The beginning of Rums & Bumbletons is described like a poet's dream - a scrap piece of blank paper, a pen, and a drunken state of bliss in the dead of the night.
By the time the sun rose, the paper was still there, inscribed with the words "rums & bumbletons".
If it wasn't for original music, there wouldn't be any. That's the motto that Rums & Bumbletons have been living by since their inception in 1993. Perhaps the motto has lent itself to their longevity, perhaps some people really do like to hear original music.
Let me take you back to the beginning...Rums & Bumbletons began as an acoustic songwriting partnership between two young friends-of-a-friend. Dick Syn & Stone Catcherye. Coming from two totally different backgrounds, the two seemed to harness a fire everytime they played together.
Dick & Stone began as any other musician began, playing in their basement, their bedroom, their best friend's car, their girlfriend's parents' bathroom, but because they loved to create new sounds with new atmospheres. From the very beginning being inspired by rooms and space and the effect on the creative process. The signature of Rums & Bumbletons, unbeknownst to them.
Rums & Bumbletons breathes ambiance.
From 1993 to 1995, Rums & Bumbletons hit the road playing anywhere they could, often too young to be in the clubs where they were performing.
It was in 1995 where the two would create a band called Lie Fallow, which was nothing like their 2 piece acoustic outfit. Lie Fallow was a 5 piece modern rock band who, along the same lines of Rums & Bumbletons, dealt strictly with playing their own music. The few covers they did pull out were usually obscure. Lie Fallow was successful as far as local bands go, growing a very solid fanbase and landing the band on a television performance and some airplay on commercial radio. The band also employed guitarist Christopher Scott, drummer Kevin Marshall and bass player Travis Falls. It was this period that I call Dick & Stone's soul searching era, they had been writing songs, but nothing sounded more like them than their material from their 2 man acoustical jams. Lie Fallow grew apart, and soon disappeared into the mountains.
Late in 1996, Stone Catcherye, Dick Syn & Christopher Scott recorded a 3 song demo entitled Slow Loose Stone. The response from those who heard the demo was intense, and pushed them to fall back into their niche.
The year was 1997, Stone Catcherye was asked if Lie Fallow could perform live for a radio station in Los Angeles, California. Stone regrouped what was then called Lie Fallow, but would soon be known as the first Quintet of Rums & Bumbletons. Dick Syn, Stone Catcherye, Christopher Scott, Brandon Gibbons & Mic Nicosia. About 2 months after the radio show, the 5 dropped the Lie Fallow title and began playing steadily as Rums & Bumbletons, rearranging their acoustic numbers to incorporate a 5 piece band's sound. Rums & Bums first live show was as a three piece with a sit in bass player, Ronnie C. This live show was at a well known open mic show hosted by the one and only Ken Safety.
The vey next show was in Portland, Maine, and they had filled the vacant bass player slot with Christopher Scott, from the Lie Fallow radio show line-up. This show was a historic mark for the band because of a special listener in the audience, Bob Ludwig, of Gateway Studios. A huge inspiration to Stone in the realm of recording, engineering and mastering. It was a sign, it was meant to be.
By the end of 1997, Rums revisited their LA radio show line-up, but with a confidence that was untethered. Dick Syn on guitar, Stone Catcherye on vocals, Brandon Gibbons on guitar, Christopher Scott on bass, and Mic Nicosia on drums. The songs were translating well into five piece arrangements. Between 1997 and 1999 the band performed live on UCONN radio twice, performed at Toad's Place twice, once opening for The Watchmen, had write-ups in every one of their home-town newspapers, a write up in Northeast Performer Magazine, had been asked to be part of a write-up on MTV.com, and played a slew of shows in and around their home state of Connecticut. It was then that two members had parted ways with the band. Momentum was lost and the search for relacements ensued.
The two replacements were once again from their circle of friends, a bass player named J. French that jammed with Stone a couple times and a drummer known as James Clarke, who worked at the same recording studio as Stoney. The band once again began performing vigorously and getting their name out on radio and in the press, but as history tends to repeat itself, the fire fizzled out. I believe it was the tough task of trying to keep an original band going in an area that doesn't like to cater to original bands. That along with the musical inconsistencies of 5 different musicians all searching for their own "sound".
