relates to everyone in the band. I know I have been considered shy my whole life, it just works. So now the idea of the band is coming together. We start thinking who can play drums for us. Still on tour my brother suggest we try out his friend Benny Hills who tells me is a solid Rock'n'Roll drummer. Just a little tangent here. Nils was also the one who suggested we try out Derek for drums for The Pop Machine. With me still focusing on my songs and writing more and more each day. The Greatest Hits soon get back from their tour. But bad news falls when Whiskey decides to quit. I remember I was hanging out with Tess at her new place when my brother called me up and told me he always wished I was in The Greatest Hits with him. It was the way he saw it in a dream he had! How could I say no to that! I said YES! And if any of you don't know before I was on tour with The Pop Machine I was helping The Greatest Hits do backups during their recording for their album. For A Good Time Call... We then decide to bring my Nils Larson in for not only is he a brilliant songwriter and singer, he was an amazing bass player! Tess moves to playing guitar and I decide to not just sing and play rhythm guitar. Due to crazyness with the band's choices The Pop Machine started really falling apart. So Tess and I were decided we were going to quit and focus on The Shy Ones. Although in the end we all just decided to call it quits and break up The Pop Machine. It just was no fun for me anymore. Originally The Pop Machine had a recording coming up with Steve E. Nix from The Briefs and Cute Lepers. So I get a call from Tess one night saying Steve suggested maybe The Shy Ones could come fill the slot! We then decide what the heck, lets just do it and see what happens. We all loved what Steve did for us in The Pop Machine. So I'm really glad he has gaven The Shy Ones an opportunity to work and record with him. A couple years later I meet Darenda Weaver a really groovy girl who I end up meeting on tour with The Greatest Hits. We meet in Texas and talk for awhile about music and we find out she's a fan of The Pop Machine! She eventually decides to move to Seattle and her and I start a side project called Starry Eyes. It basically was a way to make music for fun! We had a lot of love for Power Pop, Girl Groups and R'n'R! At the time we had our friend, Lauren Napier singing back ups with us but due to her other commitments we eventually asked Darenda if she wanted to help out. Then the worst thing that could happen to a band does. Our good friend and drummer Benny Hills dies in a horrific house fire. So very sad. It was such a huge loss for the band and very hard to deal with loosing such a young talented friend. We will never forget Benny Hills! I still talk to Spencer about what he'd think of what we're up too if he were alive. After the loss of Ben we then asked Roman from Greatest Hits if he would mind filling in. He gladly accepts and we continue on playing shows and working on new songs. But after awhile we start to feel like The 2nd Greatest Hits. It just wasn't meshing well anymore and we all weren't as excited about the sound. So we decide it's time for a big change. We then bring in Keegan Wiltshire a new young talented kid and fresh face to play drums. Keegan originally contacted Darenda asking if Starry Eyes needed a drummer when we first met. We had a couple practices and decided let's play a show The Shy Ones canceled. At that same Starry Eyes show we also got some other great news! Josh Iverson a good friend of The Greatest Hits and a talented bass player in The Spurts came up to us asking if we needed a bass player. He told me he was moving to Seattle and loved what we were doing. I then tell him that night I think The Shy Ones is about to go a whole new direction and we'd love him in the band. We begin practicing right away and play our first show at Benny's one year memorial. After that day we decide to start focusing on practicing more and working on newer songs. Tons of new material from each member start working their way to our set and now we are to what is happening these days. We are itching to record and play more shows and we're gonna leave you wanting more I'm sure. Stay tuned for all that and more. Thanks for listening & remember it's you that makes this music so fun to play. So help spread the word of our name and tell all your friends! (This Bio was first written on February 1st 2008, and edited March 6, 2011. By Leif Larson member of The Shy Ones) http://www.myspace.com/theshyones http://www.reverbnation.com/theshyones
Taken from Last.fm
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