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Though raised in the small coastal town of
Cambria, CA, Van Pierszalowski spent all of his summers on
Kodiak Island in Alaska, where his father works as a commercial
salmon fisher man. Every summer, Van would (and still does)
go up North to work on his father's boat, the Shawnee. The
work is intense (20 hr. work days, weeks after weeks without
touching land, no showers or toilets, stormy seas), but ultimately
rewarding (beauty, inspiration, and money). During
the summer of 2005, Van took the inspiration from his time
spent at sea and started composing the songs that now make
up their debut offering, The Wind and The Swell, and named
his band Port O’Brien after a now-abandoned cannery site where
his parents met in the late '60s. The musical attributes of
the resulting collection of songs showcase the paradox between
the band's ferocity and its tenderness. The male and female
vocal counter point and the urgent rushes of instrumentation
mid-song meet with the gentle strum of acoustic guitars and
wistful imagery of the sea. These songs present music as a
document of experience; shot through as they are with pathos,
imagination, enthusiasm, and warmth.
Over the past couple of years, Port O'Brien has evolved into a full 4-piece band, and currently performs
all around California. Onstage, their youthful vigor (the
average age of the members is 21) compliments their folkish
sound in a way that feels exciting and new, as if Cap’n Jazz were translating a set of Will Oldham’s most approachable
material.
Port O’Brien have recently shared the stage
with Bright Eyes, Modest Mouse, Vetiver, Man Man, Akron/Family, Little Wings,
Frog Eyes, and many others. The band has also appeared at the UK’s Bestival and the End of the Road Festival. They are embarking
on their first full US tour this fall.
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