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Last year when the Far West band went looking for a place to record they settled on the American Legion post in Encinitas. “Our drummer, Tony Sanborn, he lives down just south of Oceanside,” says Lee Briante. “His mother works in the kitchen at the American Legion.” Far West played their first shows in the hall after the band formed more than a year ago.
“Tony said, hey can we play? And they [legionaries] said sure. They were interested in having the entertainment. They opened the doors to us.” Far West would spend the next six to eight months honing their material in front of a willing audience of primarily senior citizens who are veterans, or relatives of veterans.
“When it came time to record, they were more than open and willing and said sure, come on and use the stage.” Briante likes the room, the tall ceilings, and the sound. “But they said they wouldn’t close up for us and that we would have to work around them.” He describes clinking glasses and deliveries and voices in the background of the recording.
“But we like that, we like the whole spirit of working live rather than in a sterile studio environment.”
The Far West band are an alt-country quartet based in Los Angeles, although Sanborn still lives near Encinitas. “Americana. That pretty much defines us,” says Briante, a singer/guitarist from Eagle Rock, a community north of L.A.
“They have us back every month or so. It’s a lot of fun to go down there and play.” And it’s a good no-pressure venue, he says, to test new material. “They’re very open and they give us feedback right away.” And then, there is the ambiance factor. “It’s kind of half a surf town and half a biker town.” He thinks the building itself may have been a military barracks at one time.
Has the Legion atmosphere in any way informed Briante’s songwriting or the band’s performance? “We all agree in the band that having that venue outside of LA, where it can be just a drag to play some times, is great. L.A. people have their arms crossed and there’s a lot of judgment going on.” He describes the Legion as having a honky-tonk vibe. “Everybody has a good time and nobody’s judgmental. In L.A., it’s not so easy to have fun.”
http://youtu.be/kjWPQgLjvWA
Briante says Far West will likely come back to the American Legion to record their next CD. Since there is no official stage, the band moves a pool table and sets up in a corner. But for purposes of recording, they spread out. “The drummer was in the dining hall, the bass player was in the kitchen, and I was in the bingo room.”
In addition to digital release, copies of The Far West's self-titled CD are available at the Encinitas American Legion post.
Last year when the Far West band went looking for a place to record they settled on the American Legion post in Encinitas. “Our drummer, Tony Sanborn, he lives down just south of Oceanside,” says Lee Briante. “His mother works in the kitchen at the American Legion.” Far West played their first shows in the hall after the band formed more than a year ago.
“Tony said, hey can we play? And they [legionaries] said sure. They were interested in having the entertainment. They opened the doors to us.” Far West would spend the next six to eight months honing their material in front of a willing audience of primarily senior citizens who are veterans, or relatives of veterans.
“When it came time to record, they were more than open and willing and said sure, come on and use the stage.” Briante likes the room, the tall ceilings, and the sound. “But they said they wouldn’t close up for us and that we would have to work around them.” He describes clinking glasses and deliveries and voices in the background of the recording.
“But we like that, we like the whole spirit of working live rather than in a sterile studio environment.”
The Far West band are an alt-country quartet based in Los Angeles, although Sanborn still lives near Encinitas. “Americana. That pretty much defines us,” says Briante, a singer/guitarist from Eagle Rock, a community north of L.A.
“They have us back every month or so. It’s a lot of fun to go down there and play.” And it’s a good no-pressure venue, he says, to test new material. “They’re very open and they give us feedback right away.” And then, there is the ambiance factor. “It’s kind of half a surf town and half a biker town.” He thinks the building itself may have been a military barracks at one time.
Has the Legion atmosphere in any way informed Briante’s songwriting or the band’s performance? “We all agree in the band that having that venue outside of LA, where it can be just a drag to play some times, is great. L.A. people have their arms crossed and there’s a lot of judgment going on.” He describes the Legion as having a honky-tonk vibe. “Everybody has a good time and nobody’s judgmental. In L.A., it’s not so easy to have fun.”
http://youtu.be/kjWPQgLjvWA
Briante says Far West will likely come back to the American Legion to record their next CD. Since there is no official stage, the band moves a pool table and sets up in a corner. But for purposes of recording, they spread out. “The drummer was in the dining hall, the bass player was in the kitchen, and I was in the bingo room.”
In addition to digital release, copies of The Far West's self-titled CD are available at the Encinitas American Legion post.