Meet the Band: Sam Getz (vocals, guitars), Jimmy Weaver (bass), Mikey Gould (drums), Brett Lindemann (keyboards)
From Sideman to Frontman: Sam Getz was a session guy before joining singer-songwriter Kate Voegele for her 2006 tour. He spent four years on the road with her and then hooked up with indie rockers Stephen Kellogg & the Sixers and toured with them for three years. When that band took a hiatus in 2012, Getz put together Welshly Arms, christening the group with a name that comes from a Saturday Night Live skit.
An Auspicious Debut: Back in January 2013, the band played its first show at the Beachland Tavern and sold the place out thanks to having built a huge online following. "Music has always been what I wanted my career to be," says Getz. "When I was home off the road, I started jamming with my friends. It was organic. We were barbecuing. It was just getting the boys back together. As we went on, we thought it could be a band. We just started recording some stuff and it grew organically like that. I never do anything half ass. If I'm going to do it, I just wanted to really go for it. As much as we want to play music, our goal is to be home. We're in that stage of life." Last year, the group's following really grew and it even played a gig at Progressive Field.
Why You Should Hear Them: When the band issued its six-song covers album last year, we had this to say about it: "It's an exciting roundup of tunes, all of which work really well in Welshly Arms' throwback rock style." With its latest self-titled long player, the group continues to impress. "Love in a Minor Key," the free-wheeling song that opens Welshly Arms, is a grunge-y blues number that features noisy guitars and soulful backing vocals. While the album is the band's first full-length, Getz says the guys had no trouble coming up with enough songs. "A couple of the tracks were leftover from the first EP. We finished them up and gave them a facelift. We cut 16 to 18 tracks and then scraped off the fat. I wanted a 10-song album but I have found that I always have better luck making more songs than you really need."
Where You Can Hear Them: welshlyarms.com.
Where You Can See Them: Welshly Arms performs with Modern Electric and Teddy Boys at 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 9, at House of Blues.
