B I O G R A P H Y
Frank McGinnis (guitar/vocals), Samantha Niss (drums) and Adam Stoutenburgh (bass) are sitting on a paisley-printed couch in Kingston, NY at the middle of an under-construction art gallery. They’re wondering where the coffee is. Finishing each other’s sentences while exuding charisma and dark humor, it’s an interviewer’s dream. Like their music, it’s enough just to listen.
Producer Kevin McMahon (Titus Andronicus, Frightened Rabbit, The Walkmen) recorded the band’s debut, Hell Broke Loose. A dynamic, emotionally raw record that booms with energy, depth and danceability, it’s the kind of pop-sensible indie rock that makes the heart race and the body engage.
Though this is By Land or Sea‘s first LP, its members have already been hazed by the music industry. Prior to 2009, they received a long, frustrating education in how packed clubs, industry buzz and major label interest can lead to management issues, album delays and plummeting morale. That’s when the band adopted a new charter: write, write, write… and the industry can go to hell.
In a single year, the By Land or Sea wrote over 30 songs. Hell Broke Loose is both mature and accessible, due in no small part to the band’s intense dedication and songwriting capabilities. “Everyone brought a flicker of a song,” explained McGinnis. “A riff, a beat, a bass line… all of the sudden that flicker turned into a spark. We sparked off each other and started a fire.”
Fire may burn, but damn is it hot and catchy. In person and on stage, By Land or Sea is pure chemical reaction. No need to fret over formulas or results with that kind of chemistry. It just happens.