Our Own Yokos

“What should we call ourselves?” – a question of which can be the bane of any artist’s existence. The record is done, the outfit is complete, all that’s left is a name. So many suggestions… Too cute? Too wordy? Not reflective of the music? Such isn’t the case with Staten Island’s newest power trio Our Own Yokos (Brian Buchanan, Shaun Gold, Cole Rice) – the band’s name was set years before they ever played a note.

“Brian (Buchanan) and I were discussing The Beatles – as we usually do,” recalls vocalist and guitarist Shaun Gold. “Not only does Yoko Ono get a bad rap, she also brought some of the most emotional and visceral feelings out of John; something the world overall became better for. I think we all saw that on full display during the latest Peter Jackson documentary. In our opinion, everyone should have their own Yoko.”

However, not completely sold, Brian and Shaun kept a running list – which some say is still going – of countless possible titles for their new project. In the end, with drummer Cole Rice now in the fold, they returned to the ship that launched a thousand names. No frills, no sugary lingo, just a name and an idea which accurately describe what some call the “cutest band in Staten Island.” Cutest? Well… it’s possible. A band with grit, melody, panache, and a keen sense of direction? That is not up for debate.

When Brian and Shaun met back in 2013 through a mutual friend, trading Beatles and Zeppelin licks through the night, the two instantly realized that they would be making music together in perpetuity. It’s rare to see such a connection, made even more apparent on stage as the two weave entrancing improvised moments through the group’s tight and brash set of original songs.

Completing the group is drummer extraordinaire Cole Rice, taking a wide range of influences from hip-hop, to jazz, to jam band, and serving up a hot dish of thunder power to complement Buchanan’s punching, driving low end. It’s no surprise to see the underlying chemistry as the trio have been working the Staten Island music scene since high school, soaking in the lessons their predecessors left in their wake. Once the eyes start darting… the three instrumentalists on stage beginning to synch up their engines and tune in to each other… a special moment is guaranteed to take place.

The Staten Island three-piece wastes no time kicking right into debut single “Sir Chunk,” out on all streaming platforms on February 3rd via Galloping Root Publishing. Drum, bass, and electric keyboard jumpstart the track, throttling from zero to sixty as Gold’s gruff, towering vocals take over. Building up through the chorus, “Sir Chunk” reaches another gear as big guitars and backing vocals blossom from within the tight unit, introducing a breezy yet powerful dimension, taking you from the heart of Staten Island onto a speeding bullet train rocketing down the California coastline.

To coincide with the release of “Sir Chunk,” Our Own Yokos will be hosting a show at Hop Shoppe on 372 Van Duzer Street, SI NY, presented by Jeff Enrage. Featured on the bill are Cl3ctic, Modern Day Machines, and The Specialists, all of whom are part of the ever-fostering music community of Staten Island.

“That’s the thing, we just want to play songs we want to hear,” Gold reveals. “Sometimes, bands can get in their own heads about what they want to do, or who they want to be. With the Yokos, there’s not a lot of trying, or forcing. It’s so easy to just be who we are, because that’s enough. We’re a rock band, and we just love what we do. No frills.”