09 have no permanent vocalist and with each new track partner with a different frontman, to build a diverse and eclectic collection. Hailing from Portland, Oregon, 09 strives to celebrate the music they love with the artists they love.
The Portland alternative rock project of Chancelor Reeder and EJ Olsonβs latest single, βDigital Vagrantβ, follows collaborations with Kellin Quinn and Matty Mullins. The latest song is a cathartic βF Youβ anthem, taking inspiration from Billie Eilish as well as a swathe of the bandβs progressive post-hardcore peers, as they bring a frenzied juxtaposition of eerie riffs and huge hooks. It’s available on the new album “Lost Years”, which is out now via streaming platforms worldwide!
‘Lost Years’ features an enviable cast of talent, including Rory Rodriguez, Matty Mullins, Malia Endres, Kellin Quinn and Cory Brandan. Produced by 09 & Justin Abel in Portland, OR, and featuring additional instrumentation from bassist Michael Palmquist and guitarist Bob Hall, the bandβs first full length record is completely independent and self-released.
βThis record is more than two years in the makingβwe decided early on not to have a front person, and instead feature someone new on every songβ¦we didnβt really know where it would take us, but we knew it was a crazy idea. We couldn’t be more proud of how this turned out, and weβre so fortunate to have worked with some of our best friends, as well as some of our favorite artists ever. Working with some of the guys that influenced me as I came up in the scene was a dream come true.” – says EJ Olson.
“Conceptually, the record was mostly written about loss, and how that loss shapes someone as a young adult. Itβs the story of my 20βs. I just tried to explore the ambivalence of the human experience, and to be as honest as possible in writing about my life. A lot of it is extremely personal, but I hope people can identify with it in some way. And I see the irony in creating something that almost mourns these moments in my life, despite this album and the entire process creating it having been an immense source of joy for me over the last few years. I think thatβs as human as can be.β
09’s EJ Olson joins us today to give us his thoughts on the alternative music scene in Portland, Oregon:
Chancelor and I cut our teeth as musicians playing shows together in Portland, OR from 2006-2010—a true golden age for DIY artists. With the advent of social media, it became easier to share music with the world and connect with like-minded music fans than ever before.
πβπ πππ π‘-βπππππππ/πππ‘ππππππ π ππππ π€ππ π‘πππππ πππ πππππ π π‘βπ π π‘ππ‘ππ , πππ π€ππ‘β π π’πβ π’ππππ π‘ππππ‘ππ πππππ π π‘π π‘βππ π π¦ππ’ππ πππ‘ππ π‘π π£ππ ππ¦π ππππ, ππ’π πππππ πππππ’πππ‘πππ π€πππ π π πππ‘πππππππππ‘ππ, ππ₯ππππππππππ π‘βπ ππ₯ππππ πππ ππ π‘βππ π ππππ π πππ’ππ‘πππππ’π ππ¦.
If it was happening in Florida, or Ohio, or California, it was happening in Portland and Seattle. There was this innocence to the scene at that time, like the industry cynicism just didn’t exist yet. These crazy tours would come through, just kids doing what they loved and trying to figure it out as they went, with no one to really help them.
Our community here was so beautiful, and that passion was infectious. You could catch a show at a different venue every night of the week—the Satyricon, Rock n Roll Pizza, the Hawthorne Theater, the Roseland, the Crystal Ballroom, the Branx (the Loveland, or the Meow Meow, for the OG’s). Someone was always hosting a house show, slinging homemade t-shirts on the front porch. There were the church shows too, as the Christian metalcore thing was taking off in a big way.
The community we built, and the things we learned over those years, have carried many of us through the last decade.
πβπ πππππ‘ππ£ππ‘π¦, π‘βπ πππ π πππ, π‘βπ π·πΌπ ππ‘π‘ππ‘π’ππ – π€π πβππππππππ π‘βππ‘.
While some of us never stopped making music, there are just as many who went on to keep the spirit of the community alive in other ventures—tattoo shops, restaurants, barber shops, video production and design companies, all sorts of entertainment collectives, from theater to wrestling to comedy—we’re still here.
The city has changed in the last ten years, but the underground movement is flourishing again, and indie artists continue to create—many of the venues have disappeared, but the music refuses to die. 09‘s entire existence as a band is owed to the artists who continue to keep the dream alive, and those coming up today breathing life back into the scene—it was a natural choice for us to celebrate both them and their vision for our community, but also the music of our youth and all of those memories through our music today.
