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The Sordid Seeds Evolve

By Beacon Staff

On the cover of their second album, Jameson and the Sordid Seeds decided to depict a tree with an intricate root system. It’s an apt metaphor for this project, and not just because it’s a play on their name.

The band’s sophomore album, “I Walk Down Your Street,” is a testament to the group’s growth and evolution, and to the value of local music in the Flathead Valley. Brent Jameson, one of the band’s founding members and the lead singer, said the album took a year to put together.

It didn’t start out that way, Jameson said, but as they started the process, they decided to invite some local musicians to collaborate. Soon, that list grew to at least 13 individual musicians and an entire choir.

“We had these songs we wrote and then it was like we just started to bring in a ton of people on them, trying to make them the best that we could,” Jameson said in an interview with the Beacon last week.

The 10-song album was produced, recorded and mixed by Marco Forcone, who is known for his work with Human Lab. The result is a polished, professional and multilayered project.

“I couldn’t be happier with it,” Jameson said.

The album features bassist and songwriter Sean Cooksey, Forcone on percussion, Craig Barton on the organ, keys, piano and backup vocals, and Leonard Govenettio on harmonica.

Jameson and the Sordid Seeds will host a CD release party on Dec. 7 at the Great Northern Bar in Whitefish. The party will feature plenty of local talent, and the Sordid Seeds will take the stage at about 10:30 p.m. There will probably be a $3 cover charge, Jameson said, and the CDs cost $10.

To show how far the group has come, Jameson compared their latest album to the band’s first album, “Two Shoes in Mary’s Basement.” While he’s still proud of it, the inaugural effort was recorded in one day and featured mostly reggae tunes.

The new album is well thought out, with some of the familiar hints at reggae, but also new genres for the band, such as the funky feel to the single, “Brother Man,” which features the horn section from popular local group 20 Grand.

Emily Clark, the singer from 20 Grand, also lends her considerable vocal talent to several of the tracks on the new album, including a duet Jameson wrote for the two of them, called “Tell Me Why.” The song, with its classic story bemoaning heartache, gives the singers a platform to show off their skill and range.

The Sordid Seeds new CD, “I Walk Down Your Street”

The Crown of the Continent Choir from Kalispell also contributed to the album, and Jameson said it was a bit of a logistical feat to get everyone on the same page. It paid off for the band, with the added depth in the songs.

Then there are tracks such as “Bleed,” and “Text Girl,” which feature the band’s familiar talent for rocking hard and loud.

The mix of genres works well, and Jameson said his goal was to create a record that he could hand someone and know that they would find at least one song on there that reaches them.

“I’m so proud of this record,” Jameson said.

After a four-show stint in the Flathead, Jameson and the Sordid Seeds will head out for a 21-date tour up and down the West Coast, hitting all the major cities along the way.

Additional artists on “I Walk Down Your Street” include Dave Griffith, John Dunnigan, Alison Cooksey, Amy Jean Burdo, Alison Smith, Melissa Bernstein, Chauncey Allison, Sky Thoreson, Eli Watts, Rebecca Nelson, Eric Gates and DJ J-Ster Jazz.

For more information on Jameson and the Sordid Seeds, visit www.sordidseeds.com or check out the band’s Facebook page.