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Localized<br />
By Ricky Vigil<br />
On Friday, June 8th <strong>SLUG</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> will host the first ever all-ages<br />
Localized at Kilby Court. The show will feature Kid Theodore, The Lionelle<br />
and opener Paul Jacobson. Doors are at six, music starts at seven and it will<br />
end early enough that anyone over 21 will be able to attend the regular<br />
Localized at Urban Lounge.<br />
The Lionelle<br />
Tate McCallum-Law -Vocals, guitar<br />
Ryan Thatcher - Drums<br />
Wes Johnson - Guitar<br />
Jeff Adams - B<strong>as</strong>s<br />
The Lionelle formed in early 2006 when Tate McCallum-Law <strong>as</strong>sembled six of his<br />
favorite musicians from the Salt Lake area to create music with an eerie vibe that<br />
threw traditional structure to the wayside. The lineup eventually whittled down to just<br />
McCallum-Law and drummer Ryan Thatcher, but it w<strong>as</strong> while The Lionelle existed <strong>as</strong><br />
a two-piece that their unique sound began to be fully realized. As a two-piece, The<br />
Lionelle rele<strong>as</strong>ed Oh! The Little Bee! EP!, a collection of acoustic songs held together<br />
by McCallum-Law’s unique vocal style, Thatcher’s far-from-standard drumming and<br />
plenty of studio effects and layering that add to the vaguely dark ambiance. Shortly<br />
after the rele<strong>as</strong>e of The Lionelle’s EP, original members Wes Johnson and Jeff Adams<br />
were brought back into the fold, and The Lionelle’s sound got nice and loud.<br />
Since The Lionelle’s inception, the members of the band have strived to create music<br />
that is, above all else, unique. “I think there are a lot of bands out there who try to<br />
sound too much like other bands,” said McCallum-Law. Posters of Jimi Hendrix,<br />
Bob Dylan and Radiohead hung around The Lionelle’s practice space (which also<br />
doubles <strong>as</strong> guitarist Wes Johnson’s recording studio). Our conversation that night<br />
made mention of everyone from Led Zeppelin to Rites of Spring and The Misfits.<br />
The Lionelle draw influence from a wide array of sources, yet manage to sound<br />
nothing like any of them. McCallum-Law’s vocal delivery is so unique that it’s hard to<br />
describe and drummer Ryan Thatcher stays away from traditional 4/4 beats <strong>as</strong> much<br />
<strong>as</strong> possible. In addition to being skilled musicians, Wes Johnson and Jeff Adams are<br />
also studio wizards, layering track over track over track gives. The Lionelle a thick<br />
and unique sound. “I’ve never understood structure or really cared for it,” McCallum-Law<br />
said, and the disregard of traditional notions of what music should sound<br />
like is what makes The Lionelle what they are.<br />
Despite the coming and going of various members in The Lionelle’s relatively short<br />
history, they’ve managed to create a coherent and fresh sound. “It’s surp<strong>as</strong>sed a lot<br />
of our goals already,” McCallum-Law said. The ide<strong>as</strong> present on The Lionelle’s EP<br />
continue to grow with their current lineup, <strong>as</strong> each member brings their expertise to<br />
the table. Their collective dist<strong>as</strong>te for traditional structure is what holds The Lionelle<br />
together, and their desire to remain <strong>as</strong> far removed from their influences <strong>as</strong> possible<br />
gives The Lionelle the freedom to evolve endlessly.<br />
Photo by Chris Swainston<br />
(16) <strong>SLUG</strong>
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