“Fluid, visual, and raw” are the three words used by Jasmine Stade, guitarist of the Bayonettes, to describe her band’s sound. —Ariela Simon
“Fluid, visual, and raw” are the three words used by Jasmine Stade, guitarist of the Bayonettes, to describe her band’s sound.The Bayonettes are a folk-rock duo based in Oakland, comprised of Jasmine Stade and Emmalee Johnson-Kao, two high school seniors from Oakland School for the Arts. They recently released their first EP, titledEmbryo, available on iTunes, Amoeba Music in Berkeley, and on CD Baby as an MP3.
One of the most important aspects of their music, according to Stade, is the creation of “a visual landscape,” meaning the music takes you somewhere. One of their influences on the visuality of music is the Flaming Lips. Other influences include the Talking Heads, Elliot Smith, and Cat Power.
Stade and Johnson-Kao have known each other since kindergarten, and have been playing music together since the fourth grade. “Through knowing each other for so long, we’ve developed a way of communicating at a very fast rate,” explains Stade. Before the Bayonettes, created about five years ago, the pair played in a different band, an electric rock trio.
Stade is especially psyched about the release of their CD, because “it was finally tangible”. Instead of creating impermanent noises, there was something solid and real, a tangible artwork.
Listening to their EP, Embryo, you will get chills. From the haunting vocals of “Aunt Steelbreaker”, to the more upbeat, sweet sound of the album’s namesake, “Embryo”, you are transformed, you are uplifted. Their album is the type you listen to on still summer nights, feet dangling into water. Stade describes their sound as “raw” because they don’t have a drummer, and rely on their voices, bass and guitar to carry their songs. There is an intrinsic rawness to their music, and a maturity conveyed through the poetry and content of their lyrics. This music perfectly encapsulates the inbetween-ness of being a teenager, an experience both kids and adults can enjoy and identify with. The Bayonettes are for everyone, and speak to individuals through intimate sound and voice.
One of the most important aspects of their music, according to Stade, is the creation of “a visual landscape,” meaning the music takes you somewhere. One of their influences on the visuality of music is the Flaming Lips. Other influences include the Talking Heads, Elliot Smith, and Cat Power.
Stade and Johnson-Kao have known each other since kindergarten, and have been playing music together since the fourth grade. “Through knowing each other for so long, we’ve developed a way of communicating at a very fast rate,” explains Stade. Before the Bayonettes, created about five years ago, the pair played in a different band, an electric rock trio.
Stade is especially psyched about the release of their CD, because “it was finally tangible”. Instead of creating impermanent noises, there was something solid and real, a tangible artwork.
Listening to their EP, Embryo, you will get chills. From the haunting vocals of “Aunt Steelbreaker”, to the more upbeat, sweet sound of the album’s namesake, “Embryo”, you are transformed, you are uplifted. Their album is the type you listen to on still summer nights, feet dangling into water. Stade describes their sound as “raw” because they don’t have a drummer, and rely on their voices, bass and guitar to carry their songs. There is an intrinsic rawness to their music, and a maturity conveyed through the poetry and content of their lyrics. This music perfectly encapsulates the inbetween-ness of being a teenager, an experience both kids and adults can enjoy and identify with. The Bayonettes are for everyone, and speak to individuals through intimate sound and voice.
