Welterweight

w/ Hat Channel

Friday, January 19 @ Caledonia Lounge

originally published January 17, 2007

Welterweight

Today's happy-hour show at the Caledonia offers a swell chance to catch up with the new incarnation of Welterweight. The local pop band has been dormant for almost a year due to complications of personal lives, but is now returning with an expanded lineup and more "mellow" sound, according to vocalist guitarist Greg Harmelink. "Even though there are two more people, the songs have a lot more space," says Harmelink, formerly of '90s pop act Kincaid. "Most of the songs have very light, simple piano or organ parts. Having a second guitar gives a lot more options with dynamics. When we were a trio, we were pretty much all playing all the time. Having female vocals integrated is also a very big change."

Rob Walsh (also of Kincaid) and Ash White rounded out the original trio, and now Carolyn McLanahan and Todd Elihu join Harmelink & Co. "It's almost a family thing," says Harmelink. "Carolyn had been on a couple of compilations with myself and Rob when we went under the name of Triangle Park. She also happens to be Rob's sister and my sister in-law. She's an incredible singer. Todd happens to be Rob's brother-in-law and my brother-in-law. So Ash is the only one who is not related… however, he was an employee of mine."

Harmelink played with past Kincaid bandmate Pat Valentine and former Masters of the Hemisphere members Sean Rawls and Bren Mead in the short-lived Monocles in 2003. "I wanted to expand the group to help change the sound some," Harmelink says of the expansion. "The beginning of Welterweight was what the Monocles had turned into after Sean, Pat and Bren departed for various reasons. What we are doing now just feels right. I've always had a leaning towards quiet songs… I just rarely ever played it." Harmelink plans to have a record done by early March, and hopes for more early Caledonia shows like tonight's, which starts at 6 p.m.

Chris Hassiotis