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Divider imageGrand Lake Cover Theme Song To The Adventures of Pete & Pete, Announce String of West Coast Dates, Daytrotter Session

MP3: “Hey Sandy” originally by Polaris via the Urban Outfitters blog
MP3: “Oedipus Hex (Hwy. 1 North)” via AOL Spinner

In between releasing the new full length Blood Sea Dream, putting together dates for their first ever East Coast tour (to be announced soon), and answering questions about being a founding member of the acclaimed Port O’Brien, Grand Lake frontman Caleb Nichols somehow found the time to put together a cover of the Polaris song “Hey Sandy,” better known as the famed theme song to the Nickelodeon show ‘The Adventures of Pete and Pete.’

On the cover…

“When I was 16 I had the insanely great fortune of meeting Mark Mulcahy. We had mutual friends and Mr. Mulcahy wanted to play a show in my hometown of San Luis Obispo between stops in LA and San Francisco. I was beyond thrilled to get to meet the mysterious genius who penned the soundtrack to every kids’ favorite TV show – the Adventures of Pete & Pete.

There seems to be quite a bit of debate about what the actual lyrics are to this song are. I decided to sing the lyrics the way I remember them from childhood – so firstly, I left out the second verse, and secondly I sand the chorus “Hey Sandy, does your dog bite?” I also sing “It’s very strange” as the first line – because that’s what I always thought it was.” – Caleb Nichols

The vinyl, cd, and digital editions of Grand Lake’s Blood Sea Dream full length are out now on Hippies Are Dead Records.

Grand Lake on tour…

Sept 3: Ghost Town Gallery – Oakland, CA
Sept 16: Epicsauce.com presents @ MILK – San Francisco, CA
Sept 19: The Hemlock Tavern w/ Hosannas – San Francisco, CA
Sept 23: ARTs Center – San Luis Obispo, CA w/ Casiotone For The Painfully Alone
Sept 24: Hotel Utah (as Soft Lake) – San Francisco, CA
Oct 28: DAYTROTTER SESSION




Divider imageGrand Lake Offer New Track + Video; Announce LP Release Show 8/24 at Cafe Du Nord in SF

Terrorbird Media & Hippies Are Dead Records Present…

Grand Lake Vinyl Release Party featuring:

Grand Lake
(HAD Records)

It’s For Free Grace
(aka Ted Nesseth of Heavenly States)

Sean Smith & The Present Moment
(Berkeley Guitars & Citay)

Djs: James & Evander

Tuesday, August 24th
@ Cafe Du Nord
2174 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94114
www.cafedunord.com

MP3: “Louise” from Blood Sea Dream

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MP3: “Spark” from Blood Sea Dream via SF Weekly

“A standout among the many Oakland/East Bay alt-rock bands who love tempo changes and reverb, Grand Lake is a (sonically) ambitious outfit worth noting.” – SF Weekly

Grand Lake’s debut full-length offering, Blood Sea Dream, is the culmination of a decade and a half of friendship and musical camaraderie. Led by Port O’Brien founding member Caleb Nichols along with guitarist Jameson Swanagon and Danae Swanagon on keyboards, the band is anchored in the youthful, exuberant drumming of John Pomeroy (Nichols’ boyfriend). The vinyl edition of the album drops 8/10 in stores.

The band celebrates the vinyl release of the album on Hippies Are Dead Records with a record release show in San Francisco at Cafe Du Nord on Tuesday, August 24th. Also on the bill are It’s For Free Grace (aka Ted Nesseth of Heavenly States), Sean Smith & the Present Moment (Berkeley Guitars & Citay), and DJ Sets by James & Evander. The show is $10 and doors are at 8:30pm. The band is also giving away the track “Louise (I Live In a Fantasy)” while pairing it with the video for the track as well.

Blood Sea Dream twists and turns sonically and topically – winding its way from the angst-filled art-rock of “Louise (I Live In A Fantasy)”, the anthemic “Spark,” to the gently lumbering, orchestral waltz that is “Our Divorce.” Through two sides and twelve tracks, the musical and lyrical juxtapositions of Grand Lake’s ‘Blood Sea Dream’ weave in and out of each other to tell a story familiar to all – the facing-down of demons on the long drive home.

Grand Lake – Louise (I Live In A Fantasy) from Ryan Pierce on Vimeo.




Divider imageGrand Lake Sets Sail with Vinyl Release Date, Premiere New Single

MP3: Spark via SF Weekly

Grand Lake – Spark from Ryan Pierce on Vimeo.

Caleb Nichols and Jameson Swanagon, the musical force that along with drummer John Pomeroy is Oakland’s Grand Lake, began their musical collaboration in their friendship. Over the next 15 years, the pair parted ways and reunited more than once – working together at a bookstore in their early twenties, they compared notes on their mutual love of the Pixies, the Flaming Lips, Ernest Hemingway and Dave Eggers. Later, they would form a band called The Bloody Heads which would last for less than a year before the duo was again separated by circumstance – Nichols went on to join Oakland indie band Port O’Brien, and Swanagon moved with his soon-to-be wife, Danae, to Boston where he studied improvisation with the likes of Anthony Coleman and Joe Morris. Two years later, Nichols and Swanagon found themselves together again – on opposite sides of the San Francisco Bay – and formed Grand Lake. Shortly after recording their debut EP for 500 Records, they played their first show, with Man/Miracle at ABCo Art Space in West Oakland.

Grand Lake’s debut full-length offering, Blood Sea Dream, is the culmination of a decade and a half of friendship and musical camaraderie. Anchored in the youthful, exuberant drumming of John Pomeroy (Nichols’ boyfriend), the album twists and turns sonically and topically – winding its way from the angst-filled art-rock of “Louise (I Live In A Fantasy)”, the anthemic “Spark,” to the gently lumbering, orchestral waltz that is “Our Divorce.” Through two sides and twelve tracks, the musical and lyrical juxtapositions of Grand Lake’s Blood Sea Dream weave in and out of each other to tell a story familiar to all – the facing-down of demons on the long drive home.

Grand Lake has played shows on the west coast with the likes of Starfucker, Maus Haus, Man/Miracle, Thao With The Get Down Stay Down, The Thermals, Alec Ounsworth (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah), The Donkeys, Cryptacize, Turbo Fruits, Greg Ashley, The Blank Tapes, and more.




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