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| Oleander > Albums & Lyrics |
Thomas Flowers - Vocals, Guitar
Ric Ivanisevich - Guitar
Doug Eldridge - Bass
Fred Nelson Jr. - Drums
“I never set out to write a song,� says Oleander frontman Thomas Flowers. “They just happen--I pick up a guitar and they’re waiting for me.� From the plaintive dreamscape of “How Could I?� to the ominous downbeats of “You’ll Find Out,� the songs of February Son are driven by Flowers’ passion to be heard.
“My songs are predominantly warnings,� Flowers explains, advice I give myself to stay on track. For example, “Why I’m Here� describes a time in my life when I felt completely alone. I was living in a friend’s garage and was pretty much destitute.� The sincerity of Flowers’ songwriting coupled with the musicianship of his bandmates make Oleander’s February Son a striking, original record.
Oleander took their name from wild, poisonous flowering plants indigenous to Northern California--some grow outside the band’s practice studio. Through hard work and perseverance, Flowers and bassist/co-founder Doug Eldridge guided the Sacramento-based band to its current line-up. “From the first note of the first song we heard something amazing,� recalls guitarist Ric Ivanisevich. Not everything came easy to Oleander, though. It took a year of auditioning drummers before the band finally added veteran drummer Fred Nelson, Jr. to its roster. Flowers has worked for a number of years as a bus boy to make ends meet. Ivanisevich recently worked at a storage warehouse for a record chain.
In Fall 1997, Oleander recorded a 10-song independent release that caught the ear of KRXQ/Sacramento Program Director Curtiss Johnson, who added “Down When I’m Loaded� into regular rotation. After that single’s success, Johnson began to spin “Why I’m Here,� which became one of the station’s 1998 Top 5 researching tracks. By then, Oleander had already recorded all eleven tracks with producer Steven Haigler (Fuel, Local H, Jimmy’s Chicken Shack).
Acclaim for February Son continues. In a nationally syndicated show KROQ/Los Angeles chose “Why I’m Here� as a “sure fire hit� for 1999.
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