Over the years Oregon’s Portland/Albany area has served up many compelling bands of interest, but none with the unique blend of positivity and indie rock musicality like that of A Dream Too Late. Forget any Northwest slacker overtones; when considering Tooth & Nail’s newest rockers, think more in terms like adventurous, creative, and empowering. The highly focused band stands out from acclaimed labelmates Falling Up, The Send and Run Kid Run for their particular sense of mission. True to their name, they promote the dreaming of dreams, even as they live out their own.
Reid Anderson (vocals/keys), Chris Eddie (guitar/vocals) and Garrett Pifer (bass/vocals) were playing in separate bands when their association with Falling Up first brought them together, but the commonality of their musical vision immediately synched them into a potent new unit. Hitting the Northwest tour circuit hard, their inventive blend of dynamic indie rock and vibrant lyricism soon garnered a groundswell of attention and die-hard fans. Recognizing multifaceted sonic strengths propelled by a unique vision, Tooth & Nail lined up producer Steve Wilson to bring the focused band’s own passionate dream into the reality of this captivating debut, Intermission to the Moon.
Reid Anderson partnered with Falling Up’s Jessy Ribordy and Steve Wilson to create 11 nuanceladen songs, reminiscent of impressionist art with its vivid imagery and intuitive sonics. From the first electronic strains of opener “14th & Knotts,” evocative urban images fly fast and furious, vibrantly portraying loneliness and regret while also offering encouragement, reminding us to “remember that the freeway takes you anyplace.” The uplifting message is close to the guitarist Chris Eddie’s heart. “There’s something for everybody, but sometimes we get lazy or feel hopeless and we need a message that says get up, get out there and make something of your life. It’s never too late,” he adds.
Call it the anti-slacker attitude, but it’s all over A Dream Too Late and their lush, melodic sound. Even their name springs from that spirit of redemptive hope. Eddie shares, “It’s kind of tricky to explain, but to me it means grace. You might be in a place that has you saying, ‘oh, it’s too late now. I’ve ruined everything.’ But it’s never too late. Grace means you can still follow your dream. Put your faith and heart into it, work hard, and your dream can happen. My dream is not too late, I’m living it now.”
The band members share their faith in God, but they know they are as dependent on grace as the next guy. Reid Anderson laughs, “We’re way less than perfect. We mess up all the time, and struggle just as much as those around us.” The band is committed to performing in every arena, reaching out to every listener with their timely message of hope and empowerment. The luminous and intensely honest songs of Intermission to the Moon will go a long way in doing just that, while acknowledging the circumstances that create our need. The howling title track, with its brawny percussion, forceful passion, and burning rhythms, bravely looks into the coldness of the culture, and the throbbing, wellcrafted “Be Honest” takes a bold look at relationship games. “Trendsetter,” with its wildly hooky chorus, vividly describes the high school hero who thinks he’s on top of it all. “I remember the school king,” recalls Anderson, “who played all the sports, and all the girls loved him. But inside, his heart was so empty, and after graduating high school, he’s still living back there, living off past glories and letting today pass him by. The line ‘take a look at yourself/all that’s left is a ghost,’ is written to the kids who aren’t king of the school, to encourage them to hang in there, and to be who they really are.”
A Dream Too Late offers up in Intermission to the Moon a melodic, intricate project sure to impact the airwaves in a big way, but even more importantly, one destined to impact lives significantly upon its November 6th release. Let the dreaming begin.
