There are some bands that just sound effortlessly ethereal.
Baltimore´s psych-rockers Mt Royal definitely fall - or rather, swirl - into that category. “It sounds cheesy,” guitarist Woody Ranere tells MusicRadar, “but the few times we played together it really felt like our energy matched, and we had to explore it.”
Formed when Woody´s instrumental group recruited Celebration vocalist Katrina Ford, Mt Royal´s collective experience shines through in celestial beams.
“The big thing was just setting up a minimum practice schedule and sticking to it,” says Woody. “Then, every week, you see things start to grow.”
Their debut EP, produced by Dave Fridmann, is out on Bella Union, which should be endorsement enough for fans of empyrean guitar tones. “My main guitar is a ´71 Mustang,” says Woody. “It has a really bell-y sound. I wanted just enough to push the song along but to let the vocal and the bass be the driving melodic instruments.”
Playing “sonic helper” has proven to be a dream role. “I´ve been a singer in other bands,” he says. “And it´s always more stressful. This is more like a treat!”
For more information visit the official Mt Royal website, or connect with the band on Facebook and Twitter.
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