theendisthebeginning is an atmospheric modern rock band hailing from various locales within Southern California. The band's distinctive and shimmering sound makes it readily apparent that the group finds inspiration in a wide array of musical and cultural influences. Musically speaking, the quintet evokes elements of 90s era guitar rock and electronica, big 80s new wave and alternative, the expansiveness of 70s era album rock, the kitchen sink approach of modern-day indie, and even hints at the youthful optimism and freshness inherent in the Woodstock era climate.
Consisting of guitarist, Curtis Clint Kaminska; vocalist, Joe Nichy; drummer, Matt Kjorvestad; guitarist, Robert Armando Flores; and multi-instrumentalist, Ryan Hone; theendisthebeginning sites a wide range of disparate artists who have helped inform their moody atmospherics including: The Cure, The Police, New Order, Pink Floyd, Soundgarden, Hum, Failure, Deftones, Massive Attack, A Perfect Circle, Broken Social Scene, and M83. In addition, the group cites film and film scores as another prominent influence, deriving inspiration from noted composers such as Clint Mansell and Thomas Newman, which in no doubt lends to the cinematic scope of the band's compositions.
Officially forming in the fall of 2008, the band spent their formative months gestating in various garages, bedrooms, and rehearsal studios throughout Southern California. In November 2009, the group released their debut five-song EP, master machine, via the band's own imprint, The Brown Noise, and LA-based Chupee Records. Recorded at the band's home studio and Lo-Fi Studios in Loma Linda, CA, master machine was a surprisingly refined offering, particularly for the band's introductory release. With Martin Arretche and Hone sharing production duties, the EP combined soulful vocals, open-tuned guitars, skyward-reaching synths, and a tightly wound rhythm section that was warmly welcomed by both critics and fans alike.
However, soon after the release of master machine, the band was besieged by a series of Behind-The-Music level misfortunes that nearly led to a quick demise. Following a disastrous performance at the all-ages venue, Chain Reaction, in February 2010, tensions begin to rise between the band's members. Shortly thereafter, Kjorvestad temporarily relocated to Japan, placing the band on temporary hiatus and leading to speculation that the group had run its course. The remaining members continued to write and record new material during this unplanned downtime, but the future of the band was far from certain.
The group reconvened in February 2011, and began aggressively recording new material in the spring. Pedrosa parted ways, and friend and well-respected veteran of the Inland Empire music scene, Joe Nichy (Divide The Day) joined the endeavor. The new incarnation is currently in the midst of recording their first full-length album, which they plan to release in 2012. In the interim, theendisthebeginning released a second EP, entitled tropics, and a digital maxi-single, "so long, shadow," simultaneously on September 13, 2011 via Chupee Records and The Brown Noise. The releases will likely be the last to feature Pedrosa on lead vocals, as it is the last material recorded prior to his departure to Japan.
tropics finds the band venturing into darker, and largely more epic and bombastic territory than their debut release, showcasing the band's more aggressive elements and inspirations. Meanwhile, "so long, shadow" finds the band exploring almost-pop hooks and song structures that effectively combine the lush and textured material from master machine with the arena-sized sound of tropics. Recorded during the same sessions as tropics, the three-song, maxi-single includes two new songs - the cinematic title track and spacious b-side, "no use," as well as an edited version of the song "concreep," which is also found on tropics in its original form. As with master machine, both releases were co-produced by Martin Arretche and Hone at Lo-Fi Studios in Loma Linda, CA and the band's own studio in Westminster, CA. If the band's initial releases are any indication of the their evolutionary course, theendisthebeginning certainly has exciting sonic prospects in store for their listeners and themselves.