Rums split, but this time, not looking for replacements, but going their seperate ways. Brandon Gibbons has since been playing jazz and calls Seattle his base of operations. James & J. French disappeared back into life. Dick Syn began playing in a RapCore band called B-side with old Lie Fallow bass player Travis Falls. Stone Catcherye retreated to a cabin in the woods of his mind and fronted the band Seven, with Zamboni, James Clarke, Dave Fusaro and Bryan Youngblood.
From 2001 to 2005 little is known about Dick & Stone. The once insperable acoustic team did not see each other, did not get to speak to each other, but on rare occasions. Each of the two playing in their own respective outfits, Dick still playing in B-side and even fronting a band called The Nubabiks. Stone tried out a cover band, but realized it wasn't his "thing". He did however, get to play with Kram Ellavalled, a cousin of his who plays a mean bass guitar. He also played with Zamboni, ironically, the 2nd guitarist of The Nubabiks. This was the thread that would sew everything back together.
It was 2006, Stone went to Boston, Massachusetts to see a band called Tool and somehow in the sea of people ended up running into Dick Syn & Bside drummer extraordinaire, Delphi Finn. The chances of Dick & Stone running into each other were miniscule, but the effects are exponential. Delphi mentioned that he had heard some of the old rums demos, which his friend from high school, Mic Nicosia had played on. He raved that they were good and the three (Dick, Stone & Delphi) should get together and see what happens. Dick & Delphi were also playing with a bass player of the older Rums & Bumbletons days, J. French in The Nubabiks. Dick, Stone, Delphi and J. French felt good about the sounds they began to create, but J. French was forced to leave to put more time into a business venture. Who they would find to play, was more than in their circle of friends, he was a blood relative. Kramwell Ellavalled.
In 2007, 14 years after "Rums & Bumbletons" was first written down on a napkin beside Dick Syn's bed, after a drunken state of bliss. Rums & Bumbletons was back, with a fire and a fury like they've never known before. Their first show was at The Webster Theatre Undergound in Hartford, CT, a Battle of the Bands which they won, despite Stoney being sick with the flu. Their next show was at Toad's Place in a local band showcase, where they sold out of all of their demos for the first time. Their demos, which they recorded themselves at their rehearsal space on an 8-track machine with one microphone. I have to throw that in, because the sound is incredible, considering how it was recorded. It was the next week that R&B was offered their biggest show to date. Opening up for Blind Melon, one of Dick & Stone's biggest influences. It was happening again. It was meant to be. The band secured a spot on the main stage for the show by selling well over 100 tickets to the show. Rums also was featured as a featured artist on WCCC 106.9's homegrown show. The slot had the bands demo being played all week long on the station and helped immensely in their growing fanbase. A radio contract for CT gas stations was also inked at this time, putting the band's songs in rotation at a huge number of gas stations throughout Connecticut.
The strongest piece of this whole puzzle is the way the new line-up has bonded and is writing new material. They have a lock on how to write music and are determined at progressing as much as they can, but in a healthy manner. Rums & Bumbletons is far from being shy on determination and are poised within their excellent work ethics. At the moment, they are currently preparing to enter a local studio to record their catalog of new material and are setting goals to play a bunch of shows throughout New England and New York throughout the fall and winter.
yeah its a new one. i also did up the leg as well. if you go into my photos and click on the tat album the last three pics are all new work. and there is still more new work to come. ill stop over maybe sometime this weekend.
for the most part it's sunny...we are in hurricanre season,again,so 80%of the day is nice & sunny and then it down pours. how cool is it though...at 8 pm last night it was still light out it just finish raining and i got to see the most beutiful rainbow ever? thats pretty damn awesome! cant wait to see ya in august! muah
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Aww, I want to go see them again...Is the record store show acoustic?? The ones I've been to for other bands were always something different from the show they put on that night. That'd be friggin' awesome to go to!
