Singer and songwriter Daniel Rice and bandmate Hayden Doyel originally formed Brim as a rootsy side project to their psychedelic hard-rock band Slow Season, now known as Westing. Shortly afterwards, Daniel’s wife ReNelle Rice joined the fold, playing keys and enabling the three part harmonies. They’ve got something magical going on, and it got them signed to Royal Oakie Records, with a debut album ‘California Gold‘ to be released digitally in Europe on May 20th, with a CD to follow in August.
For a debut record it’s a strong outing – full of lush pedal steel and the aforementioned vocal harmonies it’s well within the scope of what one might hope a West Coast rock-folk-country album might sound like. But here’s the twist, and it’s a delicious one: when writing the songs Daniel Rice looked to his core – he’s from the less glamorous Californian town of Visalia. Yeah, me neither. Taking his inspiration from this he set out to write an album for the overlooked nooks and crannies of California flyover territories, as a sort of metaphor. Not the postcard views of Malibu sunsets and sandy beaches, but the California of walnut orchards, rolling hills, and tule fog. He calls it ‘California Gold’, and when you take a listen to ‘Oleander’, the second single from the album, you’ll know why. No more hints about the sound – but we’re confident you’ll like it – it’s pretty much unconditionally guaranteed (note: this guarantee carries no monetary value…..)
