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Rock trio Sam Goodwill builds its music in layers
By GUY D’ASTOLFO
YOUNGSTOWN
Already one of the most musically sophisticated bands in Youngstown, Sam Goodwill has been hitting the road to spread its edgy rock to other states.
The trio extracts melody from underlying strata of percussive sound, then purifies it with keyboards and haunting vocal harmonies.
Sam Goodwill, along with two other equally creative local bands — Modern Life and Sirens Everywhere — will perform Saturday night in the first installment of the Local Exposure live-music series at Greyland Gallery, downtown. All three bands in the showcase are comprised of veteran players in the Valley’s music scene.
Sam Buonavolonta (vocals, piano, percussion) is the founder and chief songwriter of the eponymously named band (Buonavolonta, you see, is Italian for “good will”), which also includes Richard Elmsworth (Gil Mantera’s Party Dream; guitar, vocals, percussion) and Bob Young (Signature Event; drums). He talked about his music in the following question-and-answer exchange.
Q. Your music is definitely on the experimental end of the alt-rock spectrum, and a thread that runs through it is its dense and percussive nature. What is it about these two elements that attracts you? Have you always been musically progressive?
A. Rhythm is a really fun thing to play around with and experiment with, and I’m definitely drawn to it. With [our latest album] “History,” it took the form of wild percussion-blending and simple “in the pocket” drum beats. The density of the sound is more of a tendency of mine. I shoot for simple layering, and at some point in the recording process that gives way to the endless potential of addition. I don’t know that I’m musically progressive. I think my process is more visceral. I just recognize that my point of view evolves, and I try to be totally honest and true to wherever it is when I start to write something. When it comes out, it sounds the way it sounds. I try to surround myself with people who think of music making in this same way.
Q. Talk about your shows outside of the area. How has the band been received while on tour?
A. Taking this record on the road has been partially an experiment and partially a dream realized. We’re touring small to midsized venues and meeting a lot of truly wonderful people. We’re in a weird spot in time where you can see us play a house show in North Carolina in front of 10 people and, three nights later, you can see us opening a sold-out House of Blues show in Cleveland. I think that’s a testament to the importance of a band in our position to be open to anything, because so often it boils down to the luck of the draw.
Q. What’s next for the band?
A. We’re booking in the Midwest for June and July. We’re also aiming to get a few new songs ready for these shows. We’d really like to put a new EP out by the end of the year.