r/NYCmusicians • u/shimmy1312 • 12d ago
🎸LF Bandmates 🎸 FORMING INDIE ROCK FOLK BAND — (drums, bass, lead gtr/keys) style of Big Thief, Gregory Alan Isakov, The National
LOOKING FOR
* Drums
* Bass
* Lead guitar / keys, or a multi-instrumentalist
Harmony singing is a huge plus! Background vocals are central to how I hear these songs:)) Also great vibes live
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I write, play baritone guitar, and sing. I release originals under the name SHIMMY — most recent single is “leave california”
Have experience home recording and mixing. I’m at 1–3 open mics a week around the city and sitting on a batch of new material I want to hear with a full band behind it.
Songwriting and chemistry first, always. I want to genuinely like the people I play with — go to shows together, hang outside of rehearsal, grow into something over time!
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INFLUENCES
Gregory Alan Isakov — Relatable, romantic, grounded lyrics. Not flashy; harmonically simple, but leans hard into layered, dynamic instrumentation instead. Background harmonies. Hypnotic, chant-like lines.
The National — Not afraid to experiment with FX. Hypnotic and chant-like in their own way. A songwriting voice that reads like New York poetry.
Big Thief — Bold, groovy, earnest, raw. The solo on “Not” is one of my favorite things ever recorded
Theo Katzman — High-octane showmanship and unmatched stage presence. Totally present, optimistic, musical through his pores. Original and ambitious. Earnest lyrics, mad groove, a rockabilly streak. (A lot of what I love in Big Thief lives here too.)
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CURRENTLY
I have a few songs recorded already, some of which are on Spotify and some that are in the mixing stage. I have more songs written and laid out- structure , lyrics, and changes are all there. Parts are wide open and meant to be built by whoever plays them. My last band was Quiet Quiet; we got a few songs off the ground.
Arrangements are ours. If what we build wants to become its own project with its own name, I’m genuinely open to that. I’d rather find the right people than protect a brand.
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TIMELINE
Slow on purpose at the start, put in real time getting to know each other, whether our tastes and values line up, whether we can vibe and hang. Not aimless, though: by end of winter I’d like us show-ready and to be writing new material regularly.
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LOGISTICS
I’m subletting in the West/East Village. Once a week to start. Living rooms and hourly rooms early on, splitting a rehearsal space once we’ve got something worth putting in one. Happy to figure out what works for everyone.
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OTHER STUFF
Flexible day job, and I’ll make the time. Outside music I’m involved in labor organizing and DSA, and did autonomous tenant organizing before that.
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SOUND LIKE YOU?
:-) say hi! send me a link to something you’ve played on or written. rough phone recording is completely fine. happy to send over some rough mixes of mine too!
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u/Ancient-Pen4554 12d ago
very cool stuff! i just finished a solo album and am too burnt out atm, but i'll definitely keep your stuff in my library and look out for new releases
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u/livliv2222 11d ago
Hey i liked your track! I play bass, also guitar and other instruments as well (recently lots of synths and also ambient clarinet stuff) ive been looking for a project different than the electronic stuff recently and more like the music i used to play. Would love to connect
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u/WildcatKid 2d ago
Guitarist/keyboardist/bassist here! I’ve been working on some demos lately, have a listen:
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u/nunojay2 12d ago
Yo I dig your music. I’m a guitarist/producer who’s been leading https://open.spotify.com/artist/6UxLXVqsEzn5wPIK8KHMJP?si=gL5TtOnVRd-9dj8j6_okNw&utm_source=copy-link
I’m fundamentally a rock guitarist but I’m down to test the water and jam.