Get more with LA band, 7 Less

There’s nothing like a sweet, charming pop song to brighten your day or at least make it a little bit brighter. Add a little rock to it, and you get a certain energy with that quiet twinge of funk. This combination will addict you and draw you closer. In this genre, and with this style of rock-infused pop songs, artists can come to a happy medium and range – one that transcends the two genres gently while never fully leaving one or the other in the dark. LA band, 7 Less embodies this combination discussed before. Their mixes of melodies and are creative yet simple and humane. Listen to them here performing their original song, “Don’t Go,” in their music video.

The group is relatively new – they only formed in the year of 2017. However, they’re already on a roll, producing songs and an EP and receiving acclaim from around the music industry. The band has been previewing their new six-track EP entitled “Two Sides of the Story” all around Los Angeles, and it even caught the attention of a Channel Islands music professor. Craig Bickel said that their song “Let’s Fall in Love” is “a lovely song with enormous potential.” Take a listen!

The three members of 7 Less have some interesting music backgrounds. Lead singer Marc Rasec picked up the guitar at age 11 and taught himself to play from music books his father gave him. From there, his music career blossomed, and he used his struggles in high school to add an emotional level to his songwriting and performing. The band’s drummer, John Htun, is the son of a well known Burmese artist named David Htun Htun. He moved out to Los Angeles in 2003 to immerse himself in the American music industry some more, and ended up meeting Rasec in 2016. The two of them teamed up for a few shows together and ultimately decided that it was a match. Since then, their band received an endorsement from Zion Cymbals for a few of their music videos and a contract for the band’s upcoming projects. Obviously, they are off to a great start as a band. Take a look at their official music video for their original song, “New Zealand.”

7 Less is off to a pretty much ideal and fantastic start for an LA band thus far, and they’re on a roll. Be sure to check out their page to see when their next gig is, so you can go and support these guys in concert. If you get the chance to see them live, you’re in for a treat.

Booking shows on Gigmor

Making his LA mark: Shea Welsh

If you want to talk about true Angeleno musicians and figureheads, Shea Welsh is quite a prototype. Though he was born in Baltimore and raised in the East Coast, he obviously found his niche in the famed music capital. First and foremost, he is a massively accomplished guitarist, having performed with members of some of the most famous bands to grace the music industry and logged countless hours in the recording studio with various artists. His ability to transcend multiple genres “keeps him at the top of many music-makers’ lists.”

(Pictured above mid-concert.)

Shea fronts an LA-grown band that performed for three years on Thursday nights at Pip’s on La Brea as a part of a residency, so it’s not hard to see that he loves to perform. He’s very involved in the Jazz world and has really dipped into that scene – he’s headlined at Jazz festivals like the Long Island Jazz & Blues festival and the Panama Jazz festival to name a few. He’s been a sideman for many groups, always being flexible in his ability to adapt and create, whether it’s with a small combo or a big-band like Paul McDonald’s. Check out Shea performing “Sancho T. Panza,” an original composition, with his band. Perhaps this will give you a sense of just how talented he is.

Not only has he made his mark on the scene as an artist, but he has also done quite a lot of work as a producer and a writer. His most recent producing project was the The Hipnotics’ debut recording along with his work helping to write and produce Michelle Coltrane’s second album. However, this isn’t all. Shea decided early to give back to the industry that shaped him through education. He is a member of the faculty at the University of Southern California’s Thorton School of Music and has written a few instructional books on Blues and Jazz. Most recently, he has opened The Shea Welsh Institute of Jazz as a branch of The Conservatory of Performing Arts over near Westwood in Los Angeles. The school is open for dedicated high school and middle school students looking for an intense experience and immersion into the study of Jazz. He will be giving these kids masterclasses in theory, performance, and repertoire, and they are bound to benefit from his experience and absolute mastery. He’s pictured below with some of his students.

Shea is certainly making his mark, not only on stage and in the halls, but almost most importantly, in the minds of the young. His commitment to his young students goes to show how much he truly cares about bringing out the love of music in as many people as he can. If all of this wasn’t impressive enough, there’s one more thing. In addition to all of his work with Michelle Coltrane, Shea released his own debut jazz album entitled Arrival to the world earlier in 2017. Go give this album a listen, as it will take you to a place different from all others. His unique composition will grab all listeners with intent and fury and also with the soft tenderness of the blues. Look out for Shea Welsh around Los Angeles – whether he’s performing, producing, writing or teaching. Wherever he is, he is leaving quite a stamp on this historic city.