Watch: 13th Floor MusicTalk with Jeff Symonds

We take you to cloudy San Francisco to talk to journeyman musician Jeff Symonds about his new album, riverrun.

The 13th Floor’s Marty Duda spoke to the 51 year old former sideman about finally making his debut album due out on December 18th.

And, if you’re unfamiliar with Mr Symonds, here’s his bio:

Bio:

For almost three decades, Jeff Symonds has been one or two steps to the left or right, playing bass, keys and guitar in dozens of projects.  He has played thousands of shows in hundreds of venues big and small, helping bring artists’ visions to life.  Now it’s his turn.

Jeff Symonds steps into the spotlight for the first time with riverrun, an album that celebrates and looks back at a life lived in love with music; it’s a four-part exploration of youth, adolescence, adulthood and the glorious noise of rock ‘n’ roll. Written and performed almost entirely by Jeff, it represents his attempt to make sense of a life lived primarily from stage left. “It finally felt like the right time to gather up all the tunes and ideas that I’ve stuffed in a drawer and see if something worthwhile emerged,” said Symonds. “And after writing a dozen new songs, a narrative started to reveal itself. It’s a loose story of my life and the lives of the people around me, good and bad, from childhood to last month. I know it’s a little much to wait over thirty years to make a record and then make a concept record when you finally do, but if I’m only going to take a few at-bats, I might as well swing hard.”

riverrun features swampy Pettyish rock, throwback New Wave pop, Who-ish guitar anthems, wall-of-sound SST-laden punk rock, a whispered ballad or two, and a few other surprises. The album was brilliantly recorded and mixed by Gawain Matthews. Jeff sings and plays every instrument on riverrun with the exception of some terrific stunt guitars by friends and bandmates James DePrato and Max Delaney.

“Kissimmee,” the album’s first single, was co-written with longtime friend and colleague Rich Price, who also sings on the track.  A lost song from Price’s All These Roads sessions, it closes side one of riverrun with a sense of optimism. “I was so glad to pull this one back from obscurity,” says Symonds.  In addition to Price’s vocals on “Kissimmee,” Symonds also received help on vocals for the album’s second single “A New Place” from Megan Slankard, for whom Jeff has played bass since 2004. “Having Megan sing background vocals behind me is borderline criminal, but the track didn’t come to life until she did.”

After decades as a collaborator, Symonds is excited to have a record out with his own name on the cover. “It feels great to put something out there, and to have all of its faults be all mine.”

About riverrun from Jeff’s fellow artists::

From Megan Slankard:  “”Riverrun” is a masterful debut full of vintage sounds and fresh ideas. It’s hard to believe that with but a few exceptions, this project was just a two-man operation between writer and performer Jeff Symonds and engineer Gawain Matthews. Listening from start to finish will take you on an honest journey, full of unbelievably catchy melodies and delightful stories that you won’t be able to help rocking out to.”

From Matt Jaffe:  “Jeff channels our common idols into incisive writing delivered with the requisite abandon of rock and roll. Moreover, his holistic approach to the recording process proves a virtuosity laced through his punk rock cred. The enthusiasm of his drum performances alone would be worth the price of admission, but luckily, that’s just the beginning.”

Jeff’s selected discography:

Solo:

Jeff Symonds– riverrun (Coming December 2020)

As band member:

Rich Price– All These Roads (2007)

Megan Slankard– A Token Of The Wreckage (2011)

Rich Price– Moonlight Breaks (2011)

Wafflebarrel– Wafflebarrel (2013)

Megan Slankard– Running On Machinery (2015)

Wafflebarrel– II (2015)

Megan Slankard— The Weeds (Single) (2020)

As session player (selected):

The Sweet Remains– Laurel And Sunset (2008)

The Welcome Matt– Members Of Sound (2010)

Joel Streeter– Matador (2010)

Jesse Brewster– Wrecking Ball At The Concert Hall (2011)

Jeff Campbell– Stop And Go (2012)

Jeff Campbell— Live At Coast Studios (2013)

The Welcome Matt– More Empire Days (2017)

The Welcome Matt– American Depression – Single (2020)