NOMAD | Amité Music

Amitė

Music from Under the Waves

We roam. We amble. We search. Of our local childhood generation, we have become the nomads. We grew up in Duluth, Minnesota, and even though we have moved out of the town, Duluth’s influence maintains its hold on us. Our two Duluthian claims to fame, ordered respectively in popularity, are the home of Bob Dylan and the “juicy lucy,” a seemingly-sentient food that has grown even further in infamy thanks to the coverage by nearly every cable TV travel or food host; they stop by Duluth for a juicy lucy on their way to get poutine from Quebec. Much less known to the public, other than to the Garrison Keillor fans, are the loons that sing and sailboats that dance along the 40 miles of cliff-bound waterfront. Those cliffs surround Lake Superior; I guess the folks that named it thought it to be superior in the sense that it’s the largest freshwater lake in the world. With an expansive lakefront that may as well be an oceanfront and a latitude that gives us large seasonal swings, the outdoor opportunity rivals the size of the lake itself.

Kassie Van Dyke | @kvdphotography

We spent our long days of summer biking woodland trails, cliff jumping in the rivers, and soaking along the lake’s edge. As it serves for the natural world, the Amity Creek was our highway. We escaped into the forests and fields by way of the river. We could pursue our imaginations without the societal imperatives dragging at our heels. Stars filled the night skies; thoughts of the world and where we fit in it occupied our minds. The melodies of chirping crickets lulled us to sleep, forming the soundtrack to our dreams. With each night of reflection, perspective crept further into our minds until it became the main point of contemplation. Our winters were a stark contrast. We started our days in the frigid dark, waiting for the school bus. We attended class, watching the only bit of sunshine from behind glass. We returned home on the bus, counting burnt out street lights and how many days remained until afterschool sun. Winters were as harsh in Duluth as any Midwestern town without mountains; we skied on crusty ice at the local ski hill for as long as we could stand and sheltered inside for the remainder of the time. Music became our winter mainstay, and we frequented the local music scene. Gray winters on the lake led the crowds into the warm embrace of the few folk and alt rock venues in northern Minnesota, but our interests fell outside the purview of Duluth’s musical experience. We began to set our own course in electronic music, collaborating with the alt rock and folk artists. They helped us develop range, but we felt the draw elsewhere to surround ourselves with artists that better complimented our style. It was time to leave our hometown. High school graduation demarcated three months left to enjoy the Great Lakes until we went our separate ways. We spent our last summer making mistakes and testing out our new freedom. The city is stretched along an expansive hillside bordering the waterfront. The city streets are long and gradual as they follow the lake’s contours, perfect for longboarding. We spent our nights cutting through the cool crisp air, gliding from one end of town to the next. In the mornings, we’d meet at Amity Creek and wander the mossy woods. For our macho selves, every trail led to one of the cliff jumping spots, where we’d laze on the rocks and sunbathe. We awoke only to the entrance of girls, believing ourselves to impress by leaping into the river below. As we passed 30 feet of jagged cliffs on the way to the water, our egos swelled but trembled as our feet felt the sandy bottom on every landing.

Haley Wyrick | @HaleyLeiloni

JORGEN For most of my childhood, my introverted nature allowed me to remain in my world, only reaching out on my terms. During that last summer, I couldn’t exist around the edges any longer. My father decided my mother and I were no longer welcome in his home. It used to be my home, but from that moment on, it was simply a house in which I used to live. My new sense of home started to develop, starting with the world out of doors. Chris helped me to experience the world as others were seeing it; my once-isolated reality began to merge with others’. Life was multidimensional. How I lived mattered; what I lived for changed. Up to this point, my ambitions pointed toward a career like engineering or medicine, where hard work and practical application were the key, but I realized that there were other ways to live. The relationships in my life hold as much value as the career I pursue. I moved to Boulder, working on a degree in Aerospace Engineering. I maintained the high effort levels, spending three quarters of my waking hours in the library. But I wasn’t pursuing the degree for myself; I was following the plan. Music was my muse, building momentum with every semester. Class progressively lost priority; I oft opted for my own education by taking my guitar deep into the mountains. There, I explored my thoughts, wrote songs, and immersed myself in nature. While I currently work as a full-time Aerospace Engineer, I continue to be more and more enamored by music. I arrive to the office early, not to work on the firm’s objectives, but to work on Amite’s music; after my daily time in the office, I attend music production school at night. Beginning and ending my day with music adds an unmatched depth to my life; I’m preparing for the pursuit of my passion full-time.

Haley Wyrick | @HaleyLeiloni

CHRIS I spent the majority of my childhood internationally, from South Africa to England, before landing in Duluth for high school. Smooth transitions didn’t really happen in my world. Transitions blew in like raucous storms, and I would find my way through the aftermath. That pivotal summer after high school graduation that brought clarity into Jorgen’s life left me with confusion and darkness. My parents were separating. My best friends made college plans and left. My world looked very different. With little guidance and an even shorter time before the fall semester, I enrolled in Lake Superior College, the halfway house between high school and a four year university for local Duluthians. Without my social network of friends, I spent a lot of time with my own thoughts and turned to music for solace. Music became the layout to which I began understanding the world. As my first semester grinded to a close, two things became obvious. First, if I wanted to pursue a Computer Science degree, I needed to step up to a four-year university. Second, Duluth would never be the same as before. I sequestered my insecurities and transferred to Boulder. Reassurances from Jorgen made the move easier, but I was adapting once more. After two and a half years of learning at the University of Colorado, I stared down another crossroad of how to further my education. The funding ran dry. In such a short time, Colorado developed into my home; it shaped my thoughts, outlook, and values. I also built life-long relationships that I cherish to this day. I submitted my transfer to Washington State and restarted a new lifestyle in the Pacific Northwest. I now live in Vancouver, honing Amite’s music no matter where I am and bartending to make ends meet.

