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54 Seconds Bio (Austin, TX)

54 Seconds was born in Southern England but burst out as a musical force in Austin, TX in the late 1990's. Best described as psychedelic-pop headphone music with swirling guitar textures and freakish keyboards, the band renders excellent melodies, heartening lyrics and eerie, otherworldly atmospheres that wrench the gut of the listener. Finely crafted songs take darker topics and universal themes and deepen them with emotional arrangements that speak directly to each fan. "I can't write generically," maintains vocalist Spencer Gibb. "For me, it's all about personal experience, even if it's not my own. Songwriting allows me to channel that emotion and establish a connection with my audience."

Gibb and his band mates, Rachel Loy (bass), Stewart Cochran (keys) and Jeff Botta (drums) bring widely disparate influences to the table to create their original sound. Everything from jazz and funk to pop and vintage prog rock impact the players and their compositions. Each member has played with other bands in a myriad of musical styles. Son of the Bee Gees' Robin Gibb, Spencer is both a music and film producer, having created several noteworthy videos for the band. "Better?" (off critically-acclaimed album Coma) won the SXSW Film Festival Jury Award for Best Music Video and is currently in rotation on MTV Europe. A performer from a very young age, singer-songwriter-multi-instrumentalist Rachel has appeared on NBC's Today Show and had a Billboard-charting hit song in 2003. Stewart plays piano for ballet and modern dance performances. Largely improvised, he records these sessions for possible use in future 54 Seconds songs. Jeff is involved in countless side projects around Austin, moonlighting not only as a drummer but also as a vocalist and music teacher. This band is a dynamic force to be reckoned with.

Having had years of residencies at various notable Austin clubs as well as playing a few shows in NYC, 54 Seconds' catalogue includes three full-length indie releases, an EP, three music videos and numerous live albums. Fans and music critics alike continued to embrace each new project, and with the rise of internet promotions in the past decade the band has been able to gather a diverse global audience. Their music can be heard on broadcast and web-based radio stations around the world, including KGSR in Austin.

With the completion of their fourth full-length album, Postcards from California, 54 Seconds is poised for the nation-wide and international stage. Publishing giant, BMG Music, has signed the band to a long-term deal. "We never talked about a vision for our music or did this for the sake of anything other than making it sound great," says Spencer. "We've always played because we connected personally as well as musically. And looking back on everything we've created, it's obvious that we've evolved incredibly as both musicians and writers."

-- June 2007 - Rock Ridge Music

This page was updated June 20, 2008.
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