Today we’d like to introduce you to Christian Clark, Chaz Lamden, Jay Sanchioli, Kody Knode, Sebastian Rizo, Ida Naughton of Sight and Sages.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
Christian Clark:
Sights and Sages is a project that Chaz Lamden, Jay Sanchioli, and myself (Christian Clark) started in 2017. However, the story stretches farther still.
Jay Sanchioli and I have been playing in bands together since the seventh grade. We sat next to each other in middle school band class, we both played saxophone and talked about the music we liked. I recall telling Jay that I wanted to start a rock band – though I didn’t play any of the quintessential “rock instruments” and didn’t sing all that well. After school, Jay begged his Mom to let him take guitar lessons, but I convinced him to take up bass. Fast forward what feels like an eternity and here we are. Jay and I have not stopped playing since.
I went to the University of California, Berkeley and studied political science. While in undergrad, Jay, Kody, and myself all played in a ska band together. I commuted from the bay area to San Diego about two times a month in order to keep playing and keep the – now dead – project alive.
During my Junior year at Berkeley, I studied for a year at the University of Chile in Santiago. Chile. I was incredibly fortunate to have been afforded the opportunity to study abroad, and over the course of the trip gained a fresh perspective on music, art, and creation. I was inspired by Chilean culture, music, art, and nature. I learned to speak Spanish fluently, and worked on songwriting while I studied in Santiago and backpacked through Patagonia and the South of Chile.
After graduating from Berkeley, I applied to the University of San Diego Law School. I was determined to stay in San Diego in order to focus on music but wanted to continue studying law and policy. I will be graduating from USD this spring and I am planning on taking the California Bar exam in July.
Jay and Chaz graduated from San Diego State University with degrees in music. Through this connection, Sights and Sages were born.
After our first release, “doubleplus”, Sebastian, Kody, and Ida joined the band.
Sebastian Rizo is a professional audio engineer and producer that has worked on a number of awesome projects: https://www.sebastianrizo.com/. Chaz, Jay, and I recorded our first release, “doubleplus”, with Sebastian.
Kody Knode went to SDSU’s music school with Jay and Chaz, and as I mentioned previously, played in a ska band with Jay and myself throughout high school and undergrad. He is now an elementary school music teacher for San Diego Unified School District.
Ida Naughton also graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, and is now a Ph.D. candidate in Ecology at the University of California, San Diego. We never met in the bay area, though we attended Berkeley at the same time, but actually connected through craigslist in relation to a separate music project.
Now, the full group is Jay, Chaz, myself, Kody, Ida, and Sebastian.
Jay – bass
Chaz – drums/percussion
Kody – trumpet, vocals, percussion, keys
Ida – modified bass, keys, flute
Christian – vocals, guitar, saxophone
Sebastian is primarily involved in the writing, recording, mixing, and mastering, but also plays guitar and keys with us live from time to time.
Please tell us about your band.
Christian:
We make indie/alternative music. Here is a little blurb that I think captures some of what we do:
“Sights and Sages is an attempt to capture a dichotomy. The sound, in a seemingly contradictory manner, is both unique and accessible. It walks on a line of past and future; yet sounds like the very next step. Fuzzy, distorted bass meets retro synth textures, shimmering guitar, saxophone, trumpet, hypnotic rhythms, and clean catchy vocals. Sights and Sages manage to mesh polyrhythmic beats and alternative time signatures with progressive song structures and pop melodies in a way that doesn’t feel jarring or contrived: it grooves, it has emotion, it feels right. It’s unique and accessible; it’s another step.”
We are all inspired by different things. We all come to the table with different thoughts, emotions, experiences, and ideas. But ultimately, the collaborative writing and recording process synthesizes those disparate elements into something else entirely.
We all contribute to the writing process, but I write most of the lyrics for the group. My writing is heavily inspired by bands like Pinback, Gorillaz, Radiohead, Depeche Mode, Tears for Fears, Sonic Youth, etc. I also draw from my personal experiences and studies. I practice Zen Buddhism and I think that works its way in there too.
For example, our previous release “doubleplus” is a reference to the George Orwell novel 1984.
I don’t hope that people take anything specific away from the music per se. Our songs are all about “something” (that is to say that there is a deeper message communicated through the music and lyrics) but there is no correct or objective interpretation. Even the songwriter’s take on the song is inherently subjective. Music has had a tremendously positive impact on all of our lives, and it would be very cool if our work can contribute in some way to someone else’s.
We often hear from artists that being an artist can be lonely. Any advice for those looking to connect with other artists?
With regard to music specifically, going to shows is probably the best way to connect with other artists. Local bands play every night in every corner of town. You can also hear a lot of great local bands through the local programs at stations like 91x, 94/9, and 98.9.
That being said, we met Ida through craigslist, so there is really no wrong way.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
We play a lot of shows, so follow us on social media to keep up with our schedule. Our music is online as well, so check us out on iTunes, Spotify, YouTube, Bandcamp, Apple Music, Soundcloud, etc.
We will be releasing our first full-length in 2019, so stay tuned for that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://open.spotify.com/artist/0kxqzZh9ENnwIkE2S7ogZK?si=Oot7s5PURx-OglBRqDn2NA
- Email: sights.and.sages@gmail.com
- Instagram: @sightsandsages
- Facebook: facebook.com/sightsandsages
- Twitter: twitter.com/sightsandsages
- Other: youtube.com/sightsandsages
Image Credit:
Rick Perez – @goodtimerickphoto
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