ABOUT
"Their sound hints at what may have been a rich musical upbringing, full of old timey gospel, call and response doo-wop, and Doc Watson country-folk waters spilling forth.
Down In Pancake Valley, their debut record, offers lonesome valley harmonies and lukewarm diner coffee amid songs about widows, hobos, love, and themes of traveling away. The existential three (why are we here, what should we do, what happens when we die) are present without whiffs of cynicism or desperation."
-Ethan J. Barrons, NW Music Scene Blog
"It’s a record filled with an old-school vibe and harmonies that are instrumentally simple, warm, and rich. Self-described as “hobo-dream-pop” or “45-RPM folk music,” there’s a roots and R&B element that touches on old country, with some lyrical pain written into the tales of weird America. Champlin’s vocal drawl aches, complimented by tasty and timed fills by Johnson’s guitar work, and a rhythm section that’s masterful at being delicately subtle.
Perhaps the best thing to call it is “slacker-folk,” which in no way insinuates Champlin and his bandmates are lazy musicians who only get off the couch long enough to flip “Nashville Skyline” over on the turntable.
The work ethic that landed them in the studio so quickly reveals quite the opposite. Rather, “slacker-folk” is a nod to the style of music that reveals a sometimes lazy tempo that carries laid back, loose music. Their sound is influenced as much by harmony bands like Crosby, Stills, and Nash or the Everly Brothers as it is by indie bands like Pavement or The Felice Brothers."
-Bryant Lygett, KDUR Durango, CO
"RIP old-timey music made by trend-humping hipsters (2008–2014), hello timeless roots music made by dedicated craftspeople. This band of Seattle-music veterans is all easy melodies, impeccable harmonies and wry, evocative lyrics. Their album Down In Pancake Valley is a master class in how to rightly render open-sky cowboy folk."
-Jonathan Zwickel, City Arts Magazine, Seattle
Hello folks. We are The Sons Of Rainier. You might want to call us Alt-Folk, Americana, or perhaps Hobo Dream Pop. We don't mind. We hope you like our music, if so, great! We'd love to play at your bar in Winnemucca. We appreciate your time. There are a few unsolicited quotes to the left here. Folks have said nice things.
Some history: At the dawn of 2017 Devin Champlin brought a couple of his original songs to Dean Johnson with the invitation to sing in harmony together. That proved to be joyful, and they tapped Sam Gelband to join in with his sturdy baritone to be the middleman. Quickly this bore fruit, so they invited Charlie Meyer along for the ride with his lovely bass playing skills. At that, The Sons Of Rainier were born.
Devin Champlin has been writing songs since he first picked up a hand-me-down guitar at the age of twelve. Through his teen years and early twenties he found his cultural home in DIY punk music and skateboarding. At some point in there he picked up his dad's banjo more often than not and spent over a decade learning, playing and performing different styles of traditional American folk music, mostly Acoustic Blues and Southern Fiddle Tunes. He toured the country numerous times with acts like The Gallus Brothers, and The Crow Quill Night Owls, collaborating occasionally with elders of the scene and even being inducted into the Jug Band Hall Of Fame (yes that exists). His personal songwriting was always percolating inn the background, making sporadic appearances at house shows and the like. With The Sons Of Rainier, Champlin found a loving home for many of these songs where they could be nurtured by the hands and voices of his compadres. The arrangements rest on the foundation of Devin's songwriting, and is brought forth with warm tube amps, Dean's unpredictable, weeping guitar lines, a loosely tuned snare, upright bass, and close three part harmonies. It is 45 rpm folk music that is sweet and haunting. It's a polaroid of a stolen slow dance.
In 2018 the band released Down In Pancake Valley. Recorded live over two summer days in Bellingham, the album is filled with nostalgic lyrics brimming with longing, and understanding that float over a relaxed, lo-fi couch of sound. This album and their recent follow up Take Me Anywhere (2023) have earned the Sons a place in the permanent library of hobos, widows, fry-cooks, and fancy pants alike.