Scoot Over L.A. and Make Some Room for Sunstorm

By: Wendy Wang

With so many L.A. bands out there, it is often hard to find that one special band who has the ingenious ability to produce the kind of music that makes a person want to groove, listen, and smile.

But once in a while, we stumble upon a band that is able to fulfill such tasks.

The band we speak of is Sunstorm. Formed in late 1999 by frontman/songwriter Jerrold Balcom, Sunstorm has that comfortable “let’s go on a road trip” look with their casual tee shirts and jeans.

Sunstorm is able to produce the kind of instrumental sound that combines dramatic guitar chords with mellow beat rhythms.

With more of an emphasis on the music than “the look,” this LA based band shrouds us with extended guitar solos and gravity-defying bass playing by Vietnamese-American bass player, Thien Tan Doan.

Sunstorm is not complete without organ master Blake Jordan and “racing the toms” drummer Shane Krauss.

By fusing good ol’ rock and roll tunes with spaced up guitar riffs, these boys meticulously work with melodic sounds and harmonic experimentation.

Stressing innovation, Sunstorm exposes us to intricate verbal metaphors, organ riffs with descending chromatic lines to create lament themes, and atmospheric touches that allow music listeners to sit on an emotion of their choosing.

We hear a voice that chokes with passion with the song, “Capital Crimes,” which can be found off of Sunstorm’s High Resolution EP. Not only does the song jump right out at you with bending bass playing and rich melodic guitars, but it also shines with vocal polyphonies.

“Before the Echo Hits" is one of Sunstorm’s debut full-length tracks that harbors dynamic song writing with subdued and melancholic harmonies. The spaciness of the music is unleashed with invigorating bass riffs that graciously incorporate elements of drift rock.

Finally, the recently recorded “Forces Align” takes groovy guitar riffs and hypnotic beats to accentuate the sounds of jangling guitars that engage both the musician and the listener into a warped world of atomic flux and explosive psychedelia.

Signed onto the British Rough Trade Records, Sunstorm, in a recent interview addressed the issue of music as an art form. Lead Sunstormer Jerrold told Asia Pacific Arts, “I think our music making process is art. I tend to like musical artists who take a chance and try to create something new with their art. A lot of people here in LA see music as entertainment, which is how you get bands that have no sense of art. I just think it is good to recognize music as an art form and try to take a little bit of risk and get something new out of it.”

When asked about what Sunstorm hopes to achieve with its music, bass cadet Thien said, "I hope we just come out with a really good product and hopefully some Asian kid will be wowed by it. I hope by seeing an Asian guy out there he or she will be moved by saying, 'Hey, I can choose a very non-traditional form or way of making a living. Someone else is doing it so maybe I can pursue that avenue as well.' So I’m hoping that being an Asian guy in the band will have a trickle down effect."

With a general love for music, Sunstorm take their music making process seriously. “We are not trying to be cool, we just love making music,” says Jerrold.

Thien adds, “Well, besides the fact that we are good looking (chuckles), we don’t approach what we do with a hip factor. We are not really scenesters who decided to form a band. We are just four guys who respect our form of making music."

As the interview draws to an end, Jerrold finalizes his response by saying, “As a musician, you have a deep need to hear music on a regular basis. If you don't hear it for a couple of days and then you hear a song you like, there's not a better feeling than that."

"Just believe in what you are doing. Have a little bit of faith in your final product,” says Thien.

It is confidence, determination, and basic passion for music that will take these boys to uncharted places. Standing irrepressible, these Sunstormers will soon be ready to conquer the world.

Be sure to check them out, as they will be touring major U.S. cities in the near future.

To find out more about Sunstorm go to: www.comeongohigher.com

June 4, 2003