4/29/22
Contact: Barbara Western or Bryan Baxter - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
571-331-2307 or 571-331-2306
Koshari Releases “The Deep Divide” “a jaw-dropping 9 song concept album”
Released Date: April 28, 2022 - Release show on May 13, 2022 at DC's Black Cat w/ Yes Vacancy and supporting Video for their single “Storm.”
Celebrating the release of their 5th full-length album ’The Deep Divide’, DC's Koshari crafts music that is packed with beauty, atmosphere, and substance. The band blurs the lines between shoegaze, alt-rock, noise, and indie-pop, centering around the attributes of spacey, effects-drenched swirls of bands like My Bloody Valentine and Beach House - framed with a bit of aggression and heaviness.
During the pandemic, Koshari concentrated their creative skills on writing, recording, and mixing this new release. The songs take leaps forward both lyrically and musically -- melding all of their elements into their best release to date; meshing themes of Villains and Superheroes with the emotion of current political commentary.
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Look for them in the DC area and up and down the Eastern seaboard. And keep your ears open.
Learn more at www.koshari.bandcamp.com or here.
Contact: Barbara Western or Bryan Baxter
4/11/22 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
571-331-2307 or 571-331-2306
Koshari Releases “The Deep Divide” “a jaw-dropping 9 song concept album”
Released Date: April 28, 2022 with supporting Video for their single “Storm.”
FALLS CHURCH, VA, April 11, 2022— Alternative rock band Koshari, releases a long-awaited and emotionally-charged concept album. The band has written this specific collection of songs about superheroes and villains, capturing the political struggle many have witnessed over the last few years, and crafted the tracks to fill you with passion and empathy . The album’s 9 riveting songs are being released solely on vinyl and digital on BandCamp at this time. A release celebration will be held in the DC area with date and venue TBD (Covid-permitting).
Barbara Western, vocalist and songwriter for Koshari, toiled over lyrics to hit on elements that describe the unique aspects of attaining power and the implications of that power -- all while rolling in elements of what has been crashing all around the world politically over the last several years.
Western spoke of the lyrical writing process, “writing lyrics during this tumultuous time allowed me to vent some deep emotions about the current villains I see in the world today.” “It isn’t about good vs. evil, but about how one chooses to use power.”
The songs are melodic, driving, and filled with layers of sonic textures, reflecting the signature style of guitarist and songwriter Bryan Baxter. With this record, Baxter produces lush, spiraling soundscapes of noise throughout intricately-woven tunes, and Western’s powerful, lustrous vocals wind throughout, both above and below the surface.
“Everyone worked really hard to capture themes for this release. It was really wonderful to work with J. Robbins on recording and mixing as he shared our vision for the music,“ Baxter said.
Bass player David Gassmann adds, “We started recording this album with the most obstacles and ended with the least. It is by far our best recording ever.”
Drummer Brian Moran says, “Hearing the final versions of the songs was so gratifying. We all brought our best efforts both individually and as a group.”
Side A of this new release (the “superhero” side) was recorded at 38 North Recording Studios in Falls Church, VA by Sean Russell. Side B (the “villains” side) was recorded at The Magpie Cage Recording Studio with J. Robbins, who then mixed the entire record. Moran performed on 8 of 9 tracks. Harry Glee Evans performed on Track 4, ‘The Phoenix’. All of the tracks were mastered by Chad Clark at Silver Sonya.
Koshari is planning shows in the DC/Baltimore/Richmond area to support the release.
Koshari is a four piece, alternative rock band from the DC area. This is their six release, their fifth full-length album, and second concept album.
Learn more at www.kosharimusic.com and www.koshari.bandcamp.com.
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MEDIA: PLEASE ALSO VISIT OUR 'PRESS' & 'VIDEO' TABS FOR MORE MATERIALS, OR TO VIEW OUR VIDEOS.
Below are the private (not public) links to our lyrics & music from 'The Deep Divide'
SILVER SPRING – The Fillmore managed to keep the lights on and the amps blasting at the Local Rock Series concert on June 29, despite a severe thunderstorm raging outside that knocked out power to more than 1 million people around the D.C. Metro area.
The inclement weather may have lowered overall attendance, but those patrons that did show enjoyed the eclectic lineup of The Grey Area, Koshari, New Day Dawn and The Knolly Moles; all for less than the price of your average movie theater ticket.
"This was one of the best sound systems we’ve ever played,” said Koshari’s youngest member and bassist, David Gassmann, 25. He likened the band’s sound to “shoegaze” – a genre of rock featuring a lot of special effects and reverb – “but with some muscle, and not quite as drifty.”
Guitarist and Koshari co-founder Bryan Baxter said he likes to refer to the band’s music as “stadium indie,” although he said he’s also heard it called “nightmare pop.” Koshari, Baxter said, is the name of a Hopi Indian spirit known as a Kachina.
“We’re dark and heavy, but if you really broke it down, there’s pretty stuff in there. It’s sad, but hopeful,” he explained.
His wife, Barbara Western, sings for the band. The pair met at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C. in 1996. Bryan was playing an eight-string bass back then and decided to pick up an old, hand-painted guitar that he found in the corner of Wester’s room and began testing out different tunings. He admitted, “if you asked me to play someone else’s songs, I couldn’t.”
Western, a former journalism major, handles most of the songwriting and said she tries to write in a “semi-poetic, impressionist-like style.” Bryan’s favorite song off their last album, “Light in Dark Places,” is titled “Blue” and refers to their (then) three-year old daughter.
- Mocovox.com