Leeward Fate

AN INSIDE LOOK INTO LEEWARD FATE by HAARVEY AARDVARK: One of my favorite bands on the Raleigh music scene has rather unorthodox ties to our fair city. Leeward Fate is a band with roots up and down the east coast, an original story from the islands, but emphatically insists that Raleigh is “home”. The members live in different states. The drummer, Tom Miller, is from Raleigh but lives in the Baltimore area now. The whole band comes together in Raleigh, though, every month for four or five days to spend time together working on material for the band. When they’ve been hiding in the studio working on new material together, you can always count on Leeward Fate to return home and share the fruits of their creation with us. I was fortunate enough to catch them at their December 2013 appearance at Deep South. As a friend of the band, I try to catch them whenever they are in town, and they always put on a great show. But this show was different. They have tapped into something special since the last time they were in town, and it was really coming out in the new songs they were trying out on us. The fan base itself has been catching on to this growth in the band’s sound, and is growing. Since Leeward Fate first formed in 2008, they’ve been criss-crossing the country and making new friends at every stop. It’s hard for anybody not to like them. You know that magical certain something that some places in this world seem to be imbued with? Saint Kitts, in the Leeward Islands, is one of those places. It just so happens that this is where the founding members of Leeward Fate first met and started collaborating on musical creations together. And something of that place’s magic seems to have become part of the band’s DNA, following them wherever they go, and captivating the audience. Whatever this magic is, the band members believe that it was fate that brought them all together in the Leeward Islands. Since 2008, the band has issued two LP’s and one EP, taking time to perform on tours covering the east and west coasts of the United States for every release. There is a third LP in post-production now, and the band has done some touring to test the new material out with fans. It will be released on July 22, 2014. The founding members of the band, Daniel Nickels (vocals, guitar), Tom Miller (drums, recording engineer), Jack Allison (bass, ukelele) found each other and started working together on Saint Kitts Island in 2008. Jack toured with the band into 2011, and was included on the first album. When his career in nursing took off, the band couldn’t handle just any bassist. Fate stepped in once again, and re-formed Leeward Fate with Richard McCorkell. Only forty-eight hours before embarking on a major West Coast tour, Richard learned two straight hours of material in a day, and nailed it. In April of 2012, Nickels and Miller invited Richard to join the band on a permanent basis. Leeward Fate’s new material marks a new direction for the power trio. They are playing ever more tightly together, with expert precision, and yet paradoxically have embraced more grit in their sound. Influences from genres such as blues rock, progressive rock, and funk are melded together into a flavor that is uniquely Leeward Fate. “Figure it Out” brings the funk. You can almost see Nile Rodgers and Bootsy Collins jamming with the band in your minds eye. This is the first indication that Leeward Fate is trying something new, reaching out in new directions and bringing their fan base along for a fun ride. Be warned: playing “Kokaine” while driving will almost certainly result in getting pulled over for maintaining excessive speeds. It’s just one of those songs. The rhythm section (Miller driving the drums like a stolen Lamborghini, and McCorkell power walking the bass guitar) is pushing you harder, combined with Nickels’ crunchy guitar riffs and growly vocals, you just won’t be able to help yourself. “Long White Robe” has a catchy riff, and if my sneak preview was any indication, this is going to be a favorite with the live audiences that Leeward Fate really engages with. This one pops, and you can pretty much count on all the ladies finding themselves powerless to resist shaking their butts to it. Then going in another direction, “Salt Life” begins with harmonious vocals before the instruments kick in. This is a fitting homage to the relaxed pace of life where the ocean licks the shores, and life seems a little simpler. The crunchy electric guitar heard elsewhere is traded for the sweeter sounds of an acoustic one, and the mood is notably lighter. Daniel Nickels -vocals, guitar. Tom Miller -drums, recording. Richard McCorkell -bass, vocals. Jim Hill -guitar (live).