The violin amplified rock trio Direct Divide will play at Rhythm and Brews on Thursday, Oct. 9.
Review for Direct Divide:
If Lindsay Sterling played Vivaldi with a rock violin strapped to her shoulder, amplified with ferocity through a guitar amp, sang with a tone of Natalie Merchant and edge of Pat Benetar over classically influenced piano and a modern hard-rock band, you would have Direct Divide.
The band features violin, cello, and piano with modern distorted and clean rock guitars and a rhythm section incorporating various rock styles of heavy drums. Direct Divide writes songs with an emphasis on story, size and depth that you might find in film and television, what they call ‘cinematic rock’. With a focus on songwriting that makes you feel, the band constructs songs so different from song to song that they stay away from repetitive genre and musical key.
The group is made up of people with divided origins. The lights and chaos of Las Vegas, the somber Seattle winters and the San Francisco fog bring their lives and cities together in music. For Direct Divide, melody reigns supreme with a combination of powerful female vocals, electric violin, classically influenced piano, and progressive guitar with a dose of heavy rock drums and bass. Their songs reflect the feelings of people striving to communicate in our vast, constantly changing world of distractions and technology.
They merge Vivaldi and Hans Zimmer with steep walls of guitars and drums, reveling in soundscapes and layers of melody. Whether it is navigating the excitement and nervousness of instant infatuation in ‘Meteors or the pain of long distance in ‘Persephone’, the band writes music that audiences can fit their own experiences to. Head songwriters Razz and Kevin have been composing and recording together for three years. Guitarist Kevin generates ideas at a prodigious rate, and Razz puts the emotions of the music into words, melody, and harmony. Valdemar adds energy and attitude with his drums.
The band has been touring non stop since April of 2014, and by the end of year, will have completed an album release, a single release, two west coast tours, and a national tour.