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GroundSounds recently caught up with Richard Theisen of MT. OSSA to discuss their new album, touring plans, and more. The band’s final show of their July residency is tonight (7/31) at The Echo.
GS: How did you meet and form the band?
RT: Well, Adam(bass) and Jordan(guitar,vocals) are twin brothers. and the rest of us went to school together or had mutual friends. We’ve all played music with other people and this group just stuck.
Why did you choose the name Mt. Ossa?
Jordan had been recording some of his own tunes under that name, and when it came time to put a title on this project, we thought hey why not?
What’s the story behind your song “Love Jam” and how did it come together?
It started off as sort of a chant that I was singing for whatever reason. Eventually I blended it with another song idea I’d been messing with. After that we just kept sweetening it up til it was a good enough consistency to dip our knives in and spread it.
Tell us about your debut album Homework Machine.
It’s the story of five dudes stuck in a home with a broken tape machine that make it work. The house that a few of us were living in has a garage that we converted into a mixing/tracking room, and a bedroom that was hijacked from Johnny our keyboard player to track in as well. We spent a few months writing and recording the album ourselves with each of us acting as engineer/producer/mixer. It was a challenge and learning experience for all of us and we are proud that we did it ourselves.
How long have you been working on the album and what can listeners expect?
The album is complete. We have been streaming it for a limited time on soundcloud it will be up there for the remainder of July.
You are finishing up a July residency at The Echo, how is that going and how many more shows are there?
It has been a blast! We’ve shared the stage with some rad bands and had a great crowd to perform for every week. Nothing but positive vibes. We have one more show Wednesday the 31. It’s gonna be the grand finale!
What was it like sharing the stage with Todd Rundgren?
Oh you mean Todd The Godd? It was a dream. Funny thing is, I had seen a recent video on youtube of him performing a couple years ago at the same venue with his band playing his greatest hits. In that video he was sitting on a barstool crooning to the audience. So I was hesitant to bring our lighting and projections that we usually have at our live shows, in fear that we would come off as cocky little punks, trying to out do Todd. Man, was I wrong. When he and his band mates got up there with goggles covering their eyes, and the crazy laser light show started, I realized I had underestimated his power. He was playing mostly tracks from his recent electronic/dance album, and even his well known hits were techno flavored renditions. It was an unforgettable experience.
Who are some bands or musicians making music right now that you admire?
There are plenty of bands that are getting a lot of attention right now that I definitely admire, but I’d rather name some that should be getting a lot more.
MICHAEL NHAT – I saw him perform live at Human Resources china town and I was so impressed. He’s got one of the coolest sounding voices I’ve heard out of a rapper and he’s such a clever lyricist.
TIGERBITCH – he’s a good friend, but I became friends with him because I was really into his music. He makes gold every time he presses record.
POMAR – they played at our residency. They make my bones rattle. You can zone out and meditate or you can mosh and let loose. Either way their live energy is unavoidable.
What’s coming up this fall/winter for you?
We’re playing out a bunch in the fall. We’re really stoked to be a part of Echo Park Rising in Aug! We’re also working on something big for Oct. Stay tuned for details on that!
What are your ultimate goals as a band?
I guess our goal is to have as many people possible enjoy the music we make. www.mtossamusic.com
MT. OSSA – “Love Jam”
