What do you get when you mix two parts Sleep Dealer; two parts Morning, Sexy; and Jake Shepard? Some might say you get the underwater-dance-party musical stylings of Guest House.
The five members of Guest House have been friends and occasional bandmates for a number of years. In October 2015, Patrick Swansborough (Sleep Dealer, Waking Up With Wolves), Shane Stewart, and Megan Huard (both of Morning, Sexy and Preacher’s Daughter) wanted to start a new project. They wrote a couple of songs together (“Click Click Woo” and “Sea Legs”) and quickly realized they were on to something good. Shane heard that Jake Shepard (The Whiskey Tooth Revival and Preacher’s Daughter) had recently learned to play drums. They recruited Shepard and added Tyler Huff (Sleep Dealer) as a third guitarist, and in February 2016, Guest House was born.
Stewart provides the band with its “really busy, dancey bass lines.”
“I try to write bass lines I think Ryan Groskreutz would like,” Stewart said. He’s also credited with writing the poetic lyrics in their songs.
“The way Shane uses words is really interesting,” Huff said. “More than what they mean, the way they flow together always sounds really natural.”
“The words I use aren’t super significant but the way they fit together sounds nice,” added Stewart. He finds inspiration in unusual places: repetitious bathroom sticker sightings, the St. George heat, the homeless roaming Las Vegas streets. These themes give Guest House a sense of hopeful anger.
Huard more than succeeds at bringing Guest House its sultry female power. Her dark, dreamy delivery provides an undercurrent of haunting sweetness. She is the siren that lures you to the bottom of the ocean and has her way with you while the rest of the band plays on, trying not to watch, peeking through their fingers clasped over their eyes as they dance around the spectacle they’ve created together, as a team.
Swansborough plays main rhythm guitar, powerfully driving the songs with his heavy chords. His charming falsetto and storytelling lyrics give the songs a dreamy vibe. He says that his lyrical inspiration comes from “past memories.”
“Learning how you got to where you are today,” Swainsborough said. “Accepting it whether it’s good or bad.” Right now is looking pretty good for Swansborough being in two of the most talked-about up-and-coming bands in the southern Utah music scene.
Shepard, southern Utah’s own rock/blues guitar aficionado has taken a backseat (literally) handing over the guitar strings to Huard, Swansborough, and Huff. He quickly learned to play the drums for this project and has rapidly excelled at the instrument, having only played for nine months. Is there anything this guy can’t do?
“Tyler does the twinkle daddy thing on guitar,” said Shepard. “Tapping. Harmonics. Basically lead guitar.” Huff’s quiet presence can go from ominous one moment to friendly the next. The unpredictability is part of the fun of observing him onstage. Kind of like sour patch kids. Or onions.
Having three guitarists and singers in the band has been less of a challenge than one might expect. They all fit beautifully in their respective roles, the payoff being layers of complex sounds coming together in a perfect stream of hypnotic harmonies.
Watching their live set, you get a sense of true camaraderie. The chemistry between them is undeniable. They have that telepathy between them that is necessary for any great band. The ability to act collectively as a band, coupled with each individual’s musical prowess, makes Guest House a force to be reckoned with.
They are currently in the studio with John Houston. All five members agree that recording with John has been nothing but a pleasure. They are grateful not only for his technical ability as an engineer but also credit him taking the anxiety out of the recording process. They are consciously taking their time, recording about one song a month. They want to put out a quality record that they can all be proud of.
They currently have four shows under their belt. They played their first show last June at the Busta Crack Shack followed by three shows on their home turf at Jazzy’s. They will play the main stage at the ever-popular George Streetfest on Friday, Sept. 2. On Saturday, Sept. 3, from 6 to 8 p.m., you can find them at Cafe Soleil in Springdale.
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