Other musical hand lenders: Matt Johnson, Adam Fream, Andrea Zollo, Dana James, Cory Murchy, Steve Snere, Jake Snider, Rose Johnson, Evan Morris, David Knudson, Morgan Henderson, Joel Cuplin, ...plus more to come!
Playing guitar for Ninety Pound Wuss at Seattle’s historical all ages club Velvet Elvis in Pioneer Square back in the late 90s, John Spalding was a tall, handsome, blonde, and sleek panther of rock and roll strength and class. His strong hands squeezed out harsh walls of noise from his instrument and then created sinuous, multi-layered melodies that were both catchy and weird. Within just a couple years, Goth-meets-hard rock, -meets-post-punk “arty hardcore” evolved with NPW and the more intense Botch and soon we were all thrilling to harsh post-hardcore to more pop-accessible bands like Blood Brothers, Pretty Girls Make Graves, These Arms Are Snakes, Minus The Bear and others. John was a contemporaneous creative inspiration for those bands as much as he was a brother to many people in them.
Soon John was working on material that was very different from the abrasive angst of his work with Jeff Bettger, leader of NPW, and their next band, the notorious performance art-infused Raft Of Dead Monkeys. It was, well, funky and strange and yet still fully rock and roll. It was art-rock made by a sweet spirit, positive and almost searingly honest. It would be called LoveLand, the album itself tagged "The Beautiful Truth."
Flash forward to a few months ago, and John, who has been suffering from terminal cancer that originated in his colon and spread to his lungs after almost uncountable rounds of chemo, got back in touch with many old friends. He had been working with many beloved comrades on a collection of songs he’d been writing since those late 90s days, but fully fleshed out by musicians from the above bands, and mixed and mastered by Matt Bayles (Minus The Bear, Botch).
In songs like the gorgeous and gut-punching “Father” (about his wife Jody’s losing her father while he was on tour and couldn’t be there at home to comfort her), the typically (for him) loving affirmation “Girl Get Pride,” the get-high-on-the-roof-as-the-sun-rises anthem “Beautiful Girls Have Beautiful Apartments” (about hanging out with Jody when she went to art school in Boston), LoveLand’s “The Beautiful Truth” has the kind of soul that indie rockers don’t even usually attempt. It reminds me of when I first heard Betty Davis, and when I was publicizing her first two albums for Light In The Attic -- this is a merger of organic rock with electronic dub, entirely unique and compositionally daring.
“I’m not afraid of anything, that’s why the album is called ‘The Beautiful Truth,’” John Spalding says about the twelve song odyssey. John wrote much of the material on their only released full length “Thoroughlev,” and now he is finally putting out a solo work that is anything but solo.
John’s beloved friends from bands Minus The Bear (singer Jake Snider), Pretty Girls Make Graves (Andrea Zollo), These Arms Are Snakes (Steve Snere and Chris Common), Botch (Dave Knudson), Morgan Henderson (ex-Blood Brothers, Past Lives), well-known recording geniuses like Bayles (Pearl Jam, Mastodon, Minus The Bear, Heather Duby, Isis), Ben Verellen (Helms Alee), and Common (Minus The Bear, These Arms Are Snakes). Bayles mixed and mastered the entire album, and one of the places it was recorded was at legendary Litho due to the grace of its owner Stone Gossard, who blessed John with donated (expensive) studio time.
Andrea Zollo, the vocalist from PGMG and now drummer for Triumph of Lethargy Skinned Alive to Death, sings on the album. She describes his music as “eclectic and beautiful as he is. He is a sick guitar player! He is incredibly passionate about music and people and life, and I think that comes through in the songs. He is completely submerged. John has such an incredible uplifting energy about him, like standing next to the sun. I can feel that energy come through in his music as well. It is honest. And honesty and candor is something that he really taught me to value over the last year.”
Ben Verellen (Harkonen, Helms Alee) recalls seeing a tumultuous show John was playing when he first met him. “I'm not really sure when I first met John, but one occasion sticks out in my memory. I think sometime mid to late 90s, Raft of Dead Monkeys played a show with a band I played in, Harkonen. I remember the venue was a short lived spot in downtown, and somebody forgot the keys that day. While all of the bands waited on the street, somebody broke in a window or something and we had the show. I remember John having a bizzare, awesome guitar style, and rocking the fuck out.”
“He is dealing with some pretty heavy subject matter and while it is serious, there are uplifting moments in the music to offset the serious side of the album,” is how album catalyst and overseer Bayles puts it. That simple explanation leaves room for the listener to invest their heart into it, and “The Beautiful Truth” rewards that investment.
We will be playing the Showbox Sodo Northwest Music Expo on Saturday August 29th, its only 5 bucks to get in, its all ages and will go from noon until after midnight. Hope to see you there.
John Spalding's Loveland "Beautiful Truth" also available at Blackbird in Seattle for $10. (+tax if in state) We can ship to any country the law allows us to. Call 1-866-500-2524 or email Adam@blackbirdballard.com for more details, all proceeds go to the medical fund.
John was a great friend to us all and we would love to spread this wonderful gift of his on to others. -Adam
I'm missing you john. I know your spreading your heart and soul in LoveLand. I realize more and more every day what an important mark you have left on me. Living with you and Jody was the best time. God bless you and your family.
The Beautiful Truth arrived at my house today. My dear friend, we miss you more than we could ever explain. Without you I would never imagine there was a place called LoveLand. I hope I make it there.
John didn't know us from squat, saw a show, wrote us a letter offering friendship and something to eat if we ever were on the road and hungry. Who does that? What a nice guy he was.
I made copies of your recipes and shared them with all your friends at VM John. Thinking about you and remembering you...your music lives on...LoveLand indeed..
met john way back in 97/98 or so at a 90 lb show in fort smith, arkansas. they crashed my house and we stayed up late talking about doing a cross country camping trip. i still have the piece of paper that he left his number on, and we chatted a few times through the years. rest in peace john. my love to his family.
After losing such a wonderful person and great friend, it';s necessary to push on and help the family with the massive expense that goes along with a family member dying of cancer. John has been a great friend to multitudes of people in the music and art community over the last 10 plus years, and no one wants to hear of anymore hardships for his wonderful wife and family.
Dates have begun to be booked for a series of benefit shows to help ease the burden of their expenses.
The 1st Confirmed Date is: Saturday January 3 at the Comet tavern, show TBD
I'm sure lots of friends are eager to help and do what they can for the cause, and I would hope that all attempts at raising money from the smallest effort to the greatest, work in tandem to get the word out and do the most good.
If you would like help by playing a show, help organize this cause or help organize a event feel free to email benefitforspaulding@gmail.com
I feel privileged to call John my friend. What an amazing man who will be missed by so many. I look forward to seeing with him again in heaven..... thanks for sharing your life with me John, I love you brother.
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