Idle Giant

Idle giant shouldn't be here. They should be somewhere else. Sticking to day jobs maybe. Settling down and planting roots. Straight and narrow. That sort of thing.

Srini Mukundan (vocals, guitars) and David Harmon (keys, vocals) initially hoped to meet every month to play a few tunes. For two physicians in training, it seemed realistic. When Sean Sanford (lead guitar), a graphic designer and recent transplant joined the mix, Mukundan and Harmon felt the obvious: Sanford shouldn't be here. With his advanced skill and prior playing experience, he would be better off playing in a band that wrote original material, recorded albums, and played shows. Unless, of course, this band could be that band. Before long, Nicholas Vigo (drums), a medical student at the time, and Bobby Ray (bass, vocals), a Portland-based music instructor and founder of the Portland Opera Company (YouTube it!), joined the effort, and a sound started emerging: Four part harmonies? Why not. Soaring guitar solos? Ok! Restraint? Not a problem. With songs in hand, the group focused efforts towards making a record.

Sitting in Jackpot! Recording Studio on a rainy night in Portland, Mukundan listened to Adam Lee (recording engineer at Jackpot!) discuss the logistics of making a record, with one singular thought pervading his mind: I shouldn't be here. He surveyed the equipment in the control room and interrupted the discourse: "Do you really use all of this stuff?". The band spent 8 days in the studio and emerged with their debut effort , "Garden". The album contains eight songs that display melodic sensibilities, precise musicianship, and diverse influences. The first track, "Out to Sea", is a Revolver-esque number that reveals Idle Giant's pop roots. The album then moves onto "Erase Me" and "Breeding Pinetrees", two songs with thoughtful harmonies, uptempo drumming, and featuring leads by Sanford (guitar) and Harmon (keys). The album shifts gears with "Spectre", a dramatic number that begins with Mukundan's breathy vocal giving way to a cacophony of driven guitars and oscillators, as Ray (bass) and Vigo (drums) maintain the semblance of order before the song falls into chaos. The album then resets with the catchy "How about now", before easing into the nostalgia of "Just passing time". The penultimate track, "Celebrate", demonstrates Idle Giant's ability to merge different genres into a single track, featuring elements of surf rock and shoegaze. The album comes to a close with title track "Garden". A haunting voice and shimmering guitars guide the song before giving way to an instrumental featuring an unhinged slide guitar and drums, tethered only by a measured bass line. The song comes to a screeching halt, then calm, as a somber piano carries the song to a final rest.

Idle Giant proudly presents their debut album, "Garden", recorded and mixed at Jackpot! Studios by Adam Lee, and mastered by Gus Elg. Idle Giant is here. It's Idle Giant!

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