Golden Gram

Golden Gram is a man of many talents developed out of necessity. As a child he sang with his mother, so he learned the piano to accompany.Pianos aren't very portable so he learned the guitar.A friend's band needed a new drummer, so he learned the drums.After bad experiences in recording studios, he learned to record himself. He got offered DJ shifts, so he learned to do that too. Nowadays, he can do all of these things reasonably well. As the saying goes, "A jack of all trades, Master of None." Master of None was written over the last few years in between touring and recording with Rogue Wave, which he parted ways with in Spring 2009. It was recorded at Golden Gram's studio, LoveBuildingCompany, and at 3431 Harlan between 2002 and late 2008, in Oakland. "I made a $100 bet with a friend to have it finished by the end of 2008. I won that bet." What does it sound like? "A mix of the styles that made me a musician. I've struggled and since given up trying to define a sound. I've decided to embrace the differences." "I've written over 200 songs since 2000 and a lot of them aren't that great, but they were great exercises. I learned to just get them out and not pass judgment until after the creation. I was getting caught up worrying if an idea was good or not instead of actually realizing it. Immersion Composition Society helped a lot with that. It's like a writer's workshop for musicians. A group of folks spend a predetermined day writing and recording all new material, then you get together that evening to share your results. The idea is to write as many songs as possible in one day. You learn an awful lot about what your strengths and weaknesses are." Why 8 years since the first Golden Gram record? “Since I bought my first 8 track in 1997, I've always made my own records, it just took a back seat when Rogue Wave started gaining momentum and that was certainly a wonderful ride." Master of None was initially completed as a Christmas gift for family and friends in 2006. Soon after, he felt something about it wasn't quite right. "I needed help to make it feel cohesive. Louie Lino (Nada Surf) basically saved it. I had finished and since abandoned the record for a good while. We got to talking while on a European tour in 2008 and I convinced him to have a listen. He then proceeded to remix and play on 4 songs. His vision and enthusiasm inspired me to finish 2 others. Next thing I knew, I had what I thought sounded like a real record." When not working on his own music, Gram plays with as many of his favorite bands as possible. In the last two years he's played with Dr. Dog, Spoon, Nada Surf, and The Heavenly States. He is currently touring with Fruit Bats on the release of their latest album, Absolute Loser. He also plays drums and sings in East Bay Afro Cosmic outfit, Outer Embassy. When not playing music, he can be found DJing in the East Bay at the Missouri Lounge, Starline Social Club, Lost + Found, The Layover and more. At home he can be found hosting shows at Starline Social Club and producing music for commercials and film at his LoveBuildingCompany studio in Oakland.