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By Laurie Heuston Mail Tribune August 27. 2015 9:00AM Tenacity pays off for The Evening Shades Left to right: Matthew Tayvis, Mark Thales, Justen Neilsen and Sam Kovic are The Evening Shades. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell It took tenacity for Medford rock band The Evening Shades to accomplish its first album, titled "Alright." After working on the new recording bit by meticulous bit in guitarist Sammy Kovic's recording studio, all was lost when the hard drive — and a backup drive — succumbed to an electrical power surge. "It was pretty tragic," says Matthew Tayvis, the band's bassist and keyboard player. "We were just getting it ready to put finishing touches on it." So about six weeks ago, they started from scratch — this time with Dennis Dragon at his Pacifica recording studio in Williams. And this time the songs were recorded live, capturing the energy of the band's live sound. "That sound was missing from the original work," Tayvis says. "What we had was pretty good, but we couldn't take another six or eight months to record it again." A lot of tiny edits had been made to the original recording to make it sound pristine and absolutely perfect, Tayvis says. "Dennis said we had to do entire songs in his studio without messing up once," he says. "That was different. We came in well-rehearsed because we wanted to nail it. We're not bad at what we do, so it only took a couple of days. Dennis' studio is the best around, and we wanted to get the best product we could." Kovic made a few tweaks in his Medford studio, then passed the material on to be mixed and mastered by engineer Josh Bierly at Reel Music in Grants Pass. The Evening Shades — Kovic, Tayvis, drummer and percussionist Justen Neilsen and acoustic guitarist and lead vocalist Mark Thales — will celebrate the new album with a show at 9 p.m. Friday, Aug. 28, at Howiee's on Front, 16 N. Front St., Medford. There will be no cover charge for the show. Call 541-773-5767. The band's original music takes cues similar to The Strokes, Muse and Blink 182. "They're straightforward rock artists that play catchy music and have good energy and sound," Tayvis says. "I love high-energy rock, and Justen is more into punk rock. Matt doesn't sound exactly like Julian Casablancas of The Strokes, but he does have a familiar voice. Which is not a bad thing. We definitely like to combine our favorite styles in the songs we write and arrange. It's what makes us who we are." About half the songs on "Alright" have been around since Tayvis and Thales began playing music together in 2012. One, "All About You," is a song that evolved from a soft, acoustic piece to a high-energy tune. "Some are stories, and some lyrics are more serious," Tayvis says. "Mark would say that lyrically the music is more sarcastic than the actual feel of the songs, like 'All About You.' We try to keep things fun, interesting and hopefully memorable." A few songs that have been around since the beginning didn't make it onto the album. The band was reaching for a set of tunes that would be in sync with its fun vibe. Newer songs include "Any Louder," "Here and Now," "Sacred" and "Forgive Me," to name a few. With "Alright" finally in hand last week, Tayvis is busy promoting the band. "Lonesome Seas" is one of three songs that were released early as singles, and it's getting positive response on Radio Airplay, an Internet radio service affiliated with CD Baby. Tayvis subscribes to sites that look for independent recording artists to feature in online magazines. "The album is something we can send to music blogs and get reviews," he says. "You never know what those reviews will bring. It could lead to a record label's attention. We've already got a U.K. magazine, Fireworks, featuring us." "Alright" also will help get a West Coast tour going for the band, and give audiences a little piece of the band's music to take home after shows. "This is just the start," Tayvis says. "We've got a good product, and our goal is to get it out there and start some creative buzz. No one will ever know about it if we don't keep working to promote it. Even though we've been playing together for awhile, I feel like we're starting now." http://www.mailtribune.com/article/20150827/ENTERTAINMENT/150829704 © 2015 Copyright © 1995-2011 Crain Communications Inc. All Rights Reserved. Terms of Use Privacy Statement -->