Description
From Denver, Colorado, Mega Gem is the quirk-pop brainchild of songwriter Oliver Holloway. Since 2010 the band has operated as a kind
of musical hostel, with members drifting in and out, each adding their
own spice to the Holloway’s song-stew. At the core, Mega Gem’s songs are
a sonic tapestry of indie-punk sensibilities and cacophonic anthems.
The band’s numerous cast of characters transform the music into a
ramshackle symphony of unbridled eclecticism. The musical equivalent of a
confetti cannon, often decorated by the charming whimsy of
nine-year-old bandmate Mia Bandy.
Mega Gem’s 2012 debut album, Colors Of The
West, featured more than 40 musicians, and was hailed by Denver Westword
as “a hyper collection of anthemic melodies and ascending choruses that
maintain their rock simplicity in the presence of such an epic
collection of instruments.” In the years that followed Mega Gem slimmed
down to a core group of Holloway, Clark Walker, Jenn Rahn, Tomas Campos,
Davy Timm, and Mia Bandy (who had to sit out bar shows and be
accompanied by her mother on tour).
Once shaved down to a six-piece, various members of the band began
writing and contributing their own songs to the group. Following this
renewed burst of creativity, Mega Gem took their merry band of
troubadours on the road. In February 2015 Mega Gem will release an EP
that was recorded live at their show in New York City during their
summer 2014 tour.