Haley Wyrick | @HaleyLeiloni

Kassie Van Dyke | @kvdphotography

Chris found sensitivity in the damp moss on the ponderosa pines and depth from the saltiness of the coast. These elements were incorporated into our music, tapping into not only a new spirituality in our creative process, but an entirely new ambient environment of natural sound.

AMITE After we parted ways out of Colorado, our communication was initially rough. Being in separate time zones and increasingly separate lives, there wasn’t anything natural about collaborating on our music. We eventually settled into a routine of trust and overcommunication, drawing on our bond built during our time together in Duluth and Boulder. On a regular basis, we motivate one another and keep each other accountable, working the near-term of the album and the long-term of settling down in Seattle with our own studio. That constant communication and reassurance of our dreams keep us pushing day in and day out. Electronic music evokes a depth of sound and emotion unlike any other music we have experienced; we are also drawn to the unknown of electronic music. It is still a relatively new medium, with budding technology opening possibilities of sound never before heard. The concept of virgin sound is invigorating. We incorporate natural sounds, from bird songs to rain to the raw human voice, in our music that balances the robotic nature of electronic music. To add more layers of authenticity in our music, we also incorporate more traditional instruments like electric or acoustic guitar, saxophone, xylophone, and strings.

Blending these sounds with some mainstream electronic elements creates a sound entirely our own; through the music, we convey our energy and wide range of influences. Recently, we attended a few shows with sustained loud, heavy music from the first minute to the very last. When there isn’t enough variation between the electronic and natural elements, we left the show prematurely, exhausted from the high intensity. We like to think that we are the love ballad to EDM’s metal power album. We play danceable ambient beats accompanied by powerful, emotional lyrics. We are bringing subtle beauty to our live performance. Every show flows through a unique journey, guided by the music, visuals, and vibe. We intend to create a show that invites dancing as well as a spectrum of emotions. We literally want to make our fans dance and cry all at once. We hope our music connects with our audience and changes the way they think through our raw and approachable production and stage presence.

We released our first full length album, Oxytocin, on March 23 of this year. This album was written when Jorgen was working through heartbreak and Chris was transitioning to life in the Pacific Northwest. By medical definition, oxytocin is the chemical that creates the feeling of comfort and love, and it can be incredibly addicting. When someone suffers from a loss, the effects of no longer having oxytocin creates a similar effect to withdrawals from a drug. This album was our way of coping with each of our own transitions, trying to become whole once more. The album starts with Jorgen’s suffering and tells the story of his heartbreak, beginning dark with loneliness and distrust. It develops with self-doubt and introspection before becoming brighter in recovery and a fresh outlook. Many of these songs explore a new stylistic realm that Chris found after moving to Washington. No social network led to a profound sense of loneliness, abandoning all inhibitions or restraint. Chris found sensitivity in the damp moss on the ponderosa pines and depth from the saltiness of the coast. These elements were incorporated into our music, tapping into not only a new spirituality in our creative process, but an entirely new ambient environment of natural sound. Toward the end of the album, Jorgen expressed an edgier, sexual side on the foundation of this sound, a much needed contrast to the darker songs at the beginning of the album. These sexually-charged songs optimistically place an emphasis on love and recovery rather than the deception and distress of heartbreak. This album features six vocalists specializing in different styles including folk, pop, hip-hop, and jazz. Although this album centers around growth after heartbreak, we have taken it as a chance to explore our range and diversity in sound rather than a concept piece.

With Oxytocin available for our audience, we are now focusing more effort on our live performance. We have built a network of performers in the Boulder-Denver area and plan to start playing local shows in Boulder to hone our performance and connect to our audience. We are working with other Boulder musicians to put on a hammock festival for Summer 2019; several musicians will play an outdoor amphitheater where every member of the audience will have access to hammock seating. Even though we have shifted more focus to the live show, we still work on new material, producing singles and remixes to sustain our momentum. We are looking toward Seattle to plant our roots. One of our loftiest goals is headlining a show at Red Rocks Amphitheater. The amphitheater is one of the most beautiful places we know, and we always leave the venue with a sense of awe. Many of our favorite artists’ shows at Red Rocks have left us inspired, and we relish the opportunity to continue that tradition. We realize our goals will develop just as we do, but Red Rocks provides an objective as we look up from our daily grind. Although the music industry is ruthless and leaves many broken, we are taking a methodical and strategic approach to the world. We are working to develop a loyal fanbase and working even harder to create a world network of vocalists and musicians willing to collaborate. Even if we do not reach our ultimate goals, we are pursuing our passion and will have failed honestly. We love the process of making and marketing music, deemphasizing the need for an immediate financial success. We fell in love with making music, marketing, and promotion; the alignment of our passion with our action means every new day is brighter than the last one.

Haley Wyrick | @HaleyLeiloni