“Gotta Go”
from the single Gotta Go / Mahwun
2011
iTunes
Tons of bands make music in basements all over the world; that particular subterranean space has bred a diverse genre that is equal parts simplistic DIY and lush grandeur. Twenty-year-old musician Brad Oberhofer intended to undertake the same musical work as he laid down tracks from the comfort of his parents’ basement in Tacoma, WA. That was, however, until the house burned down. But, like all decent band origins, that was only the beginning of the story.
Taking the incident in stride, Oberhofer moved to New York City, where he completed the songs, and found himself where a lot of basement acts do after recording: in need of a full band to flesh out the songs on stage. In Brooklyn, Oberhofer tapped guitarist Andrew Heaton, bassist Mike Parham, and drummer Pete Sustarsic to round out the line-up. And, since the expansion, the band has undertaken other standard steps in the journey to true band notoriety, including spreading their wings at CMJ, touring or playing with Twin Sister, Asobi Seksu, Sleigh Bells, Neon Indian, and Bear in Heaven, and releasing music with both Inflated Records and White Iris.
All that initial success led to the happy ending most bands want their story to lead to: a deal with a record label. In the case of Oberhofer, Glassnote Records will release their debut LP sometime in early 2012. But, to close out their relationship with White Iris, the band released one last 7″, comprised of “Gotta Go”/”Mahwun.” The A-side is available for downloading above, and is truly indicative of what makes Oberhofer and Co. unique.
“Gotta Go” has the gargantuan sound of many bedroom acts, but Oberhofer has taken a decidedly Brian Wilson-esque approach to it, using big, catchy hooks, and adding in bubbly synths instead of ambience and reverb to craft a song that is as bizarre and chaotic as it is populist. It’s also a sign of one band’s core truth, something not every basement act, or other bands in general for that matter, can lay claim to: Oberhofer aren’t going anywhere but up.