Hello reader,
Ready to discover some more music?
Today, we’re excited to discuss another Canadian music group making great music: EarthBall. Often stylized as EarthBall, but you’ll also see Earthball. From their succinct bio on Upset The Rhythm: “EARTHBALL are a wild ensemble from Canada, mainly based on Vancouver Island. Their inception was serendipitous, emerging out of necessity when Isabel Ford, John Brennan, and Jeremy Van Wyck needed a name for a gig. What began as a pragmatic solution blossomed into an artistically conceived project. Embracing complete improvisation, free expression, and a truly psychedelic sound, the group’s lineup expands for different projects and now features Kellan McLaughlin on Guitar and Liam Murphy on Saxophone. Each member brings a diverse musical background, having been part of various bands such as Shearing Pinx, Plan Your Future, Kamikaze Nurse, Eschatons, and Psychedelic Dirt. Their individual collaborations with artists like Deerhoof, Raven Chacon, Chris Corsano, William Hooker, and others enrich their collective experience, forging a powerful musical force.”
A press release for the album breaks down just how busy EarthBall’s members truly are, saying, “Outside of EarthBall, each member pursues their own projects. Jeremy Van Wyck and Isabel Ford play together in several bands, including Shearing Pinx, while John Brennan works across numerous collaborations, including with John Dieterich & Greg Saunier (Deerhoof), Chris Corsano, and more. Kellen McLaughlin performs with KMVP and Ora Cogan, and saxophonist Liam Murphy is active throughout the West Coast. On three tracks of Outside Over There, the group is joined by Justin Patterson (also part of Brennan’s duo Modale).” That’s a hell of a lot of music.
2021 saw the band release their first two albums: a five-song, nearly 42-minute cassette release, Fruiting Bodies, via Misophonia Records UK, and Go To Earth, a four-song, 38-minute digital and cassette release. Two years later, another good-length album was released, available both digitally and on cassette, this time titled Have One. The next year, 2024, EarthBall released both the studio album It’s Yours and the live album Actual Earth Music – Volume 1 & 2, both albums were released on the Upset The Rhythm label.
Their most recent album, Outside Over There, was released on vinyl on November 7th through Upset The Rhythm, also available here on Bandcamp in both digital and vinyl formats. You get to choose between this vinyl release’s standard black 180g version and a blue-in-black 180g option. Or you could get both.
In SWT’s opinion, one of the best songs on Outside Over There is “Helsinki.” It was the first song I heard from the band. It put EarthBall on my radar. And I’m grateful for that. Later, I listened to the rest of the album, and I still contend “Helsinki” is my favorite at this time. It’s not just for noise’s sake, though there’s a case to be made for art and artistic expression, within that scenario. Long story short, that’s still art. “Helsinki” is a fiery track, taking no prisoners as the guitars blaze forward, then shred back and forth, creating a gorgeous wall of sound that is paired with strong drumbeats. The melody truly is an earworm. The song also features solid vocals and lyrics. This is not a song I would advise listening to in bed late at night, as it’ll increase your heartbeat, and you might even headbang along. It’s a vibe in the best ways. It won’t haunt you, and I don’t think it’ll be part of any horror movie soundtrack any time soon. It’s not eerie to my ears. Rather, it’s a technically impressive song. I’d love to feel all that energy during the band’s live performance of this song. I’m grateful I can shed some spotlight on the song today as part of the SWT Singles Spotlight series.
The intense visuals (seizure warning) to the creative video for the awesome song, “Helsinki” from Upset The Rhythm’s YouTube channel:
(All credits and rights to Upset The Rhythm and EarthBall)
The cover art for the album Outside Over There:
The tracklist for Outside Over There:
- 100%
- Helsinki
- Outside Over There
- Seeing Doors Unlock
- Hellfire Relations
- Where I Come From
- Behind The Mall
- And Music Shall Untune The Sky
EarthBall toured across the pond in the UK in 2024 and also closed Montreal’s Suoni Per Il Popolo Festival alongside Raven Chacon, the Pulitzer Prize-winning composer. The band just finished a European tour that saw them perform for two nights at Le Guess Who? Festival in Utrecht, Netherlands.
From the album’s press release, “EarthBall‘s live shows epitomize their commitment to spontaneous composition, offering audiences a unique experience at every performance. As EarthBall
You can connect with EarthBall at the following links:
- Instagram: instagram.com/earthball.speaks
- Bandcamp: https://earthball.bandcamp.com
Scummy Water Tower Productions co-founder, reviewer, business manager, and editor. Thank you for visiting this site, scummywatertower.com, and YouTube for Water Tower Sessions and SWT Interviews. And all of our socials.
Questions, feedback, or more? Contact me: alex@scummywatertower.com
