By Christopher "Skip" Clark
Heads up Flagstaff, there's a new band
gracing the Arizona scene with a lineup full of names I am sure many of you will find familiar. The Low/Watts consist of Jesse Valenzuela, the initiating force of the group, along with Scottie Johnson on the guitar, both from the Gin Blossoms, Daryl Icard from Major Lingo on the bass, and rounding off this collage of musicians is Winston Watson who played drums with the Bob Dylan road band.
Now the Low/Watts are not breaking away from their respective compadres. The idea for the band came to Valenzuela after getting off the road with the Gin Blossoms and finding Johnson and himself with some down time. Wanting to play around a little, Valenzuela called up Icard to see about jamming. Out of the blue Watson called Valenzuela. Watson and Valenzuela knew each other from younger day, since Watson comes from Tucson. From this chain of events, Low/Watts was formed.
Valenzuela's original plan for gathering these guys together consisted of little more than a way to jam with some excellent musicians while the Gin Blossoms were not busy. However, after working with the others, he realized the group "sounded like a band," and on top of that they were having a great time. Though Valenzuela was still hesitant, the group decided to do a few shows, and the Low/Watts officially came into being.
Valenzuela describes the Low/Watts sound as "accessible with a dusty, twangier sound" than the Gin Blossoms, but still at its root level "rock music." Valenzuela approaches music in a "careful, haphazard way" as his musical desires constantly shift and redefine themselves. The Low/Watts, with their comfortable, loose environment, allow just that.
Future plans for the band include more studio time, touring in Arizona and New Mexico, and possibly writing a score for a major motion picture.
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