Not much can be found about SummerFriend as they keep a relatively low profile on social media and have only played a handful of shows so far. Comprised of sonorous soldiers, Emilio Gomez and Gabe Medina, SummerFriend has no shortage of musical experience between the two. I had the opportunity to speak with Emilio about what the band is cooking up.
“I wanted to do something I’ve never done before with songwriting…trying to write a ‘pop song’ (whatever that means these days) is all I ever try to do. Unfortunately, Dig A Pony has already been written, so I’ll just settle for sparkly sequences. I love how fickle a synthesizer can be so a song is constantly changing when it’s performed. I don’t use a laptop to keep everything in line, when Gabriel and I perform a song we have to sync everything just right. And almost always, something goes wrong.”
With digital music production more accessible than ever, musicians have gained the ability to create in a way that was previously unavailable or financially unreasonable. While being a remarkable resource, the Digital Audio Workstation, or DAW, simultaneously created a dispute about authenticity. Ever wonder how The Beatles got the keyboard sound at the beginning o f Strawberry Fields Forever?
They used a Mellotron. It’s a beautifully unique instrument that is incredibly expensive. While most people can’t afford one or don’t have access to a studio that does, it’s 2019 and all iPhones come with a digital version of a mellotron on the GarageBand app. Don’t get me wrong, this technology is incredible and I use it daily; but it leads to a question I often ask myself when listening to music: is this real?
Partially stemming from my own lack of experience with electronic music, I often question the authenticity of an artist pressing buttons on stage. I struggle with this even when listening to some of my favorite electronic artists like Tobacco, Damaged Bug, Black Taffy, and Cluster. I have no idea what they’re doing. Are they triggering samples of pre-recorded material? Are they actually playing everything live, organically? I may never know.
When it comes to local aural explorers, SummerFriend, my potential distrust of digital production fades. Their sound is genuine. The question I ask myself is ‘how did they get here?’
Gabe, formerly of the band, Fisherman, is a talented keyboardist as well as an experienced audio engineer. His knowledge of sonic fundamentals put SummerFriend ahead of most bands in the space.
The other half of the diatonic duo (see what I did there?), Emilio Gomez, is one San Antonio’s most prolific musicians. He comes from a diverse musical background previously playing with Yes, Inferno, The Bolos, The Beers, and everyone’s favorite, Tides (still nursing a bangover from their performance at the SA Music Awards a few years ago). Stylistically, these bands ranged from up-tempo garage punk to thought provoking, melody-driven indie that would make even the most emotionally-crippled person feel things. Rendering these fundamental values through synthesizers and sequencers gives SummerFriend an edge, and potential to become a sonic force we would do well to keep an eye on.
I’m sure there is someone out there who will argue the sounds of SummerFriend are not authentic, but I’m not losing sleep over it. The unknown local tape label, Trash Mule Tapes, will release SummerFriend’s 4-song cassette on August 29th at Limelight with support from local heavy hitters, Dance Like Robots, DRO, and Shots Dupre. Tickets are $5 at the door and the show is 21+, ID required for entry.
Continue to follow your hearts and support local music.
Written by Josh Borchardt
Photo by Devin DeLeon
