the overdubs

the overdubs are American rock duo Ryan Townsend and Justin Landis whose unguarded lo-fi folk/rock about living in the wasteland of post-Trump hopelessness is sonically restless, cautiously pessimistic and draws its inspiration from the best in the American songbook, unafraid to aim for the top corner. Ryan and Justin are punk and indie-rock culture veterans who write songs, raise goats, and literally fight crime. They always spell the band name in lower case.

“The result of musical soul-baring, concerned with sickness and facing death, can make the first listen awkward, like sitting next to a stranger who’s just a little too close. It’s worth a second listen, a third - because then it’s not a stranger anymore, and the closeness is suddenly poignant, reaching into something quiet and unspoken until now.” - the glorious hum (Hype M)

Ryan’s musical journey started when he heard Nirvana’s In Bloom on a school trip to an amusement park. He started a band with Justin and the pair have been inseparable since their teens, weathering life’s ups and downs and playing music together. They were even best men for each other’s weddings. They are currently separated by 1,000 miles between Fresno and Sandpoint, but continue to make music with Ryan playing guitar and singing, while Justin plays drums, bass, guitars, lap steel, banjo, ukulele, harpsichord and sings as well. Influenced by the music of Elliott Smith, The Replacements and Wilco, as well as Bowie, Sparklehorse, Pavement and Daniel Johnston, the overdubs are grizzled rock veterans who occasionally shave rather than have white beards.

Through the years, the overdubs have had a rotating cast of collaborators, but the core of the band is Ryan Townsend (vocals, guitars) and Justin Landis (every instrument in the studio). The band’s full-length debut Here is Where We Are, a collection of lo-fi, spontaneous and starkly personal songs, was released in 2006 and, since then, the overdubs have remained active, on and off, in releasing music and touring. In 2017 they curated a compilation, Prevention Songs, to benefit anti-human trafficking organizations. Their song Freetown is inspired by Townsend’s work with the ONE Campaign, advocating for world leaders to increase access to education and healthcare for women in places like Sierra Leone. “This is a song dedicated to a woman I’ve never met, who lives in a place I’ve never been.”

For Fans of Better Oblivion Community Center, Death Cab for Cutie, The National, Wilco, Arcade Fire, Cold War Kids, Dayglow, Modest Mouse, The Shins, Phoenix, Vampire Weekend, Joseph Arthur, John Craigie, Joseph, Marshall McLean, Bart Budwig, Shook Twins, Nada Surf, Super Sparkle and Franz Ferdinand

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