By Land or By Sea - Solo Project
Video: The Mermaid and the Serpent - Live at the Library
Occasionally James feels the need to branch away from metal
and record some solo acoustic stuff. In a fit of emo prention,
he decided to call the project By Land or By Sea. Check out
www.myspace.com/jamessutter to listen.
www.rainydawg.org - From 2003-2005, James and Ryan blasted audiences with
metal and bizarre talk radio on "Mosh Rinse Repeat: More Rock Than A Renton Crackhouse," Mondays from 9-11pm. Regular features included "Z's Moment Of Shred,"
"The Too-Metal-Fo'-Yo-Mama Triple-Pack," "Ask Dr. Science," and
rants from Troy, our angriest listener. Oh yeah, and there were some interviews
with folks like Avenged Sevenfold in there as well.
From 2002 to 2003, James was the lead
singer/rhythm guitarist for slamDaddy, a punk/rock/metal band out of Sammamish,
WA.
The quartet played all over the greater Seattle
area, from teen clubs like Redmond's Old Firehouse and Bellevue's Ground Zero,
to an extremely memorable benefit concert at Annie Wright's School for Girls in
Tacoma, as well as numerous band battles, bar shows, and DIY plug-in-and-kick-it
gigs. The band self-released two EPs, "Where Didn't We Stick It" (2002) and "A
Kick In The Junk" (2003) and was positively reviewed on both KEXP and in
Seattle's The Stranger before finally breaking up amiably in December of
2003.
*** VIDEOS
***
(from 2nd Ave Pizza, Seattle - July 2003)
(Even more than the EPs, these videos are probably the best indication of what
sD sounded like. Right clicking and selecting "save as" is the easiest way to download these - Quicktime required)
In late 2000, James and Ryan founded Weak Link, the band that was to later
become slamDaddy (the only lineup change being the loss of bassist Chuck
Rammseyer and his fortuitous replacement by Andy Kreek). While the group changed
to slamDaddy after only a few gigs, many of the young band's learning experiences
were under this name.
While most of the early demos
(including such classics as "Anal Snowcone" and "Where's My Sex?") are
safely locked away, the following track is still fun (if way grunge).
In early 2000, Ryan and James were looking for a way to
slack on a long-term Environmental Systems service project and chatting about
their "band" (which at that point consisted of the two of them sitting around
eating salsa and watching MTV). Overhearing their conversation, the science
teacher suggested that they write some environmentally-themed songs and put on a
benefit concert. The boys leapt at the chance, realizing too late that it might
mean actually learning to play instruments.
Nevertheless, after three months of grueling work, Some Assembly Required played
their first show at Skyline High School with Ryan Zielonka on guitar, James on
vocals and bass (learned in a week after the original bassist left), and
12-year-old Anthony Sutter who, in a fit of brotherly love, learned to play
drums in less than a month. Songs included Offspring covers and such
original tunes as "Parasite," "Billy's Song," and "Activist With A Baseball
Bat." Though the band would play only one other show (a house party in which
Ryan fell through the rotting deck), James and Ryan were hooked. Anthony, for
his part, would never play drums again. James still feels kind of guilty.
Amazingly enough, their original website
has survived: click
here for a
blast from the past.
Site design
by Bitchin' Nephew Productions. All content c. 2006 James L. Sutter
Please spread stuff around, just give me credit and
don't sell it.
