What do you have planned on the eve of New Year’s Eve? Probably not much if you’re like us—until now. Get ready to light this sucker up, but leave your fireworks at home. A new monthly indie rock showcase series, aptly billed “Indie Ignited,” is building on a robust and plentiful music scene capturing the sounds and styles of Orange County and Los Angeles artists, all under one roof.
On Dec. 30th you can find a plethora of acts worthy of your time and money at Anaheim’s House of Blues, featuring headliners Caught A Ghost.
The LA group is an indie electro soul project founded by singer and producer Jesse Nolan and childhood friend Stephen Edelstein. The band’s name, Caught A Ghost, derives from an old expression of “feeling the spirit,” referring to a kind of musical possession.
The project released its debut album, Human Nature, in 2014, has been hard at work on its latest efforts and clearly is paying off. Their single “Time Go” is featured in the Kate Winslet starring film The Mountain Between Us, and racking up millions of online streams.
“It’s a producer project masquerading as a band,” Nolan says. “I got into the songwriting canon of Western music. For me, I’m always trying to weave those sensibilities, rock and roll and indie with classic soul music and taking elements of hip hop production.”
As for our local HOB, this new joint venture is opening its doors figuratively and literally, providing bands from LA and OC the opportunity to see quality stage time and build on their sounds.
Indie Ignited is an independent special curation, according to its Facebook page. “There is an enormous amount of talent out there, especially in the Southern California area, and we plan to highlight the best of that.”
Caught a Ghost recently completed their second album Smoke, due out in early 2018. The songs feature a signature soulfulness, but with the grittier, more bass driven sound. The tracks sound more expansive and cinematic, evolving away from vintage revivalism, showcasing Nolan’s LA beat scene influences.
Also gracing the stage as openers will be Livingmore, Apollo Bebop, Devil Season, DJ Ned Casual of Solar Sons spinning funk & soul, & Marissa Yardley Clifford providing a visual counterpart.
The familiar swanky soulful tunes of Caught A Ghost have also been featured in many popular shows such as Suits, Blacklist, Boardwalk Empire, Vampire Diaries, Grey’s Anatomy, and Victoria’s Secret, to name a few.
With a bunch of features in music and television shows, how does a band or artist get involved in that world I wondered?
“We have a good rep and the music supervisor community has embraced us, which is awesome. There are not a lot of bands like us that evokes a classic vibe, but still sounds like the production is really modern,” Nolan explained.
The group’s newest single “Right & Wrong” has a blues vibe straight out of the South, reminiscent of the Stax Records era.
In one verse Nolan croons “You light me up / giving me something to believe / when you wind me up / making a meal out of me / when you tie me up / I don’t want to be set free.”
As for the upcoming show, Nolan is appreciative for the opportunity to showcase his sounds and bless the stage with other talented bands.
“Anytime you can get a group of likeminded musicians together it’s an exciting vibe and I think you end up sharing fans and a community. That’s really important in the music business, being very saturated. There are so many artists out there and everyone is hungry to do their thing.”
Make sure to support your local artists down in Anaheim at the House of Blues on Dec. 30th for a night of music you’ll regret not hearing in person. Indie Ignite tickets are available at ticketmaster.com and the HOB box office.
Indie Ignited and Vestal Watch present Caught a Ghost with Livingmore, Apollo Bebop, Devil Season and DJ Ned Casual at House of Blues Anaheim 400 Disney Way #337, Anaheim, (714) 778-2583, www.houseblues.com/anaheim. $15 pre-sale, $18 at the door. 8:30 p.m. 18+.
Michael Silver is a journalist and photographer based in Southern California. He covers music, sports, technology, and streetwear. Tips & pitches: [email protected]
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