Nitetides

As we spin endless circles around the sun, it is the moon that pulls each of us. Our bodily rhythms, our moods, the patterns of our behavior are all affected by wax and wane of this celestial sphere. Its cosmic sway is present by day and by night. Nitetides seeks truth in the night. Nitetides began as the soul jazz project of vocalist Nailah Middleton and bassist Alex Hamberger. Nailah grew up in Los Angeles, and was involved in church music from an early age. As she grew older, she found the stories told in African American folktales and fantasy books irresistible. The playful music of Eric Satie and film scores of Joe Hisaishi filled her mind with colorful harmonies and vivid storytelling ability. Hailing from Milwaukee, WI, Alex was bathed in live music from an early age. His parents took him to concerts of all types: symphonies and rock shows, his sister’s choir performances and an all-tuba Christmas show. He played in his church and his school band, and began forming original groups by age 15. The pair met in 2014 while attending the California Institute of the Arts, and it wasn’t long before their joint appreciation for bands like Zero 7, Hiatus Kaiyote, and Little Dragon led them to writing together. Over time, their sound emerged as narrative and lyrical while exploratory and open for improvisation. Sci-fi novels, tarot cards, the sun, and the planets became their inspiration, and Middleton and Hamberger assembled the right group of players to help channel the sounds of the sky. A child of many locations and cultures, Evan Montgomery grew up listening to doo-wop and oldies that his father would play. As he learned to play the guitar, stranger sounds began to fascinate him. The sound an old TV makes when the tubes pop to life. The echo of tires winding down an empty street. For him, every sound travels a different path and carries with it a little bit of love and magic from the world. In college, he studied jazz, classical, new and world music, and in Los Angeles, he has found many cohorts to make weird noises with. Nick Hon grew up on the outskirts of Los Angeles and has had the opportunity to get to know music from several cultural perspectives. He started playing at the age of 5 and has been fortunate to make music his lifestyle. Holding a Bachelor’s degree from the California Institute of the Arts, he plays the drums in a way that is informed as much by improvised music as it is by composition. Nitetides has been playing together since late 2015. Their forthcoming releases were recorded at Beacon Street Studios in Venice, California. As they continue to grow as a cohesive unit, they will reach beyond the stars to inform their alternative soul jazz sound. Sounds from the soul of the sky.