Somerset
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“A past that will repeat / the story’s been told before / before we rewrote it.”
This lyric holds true for Somerset. Not even around for three years, the band are prepared to release their debut full-length, Pandora, on Punknews Records on August 9, 2005. As the opening lyric for the song “Open Books” and the entire album, this bold statement has much to say. Though the earliest material the band recorded showed off their pop sensibility, they always held tight to the biting political lyrics that have become a forefront to their sound. While it’s hard to pin down a specific genre for Somerset, it is undeniable that they are aggressive while staying catchy and melodic. Sawtoothed guitar riffs from guitarists JT Viele and Forrest Olsen are held in place by Olsen’s lush voice and Viele’s honey-soaked harmonies. The driving, amazingly technical and jaw-dropping drum and bass parts, held down by Claudio Rivera and Matt Broadbent, respectively, offset all this. Though the band seem polished, they are constantly changing and moving forward, rewriting their own history and drawing from their seemingly short past.
Somerset hail from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Formed in September of 2002 as a side project, Rivera, Olsen, Broadbent and then-guitarist Michael Warren had two songs already written after their first practice. Within a week, they headed into the studio to record demos, and just four months later, they recorded and self-released the five-song This Thought Process EP, showcasing both the poppy and aggressive sides of the band. It was received well by many and was successful with many college radio stations. After the success of the radio promotion, the band headed out on their first self-booked tour which took them to Texas and out to California. It was at this time that record labels began to show interest in them. Rivera had also sent out a copy to Scott Heisel, then editor of Punknews.org, who was a fan of one of Rivera’s previous bands. Heisel loved it, and after that, the band became close friends with him, beginning what would become a business partnership.
In September 2003, just a year after their conception, the band once again headed into the studio to record a batch of three demos with famed producer Chris Fudurich (Nada Surf, Finch, Rx Bandits). These demos were posted online for free download. These tracks showed a new, more aggressive side of the band, revealing that they were already progressing and growing as artists. “The Tragedy Of Christopher Needs” brought the band to conquer the difficult subject of teenage suicide, while “Open Books” and “Not Your Sacrifice” showcased the band’s ability to interject political lyrics into their catchy and melodic anthems.
The band headed out to the East Coast in the spring of 2004 for another major tour, which was abruptly derailed mid-trip when Warren parted ways with the group. The band quickly recruited fellow Minnesotan JT Viele and were back on the road within a week, ready to complete the West Coast leg of the tour with a new guitar player and a re-energized battery. With the addition of Viele, the band were able to explore vocal harmonies, as well as explore the dynamic of new guitar parts, and continued to write new songs and rewrite older songs through the rest of the year, experimenting with the added dynamic.
In November 2004, the band recorded their debut full-length, Pandora, with Chris Fudurich after Heisel, along with Aubin Paul and Adam White from Punknews.org, approached them with the idea of starting a record label. “When they asked us to be the first band on their record label, it was a pretty easy choice to make,” says Broadbent. And Pandora debuts some of the band’s most exciting work yet. To make the album, Somerset drew upon all of their influences, including their previous work, to push the bar further than ever. Pandora includes reworked versions of “Open Books” and “The Tragedy Of Christopher Needs” from their 2003 demos, as well as a reworked version of “Colors Of Insomnia” from This Thought Process, as well as nine brand new songs. With Pandora, Fudurich returned to his position of knob turner, but this time he was able to work freely with the album, giving songs like “More Than Answers” and “I’d Rather Die Standing” the crisp, clean production that gives them the aggressive anthem qualities that the band have become known for. Pandora digs even further into defying genre with the addition of strings to “Clockwork,” a live show staple, and the acoustic “Dandelion Wine” that leads straight into the fast, punk-influenced “Rhyme Over Reason.”
But what really drive the band, and Pandora, is the sense of melody and intricate songwriting that far surpasses other bands in their age bracket (half the band is under legal drinking age). And this becomes apparent when the same song that might incite a rebellion might also be the next biggest radio hit. And that’s exactly what the band wants, as they continue to rewrite their own history.
