Braided waves
Boise’s Braided Waves formed after recording some covers of lullabies for Tim Andreae and Valerie Kiesig’s son to be born in November of 2013. Lead vocalist and guitarist, Otis Crook, had experienced a long depression cycle of bipolar 1 and he thought he would never enjoy playing music again.
Playing with a capo for one of the traditional lullabies engaged in a new relationship for him and how it feels to play guitar and sing. A short time after this new relationship, he wrote “Living Amends” with a capo on the second fret of his electric guitar. He invited Tricia Hall to play drums to it in his apartment on the 6th floor of a subsidies housing building; where each resident was living with a disability of some form. The music was too disturbing for some of the neighbors, so the duo requested they set up in what was Luna Michelle and William Bendler’s large basement.
Practicing there, the duo cowrote a few songs without the intention of sharing them. It was just something to do that felt good. Clarke Howell, who was living in a closet-sized room in that basement, heard them perform. He invited them to be part of VHShit, which was being filmed and recorded in the space of the basement at the same time. Trish and Otis agreed to be a part of it, even though there was no band name or intention to perform for other folks yet.
Soon after, Otis contacted the prolific Elijah Lindsey Jensen requesting that he play bass and added William Bendler to play guitar. The newly formed four-piece played one show for Gem State’s album release of their first record at the Crux in downtown Boise. “Since their conception, Braided Waves has been embraced by the local community, toured with local legends on multiple occasions, Built to Spill. And have been critical in supporting and uplifting local artists,”-Ali O’Malley.
The band has undergone nearly a complete lineup change; but with Otis Crook at the helm, the same ‘general feel’ remains in tact. Currently on bass and supporting vocals is Benjamin Turner (who had played with a Otis in a previous band called, How’s Your Family?, and was/is the front man and guitarist for a lovely band called, Range Life. On drums and vocals is local marvel, Demmi Netson.
Otis likes to say the genre of Braided Waves is non-fiction. Big influences on his songwriting are Built to Spill, Brian Eno, Caustic Resin, Clarke and the himselfs, and Lou Reed, etc.
