Seventeen Evergreen: Haven't Been Yourself
Seventeen Evergreen are cognitive computers, singers and multi-instrumentalists Caleb Pate and Nephi Evans, both now residents of a breezy land of lush trees and Pacific shores otherwise known as San Francisco, CA.
Living in a house sandwiched between a Deaf Senior Citizens’ residence and an Alcoholics Anonymous building, the guys had to look no further than their own front door for material for their forthcoming debut album ‘Life Embarrasses Me On Planet Earth’. And indeed, there is no finer example of this than their upcoming debut (limited release) single ‘Haven’t Been Yourself’.
The track is inspired by a schizophrenic neighbour who lived in constant fear of aliens equipped with heavy artillery and would seek Seventeen Evergreen HQ for refuge! In song, the band convey this thematically with an honesty about the human condition that everyone, at moments, can feel otherworldly or unnatural, almost with a sense of being encased in another’s skin. It is that sense of exploration of the psyche, and the worlds that influence and surround us, that makes listening to Seventeen Evergreen truly feel like you’re being privy to the inner workings of life through all its foibles, successes and, often, sufferance. As lead singer Caleb puts it, “We’re interested in expressing an Eno-esque nostalgia for the future, a message of escapist optimism amidst technological and financial meltdown, and a disappointment in humanity near and far.”
Allow yourself just a minute with the track playing, your headphones on and the lights dimmed and you’ll be greeted with the sirens of the forest, the stars in the sky, the vibrations of the ground dancing together in the ether to form an intricate yet consummate aural feast for your consumption.
Take a ride with extra track ‘Sufferbus’ & you’ll feel a rawer edge. Layers of growling guitars and keyboard sweeps, slinky drum patterns reminiscent of early funk innovators and ascorbic lyrics collude with more sonic youth, like the band were playing next to you in your living room….it’s another journey of mind & body!
In all, where others cough and splutter, Seventeen Evergreen float slowly and calmly along life’s path, savouring the beauty of every rose, tainted or otherwise, along the way.
