Originating from Richmond, Virginia, via Miami Beach, Gills and Wings are presently on the road in support of their eponymous debut EP. With an ambient style of rock that shatters the senses, the band has already established a strong following in the short time they've been together. They've had their music played on MTV's The Real World, and now they are bringing their arena-filling sound to the nation. The group writes purpose-driven songs, lyrically and melodically centered, that are vibrant, smart and bold. The band's name is a nod to the transformative and inspirational power of music and the Nietzschean concept of the super-human. They believe that playing music not only transforms them, but allows audiences to transcend their normal lives and be whoever they want to be.
The EP Gills and Wings demonstrates the versatility of the band's sound, from the moody and atmospheric "Man in the Well" to the theatrical and politically charged "Rebirth of a Nation" to the slow build of the rocker "Catastrophe". The bands songs capture a sense of longing, and vocalist Danny Reyes delivers both joy and heartbreak in a neatly wrapped package.
Their story began with the musical collaborations of Uruguayan Santiago and Cuban Danny at arts school in their hometown of Miami. When in college, a friend connected the duo with Alex, who had played on Jason Mraz' debut album Waiting for My Rocket To Come. Alex, in turn, introduced the band members to Andy and Matt who had played with him in a previous band called Buddha Pop. After months of mailing demos and ideas, and traveling up and down the East coast, Danny and Santi took the plunge and moved to Richmond, where Gills and Wings were born.
The band pools their musical influences from a plethora of sources. Danny draws from 20th Century jazz and pop composers such as Johnny Mercer, Rodgers and Hammerstein and Cole Porter. His taste of course includes contemporary artists like Radiohead and The Beatles. Santi takes his influences from the likes of Coldplay, Fiona Apple and hip-hop artists such as Tupac Shakur and The Notorious B.I.G., as well as classical composers like Debussy and Schubert. Alexs inspirations include Tom Waits, The Grateful Dead, Bob Marley and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Matt's bass-playing influences include Windham Hills Michael Manring and The New Bohemians. Andy is a huge fan of XTC. And after years of cross-country collaboration and local gigs, Gills and Wings has jumped off the deep end - and are ready to fly.
