changing modes

The music of New York City based rock band Changing Modes began quietly in the mid-90’s when the principal songwriter of the band Wendy Griffiths (keyboards, voice) started making her “bedroom tapes.” She says she had no intention of making these songs public. “They were like art songs with very unusual rock beats.” Yuzuru Sadashige (bass, guitar) recalls when he heard her songs for the first time. “She programmed very complex layers of accompaniment in her Yamaha SY77, then sang along to record onto her $30 Sears tape recorder, very LoFi, you would hear house noise and car horns in the background, but they were extremely interesting and totally unique.”
Wendy & Yuzuru, both classically trained composers whose influences range from Bartok, Stravinsky to Nirvana, King Crimson & Sparks have been leading the band since 2000. The band has been actively performing in NYC venues such as Knitting Factory, Pianos, Luna Lounge, CBGB, CB’s Gallery, CB's Lounge, Continental, Barnard College and ACME Underground. Changing Modes created a unique art rock with Sparks-esque fun/pop sophistication with Zappa-esque stylistic diversity/complexity and punk rock energy. Jen Rondeau (vocals, theremin, keyboards) and Grace Pulliam (vocals, percussion) joined the band in 2009.
Changing Modes has released four full-length albums - Here (2010), Down and Out in Shangri-la (2008), A Perfect Day (2003), Aeroplane (2005) and two EPs (2000 and 2001).